Kerala’s cultural institutions must move beyond their campuses and engage more closely with the public, Culture, Tourism and Cinema Minister P.C. Vishnunadh said in Thrissur on Thursday (July 30, 2026).

Visiting the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi and other cultural institutions, the Minister said new governing bodies for the State academies would be constituted soon with competent and deserving members to strengthen their functioning.

“Cultural institutions and academies should become more people-centric. They must actively reach out to society instead of remaining confined within their campuses,” he said.

At the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Mr. Vishnunadh visited the Lalithambika Antharjanam Memorial Library and the Akademi bookshop and interacted with employees. Rajan J. Pallan, MLA, and senior Akademi officials accompanied him.

Describing Thrissur as Kerala’s cultural capital, with institutions such as the Sahitya Akademi, Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Lalithakala Akademi and Kerala Kalamandalam, the Minister assured full government support for their effective functioning. He said the government would intervene whenever necessary to ensure that the day-to-day activities of the academies were not disrupted and would seek the Chief Minister’s support for strengthening the cultural sector.

At the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, the Minister announced that the long-pending renovation of Koothambalam at the Ramanilayam campus, which was destroyed by fire during construction in 2011, would be completed and handed over to the Akademi for management. While ownership would remain with the Tourism Department, the Akademi would be entrusted with its operations after completion, he said.

The Minister also announced that preparations for the 2027 International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK) would begin shortly. A Festival Director would be appointed soon, and the festival is expected to be held in the last week of January or the first week of February. To ensure that ITFoK is conducted every year without interruption, the State government would provide a dedicated annual grant of ₹2 crore, he said.

Responding to concerns raised by employees, Mr. Vishnunadh assured that there would be no delay in salary payments despite constraints in non-plan funding. He also said the government would prioritise expanding the activities of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi across the State and extend equal attention to all art forms under its purview.

Published - July 30, 2026 08:41 pm IST