City Hall invites BACC board for talks to resolve feud
BANGKOK’S administration has invited members of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre (BACC) board to a meeting next week in a bid to end an ongoing feud, in which the art centre has been accusing City Hall of wanting to take over its administration.
Lertprapan said yesterday that a meeting will be held next Monday with BACC board members to discuss and resolve the issues.
“We wish to end the problems with BACC. I reiterate that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration [BMA] has no intention of taking over the centre’s administration. The Bangkok governor has insisted that the administration will remain with the BACC foundation,” Thaweesak told the press yesterday.
The BACC foundation is now running the centre under a contract signed in 2011, which ends in 2021, Thaweesak said, adding that BMA had no plans to review the contract.
File photo: Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre (BACC)
The art centre, which opened in 2007, comes under the BMA’s jurisdiction and conflicts began when City Hall cut about Bt80 million in annual funding over the past two years. This reduction in funds has forced the centre to seek support from the business sector and donations.
The shortage of funds has also forced BACC to cut its operating hours by two hours and to suspend some activities. The centre has been so short of funds that it has not even been able to pay its utility bills. It recently received a notice from the authorities that its water supplies will be cut off if it does not pay an outstanding bill of Bt47,000.
On Wednesday, BACC director Pawit Mahasarinand led more than 250 artists and art lovers, all clad in black, to protest and mourn the alleged action taken against cash-strapped BACC by Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang.
Thaweesak told reporters that the governor had already told the BMA’s Cultural, Sports and Tourism Office to settle the unpaid utility bills for this year. The year’s bill for water supply stands at Bt2 million, while it is between Bt7 million and Bt8 million for electricity.
He said BACC’s budget was possibly not considered due to confusion over changes to regulations on fund allocations, adding that BACC’s funding for next year has not been considered because the centre has yet to send in a budget proposal to the Bangkok Metropolitan Council.
“We expect to discuss budget allocation with the centre’s board members on October 1,” he said. The number of visitors to BACC has risen from 300,000 in 2007 to 1.7 million in 2017.