National Broadcasting Corporation News of Papua New Guinea video report by Bradley Gregory on PNG Tonight.
Two of the most renowned cultural centres in the Pacific — Papua New Guinea’s Raun Raun Theatre and the National Film Institute — face an uncertain future after their buildings have been condemned.
The Raun Raun Theatre in Goroka, built in the 1980s, has been the home for both traditional and contemporary theatre, and singsing dancing, but its thatched roof has been condemned by building inspectors.
Director John Doa says the theatre roof is the main problem but there are no funds to repair this or to rebuild the staff offices in a derelict shipping container next door.
A few minutes away, the National Film Institute (NFI) faces a similar uncertain future.
It has a new building but this has not been completed, with sections falling apart, and cannot be used.
Together, the buildings and their cultural output have been a major part of Papua New Guinea’s independence heritage.
