Shakespeare Centre celebrates silver jubilee with House-Shakespeare-at-Work
View(s):Celebrating its 25th anniversary the Shakespeare Centre Sri Lanka, a premiere theatre and arts groups promoting William Shakespeare’s works among others started to construct a building dedicated to arts and theatres.
The laying of the foundation stone was held at a two-acre block of land in Godamunna-upon-Voctoria, Udispatthuwa Teldeniya donated by filmmaker and producer Padmasiri Kodikara on April 23, the day of 453rd birth anniversary of William Shakespeare.
The memorandum of understanding with regard to the transfer of land was signed and exchanged between Padmasiri Kodikara and the Shakespeare Centre Sri Lanka President, Obinamuni Gamini de Silva at the Dayananda Gunawardena hall of the Institute of Sinhala Culture, Colombo 7 recently.
The foundation stone was laid by Mr. Kodikdra while the traditional religious ceremony was conducted by the Ven. Nayaka Thero of the Godamunna Temple and the Ven. Nayaka Thero of the Udispattuwa Temple. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the British High Commissioner had extended their best wishes for the project.
The Shakespeare Centre Sri Lanka plans to build this place as House-Shakespeare-at-Work, for the betterment of Shakespeare theatre art, especially for the drama and theatre in Sri Lanka. The specialty about the building is that the whole area is to be constructed similar to the Shakespeare’s birth place and the Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon in England.
Shakespeare Centre also plans to develop the drama and theatre skills of the students and citizens in the Central Province centring on this new venue.
The Shakespeare Centre has invited artistes, politicians, scholars, professionals, and students to send their ideas and proposals for the project to Obinamuni Gamini de Silva, President, Shakespeare Centre Sri Lanka, No. 327, Darley Road, Colombo 10. contact no. 0778 516 123 9 or send to E-mail- shakespearecentre.sl@gmail.com