The Central Institute of Arts and Crafts would like to bring to notice that the institute needs urgent attention.
KARACHI: The alumni of the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts (CIAC) would like to bring to the notice of the citizens of Karachi though your esteemed newspaper that the institute needs urgent attention.
The CIAC is a not-for-profit independent educational institution that is affiliated to the Sindh Board of Technical Education and offers highly subsidised education to talented students from lower income groups. It has an independent board of directors that support the deficit between the fees and expenses of the CIAC through fundraising and donations. It has been housed since its inception in 1964, on the second floor of the Karachi Arts Council building on MR Kayani Road.
In the last few days a situation has arisen which threatens the future of the CIAC and could harm the academic careers of its 70-odd students. It appears that the Arts Council management wants to take charge of the CIAC, based on the argument that this can be done since the institute is housed inside the Art Council’s premises.
In the last three months the Arts Council has gradually taken over the space of the reception and library of the CIAC to construct an elevator shaft without consulting the CIAC’s management. More recently, the cars of board members, staff and the CIAC principal have been barred from entering the Arts Council premises.
The CIAC has a nationally recognised reputation in the field of arts education and its stature as a cultural institution is under serious threat. This cannibalisation of one of the oldest art schools of Karachi needs to be stopped.
CIAC alumni
Ahmed Riaz, Ayesha Noorani, Shaheen Anwar, Shakeel Siddiqi, Tina Siddiqi, Shaheen Ahmed
Fawzia Baig, Nilofur Farrukh, Shanaz Siddiq and many others
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2010.
