Developing young minds: ‘Societies that lack culture and art are virtually dead’

More than 20,000 youth participate in Arts Council festival so far

KARACHI: Culture and art are important parts of society and those societies that lack them are virtually dead societies.

This was said by Karachi commissioner Ejaz Ahmed Khan at the 9th Karachi Youth Festival that kick-started at Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi with the formal inauguration by Sindh youth affairs minister Abid Hussain Bhayo on Saturday.

We need to promote such activities among the youth and encourage them and their families to participate, Khan added.

"I am really proud to see that the youth of Karachi is as lively and energetic as of any other country," said Bhayo while addressing the youth gathered at Arts Council in his capacity as the chief guest. I hope that we can continue to keep such a vibrant society in future too, said Bhayo. "However, we still have to take steps in the right direction to sustain the progress," he added.



On behalf of the Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah, he congratulated the participants, stating that the chief miister has granted Rs100 million that he had pledged during his first visit to Arts Council after taking charge of the province.

More than 20,000 youth have participated in the festival, informed former Arts Council president Ahmed Shah, adding that the theatre workshops have been open since September 22. The eight-day festival will provide a chance to those youth who do not have access to extra-curricular activities at their school and don't attend school but have artistic talents that need to be polished, he said.

The festival consists of 12 categories with competitions in each category. The winners of the competitions will receive Rs100,000 in a prize distribution ceremony that will take place on the last day of the festival, October 1.

Arts Council also trains new people to volunteer their services at the festival so they can learn more event management skills, Shah told Bhayo.

"This festival is a signal to all the enemies of peace that the youth will hold a paint brush or sitar in their hands and not Kalashnikovs," said Shah, adding that they are giving equal opportunities to all the youth and the main purpose behind the festival is to create a sense of participation among the youngsters. "We are promoting a liberal Pakistan of Quaid-i-Azam," he said.

From the platform of the Arts Council, we are preparing a team of young artists, said Arts Council president Prof Ejaz Ahmed Faruqi, adding that it is due to the hard work of the entire team that they managed to gather a large number of youth to participate in a cultural event.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2016.