KARACHI, Dec 19: The Karachi Arts Council Theatre will open its doors to the people either in the first or second quarter of next year. The 480-seat theatre, being constructed within the premises of the Arts Council, will be the best equipped one in the country.
Though the theatre building is stated to be almost ready, the opening date has to be forwarded due to cash flow problem.
Tender have already been floated for the acquisition of seats which would be made available and installed within a couple of months.
The seats will be arranged in semi-circular rows, which will allow good viewing from every nook and corner of the theatre. The theatre will have a revolving stage.
Towards the backstage area, there will be several changing rooms. This area will have a separate and fully integrated sound system through which instructions could be issued to the performers.
According to Hasan Ahmed, resident architect of the project, the total cost of the project is Rs50 million, which has now been released in full by the authorities. He said this while talking to a group of journalists on Thursday.
He pointed out that the work on the exterior finishing of the building was in progress. This work is scheduled to be completed within a month.
Contracts for the supply of sound and lighting equipment will be awarded to reputed international companies, he said. And the tenders had been sent abroad for this purpose through various consulates.
Mr Ahmed said the construction work had started in 1991. But subsequently, the work had to be suspended. The work was resumed only last year.
Earlier, the sitting vice president and general secretary of the Arts Council told the journalists that a cafeteria, called Gulrang, will be inaugurated on Friday evening. Well-known personalities, like Mushtaq A. Yusufi and Guljee, will be present at the opening ceremony.
The journalists put several critical questions to H. H. Hashmi and Saifur Rehman Garami. Clarifying their position, the two said that the journalists had not been invited in an effort to hog the limelight immediately before the Council elections, rather to dispel some ‘wrong impressions’.
“It’s been said, for example, that the hall housing the Arts Council’s permanent collection of artefacts had been turned into Gulrang. This, as you can see for yourself, is not the case,” said Mr Hashmi.
Mr Garami told the journalists that two abstract statues had been commissioned especially, which will enhance the artistic ambience of Gulrang. One statue has been made by M. Sadiq and the other by Anjum Ayaz.
He added that polling booths for elections had been erected on the lawns of Arts Council. “Proper arrangements, in other words, for smooth sailing during polling on the election day have already been made,” he said.
KARACHI, Dec 19: The Karachi Arts Council Theatre will open its doors to the people either in the first or second quarter of next year. The 480-seat theatre, being constructed within the premises of the Arts Council, will be the best equipped one in the country.
