Ariel Cultural Center creates media storm
Photo: Ido Erez
After Ariel: Kiryat Arba gets new culture hall
Construction of luxurious cultural center beyond green line set to be completed over next few months
After Ariel residents got their very own brand new cultural center which was accompanied by three boycott letters,
and quite a media storm, the residents of Kiryat Arba are hoping to enjoy concerts and performance in their own culture hall: The construction of luxurious cultural center, the second beyond the green line, is set to be completed over the next few months.
Ariel Boycott
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The new Kiryat Arba culture hall will have 399 seats and advanced lighting and sound systems. A country club and restaurant will be built next door. The grand opening is planned for next June.
The performance list is yet to be finalized, but the Kiryat Arba-Hebron Council is planning on turning to all the major theaters – Habima, Cameri, the Beersheba Theater and more, as well as first rate singers, and comedians.
"We are an inseparable part of Israel, and like Herzliya, Jaffa and Ariel culture should be available to us all", said Hilik Gutman, who is responsible for operating the hall.
The Kiryat Arba-Hebron Council is already reporting that there is a great deal of interest among local residents who have noticed the construction project and have been seeking to purchase season tickets for the summer 2011 season and beyond.
"This hall will address the cultural needs of people who reside between Jerusalem and Beersheba, they deserve to have culture too", explained the head of the council, Malachi Levinger.
"We are constructing a comprehensive program which will include the best of the theatrical performances on offer in Israel. I hope that artists that see themselves as cultural will have learned a lesson from the Ariel case and will avoid turning the issue into a big affair.
"We will of course accept anyone who wishes to perform here with open arms; we know how to separate between art and politics."
Funding for the hall, around ten million shekels ($2,716,000) was provided by different government offices, council budgets and donations. The hall will serve residents of the Hebron and Judea regions in addition to Kiryat Arba's 7,200 residents.
Meanwhile, Maale Adumim has been building a culture hall f its own for the past five years. The foundations and framework of the building have been completed, but due to budget issues, construction has been brought to a hold. The building is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.
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