Freezing temperatures in the Municipal Theatre

Winter temperatures prevail inside the auditorium of the Municipal Theatre, with voices of protest increasing daily on social media by people who are not hiding their dissatisfaction with the unacceptable conditions they are forced to endure to attend a performance.

And while winter has begun to 'show its teeth', temperatures inside the theatre do not differ from those outside, as the heating system inside (air conditioners and radiators) seems to be ineffective.

The five air conditioning units present cannot cover the large area, while minor damage to the boiler has rendered the radiators ineffective. Additionally, the situation is exacerbated by the problem with the roof sealing, resulting in cold air entering from above and whatever heat is generated by the air conditioners escaping through the gap in the ceiling.

MP Avlonitis speaks out regarding heating

Meanwhile, the serious issue with heating at the Municipal Theatre did not go unnoticed by SYRIZA MP Alekos Avlonitis, following his own personal experience. In a Facebook post, he stated: "Shame. In December 2012, I publicly apologised to two artists, Ms. Bofiliou and Ms. Zouganeli, for the cold they experienced, along with their musicians and the audience at our Municipal Theatre. I felt ashamed as a citizen of this island that we pride ourselves on being the island of culture.

I felt the same shame and more,12 years later, tonight (Saturday) at the beautiful and successful theatrical and musical performance given by the Euripides Choir dedicated to composer M. Sogioul. We all froze because the heating wasn't working, and the municipal theatre 'leaks' from everywhere. Are we not ashamed as a local political system and as municipal authorities that after 12 years the situation in our Municipal Theatre remains abysmal?' the Corfu MP stated in his post.

Heating maintenance contract

According to former Deputy Mayor Nikos Kalogeros, in 2021 the repair and maintenance of the cooling-heating system of the Municipal Theatre were completed (with a budget of 24,000 Euros), as well as the repair of corroded pipes and all necessary tests were conducted. "We put it out to tender, contracted, and completed the repair and maintenance of the boilers during our term," he told Enimerosi. "Tests were conducted, and they were put into operation. Yes, the Municipal Theatre needs a radical reconstruction. However, we did significant work with insulation and heating."

Εργολαβία συντήρησης θέρμανσης

Σύμφωνα πάντως με τον κ. Καλόγερο, το 2021 ολοκληρώθηκε η επισκευή – συντήρηση της ψύξης – θέρμανσης του Δημοτικού Θεάτρου (π/υ 24.000 ευρώ περίπου), όπως επίσης η επισκευή των οξειδωμένων σωληνώσεων και έγιναν  όλες οι απαραίτητες δοκιμές. «Δημοπρατήσαμε, συμβασιοποιήσαμε και ολοκληρώσαμε την επισκευή και την συντήρηση των λεβήτων στη θητεία μας. Έγιναν οι δοκιμές και δόθηκαν σε χρήση. Ναι το Δημοτικό Θέατρο θέλει ριζική ανακατασκευή. Ωστόσο κάναμε εμβαλωματικές παρεμβάσεις με τη μόνωση και την θέρμανση», ανέφερε στην «Ε» ο Νίκος Καλόγερος.

MARIA BAZDRIYIANNI