Tiatr Academy: Keeping Goa's Cultural Legacy Alive

Known for keeping the Tiatr folk art alive in Goa, The Tiatr Academy hosts a unique Goan show that represents its history, people and their culture.

Tiatr Academy: Keeping Goa's Cultural Legacy Alive

What’s the best way to get a taste of Goa’s unique culture? Visit the Tiatr Academy. Here, Goa’s soul shows up. Originating in Goa back in the 1800s, Tiatr is a type of popular folk musical drama that takes inspiration from the life and culture of this state. 

The story of Tiatr is interesting. Unlike other folk movements that are born of the collective, Tiatr is the tale of one man. In the late 1800s, Agostino arrived in Mumbai from Goa looking for a brighter future. He found it at an Italian theatre company, which closed after a few years, leaving Agostino with a taste for the stage and plenty of colourful costumes.

Armed with those costumes, he went back to his village and decided to do something new. He gave the folk music of his village a touch of glamour and pizzazz, and created a new art-form called Tiatr. This is where the performance art of Tiatr was born. The themes of the acts were nationalist, but the musical influences were universal.

Tiatr caters to and gives one a sense of the ‘mass’ of Goa. The Tiatr academy upholds the responsibility of keeping this folk art alive and ensuring that the next generations learn about their history. Like Feni and Vindaloo, Tiatr is uniquely Goan and a must-watch.

Good to know : 

Location: 10 km from Sterling Bardez, 33 km from Sterling Varca.

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