Visakhapatnam: The much-delayed Vuda Children’s Arena is almost ready and getting finishing touches to be inaugurated. Vuda children’s theatre, which was the only exclusive place for children’s activities since 90s’ has been shut in 2011 when renovation was taken up.
Though renovation was to be completed by 2013, it got delayed due to change in total design and works had to begin from the scratch. Earlier, the children’s theatre used to be a landmark in Siripuram junction with the building in a unique Dolphin shape.
The children’s arena works also were escalated from Rs 9.4 crore to Rs 22.16 crore over the time. The works on children’s arena gained momentum after T. Babu Rao Naidu took over the reigns of Vuda last year.
The sructure was also remodeled in cellar-plus ground model to facilitate the kids activities and regular happenings to continue separately without any interruption.
The children’s arena has been taken up with ground floor multipurpose auditorium and first floor with 600 seating capacity theatre. Civil structure is almost finished and the other components such as roof, seating arrangements, structural glazing, acoustics, electrical, air-conditioning, sound system, pathways, landscaping, stage-lighting and stage curtains were almost completed.
“Almost all works have been completed and the children’s arena is ready for inauguration. The building may be inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Peripheral works are remaining which will be completed in a month,” said Vuda in-charge chief engineer K. Appanna. Vuda has been extending exclusive services to children through the Vuda Children’s Club by conducting weekend entertainment, training classes in drawing, painting, ma-gic, mimicry, music and dance on every Sunday and week-long competitions during the Children’s Day.
Screening of educational and entertainment films on every Saturday and Sunday, documentaries, news reels, organising cultural programmes by the talented children, conducting workshops and training programmes on painting and handicrafts during holidays, seminars and exhibitions, literary competitions, talent shows, organising functions on days of special interest like the Independence Day, the Republic Day, the Children’s Day, Gandhi Jayanti etc, promotion of adventure sports and indoor games, science fairs, special programmes for challenged children are some of the activities conducted regularly by the club.
