Makerere University has secured land within the university to construct the centre of performing arts, with a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for later this week.
The principal of the college of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof Edward Kirumira, said construction of the multimillion-dollar dance and film facilities will start on March 30.
That same day is also scheduled as an open day for the department with students and staff expected to showcase their work. Prof Kirumira added that the Norwegian government would help fund construction of the centre.
“With support through Norwegian College of Dance, we are going to start the construction of a multipurpose facility; the facility will house, among others, a 350-seater amphitheatre, a 250-seater auditorium, a music archive, music practice rooms, music, dance and film studios, lecture theatres and conference rooms,” he said.
Kirumira made the revelation on the sidelines of another function in which the college received videography equipment, worth $9,000 (about Shs 32.4m), donated by the American embassy in Kampala last week.
The equipment, to be housed in the school of Liberal and Performing Arts, will enhance training.
“This will be first of all a linkage between theory and practice especially for courses like music, drama and film, but also it will be used by students from the department of Journalism and Communication who have a broadcasting element,” he said.
Dr Sylvia Nannyonga- Tamusuza, the head of department, said they had not yet established the final cost of the structure. However, she admitted that the school had received two architects from Norway and they were already working on the plans and bills of quantities.
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