Rustavi City Hall has refused to renew the lease agreement for the Bravo children’s theatre and demanded that they vacate the municipal building where the troupe has been working for over 15 years. The reason given is that the building is unsafe, but the theatre’s staff view this as an eviction and call it unjustified.
The theatre has existed since 2009, and the premises have been leased since 2010. Over this period, the agreement with the municipality has been renewed several times. The troupe renovated the 1,800-square-meter space for rehearsals and classes using their own resources, paying a monthly rent of 500 lari (up to $188).
The theatre’s creative manager, Gegi Liparteliani, stated that a month before the lease expired, the theatre proposed renewing the agreement to the City Hall and promised to renovate the facade and install heating at their own expense, but received no response.
The day after the lease expired, the theatre was ordered to vacate the premises. Liparteliani reported that the electricity in the building was cut off just before a premiere performance, despite there being no outstanding debts.
At a meeting with the troupe, the Mayor of Rustavi, Nino Latsabidze, cited two reasons for transferring the municipal property:
- the building must either be used to provide free services to children;
- or the building may be reconstructed.
In response, the Bravo Theatre emphasized that they have repeatedly hosted children from low-income families for free, and that this should not be portrayed as some kind of heroic act.
Following public outcry, the City Hall offered Bravo Theatre a temporary move to the small stage of the Rustavi Drama Theatre, and from September, to the new building of the House of Culture.
However, the troupe wants to keep their current space and is proposing to jointly undertake the renovation of the building.