The change in operating hours of Shopping do Cacém, which now closes at 8:30 PM, is worrying Teatromosca, the company responsible for managing AMAS – Auditório Municipal António Silva, a municipal facility located inside the shopping center. The decision was approved unanimously at a General Assembly of Owners, with a 15-minute grace period for shop owners.
Teatromosca's artistic director, Pedro Alves, warns of the constraints the measure may cause in access to the facility and the potential impact on performances and other cultural activities, since a significant part of the programming takes place in the evening. Among the main problems are the closure of the box office, access to the auditorium through a side door with stairs, and the unavailability of the shopping center's restrooms. The responsible party has also expressed concern about evacuation conditions in case of emergency.
Alberto Correia, from the Board of Directors of Shopping do Cacém, confirmed the change in hours and guaranteed that evacuation routes are functioning according to the law, noting that AMAS is autonomous and has its own emergency exits. The responsible party also clarified that communications from assemblies are made only to the owners of the units, and not to the tenants.
Given this situation, Teatromosca requested the intervention of Sintra Municipality to ensure the normal operation of AMAS and public access to the cultural programming. The company regrets the lack of prior coordination between the municipality and the entity responsible for the auditorium and awaits a concrete response and a solution that allows ensuring the continuity of cultural programming in Agualva-Cacém.
