Promoting culture: Art — a fundamental need for survival

Denmark’s Chargé d’Affaires stresses on encouraging children to enhance skills.

ISLAMABAD: Art and culture are fundamental needs for the survival of societies. It is a basic human right as it symbolises some of the fundamental qualities of being human – such as creativity, freedom of expression, and innovation. Art and culture are also important means to bridge differences and to create tolerance.

This was stated by Helle Nielsen, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Denmark while speaking at the 5th National Child Art Competition ceremony (Art Beat 2016) organised by The Little Art and co-funded by the Danish Centre for Culture and Development (CKU).

Speaking at the ceremony, Nielsen highlighted that art comes natural to children and is an important part of building their cognitive skills stressing that this need of a child’s development is unfortunately often overlooked.

She encouraged parents to continue supporting their children in their creative ideas which enabled them to express themselves on important issues.

Nielsen said she was deeply impressed by the art work displayed by the students and saw great potential among the youth of Pakistan.

This year’s theme for Art Beat 2016 was dedicated to teachers of Pakistan with the title of “My Teacher – My Hero”. The competition invited children to visualize in portraits the teachers that have inspired them the most. Nearly 4,820 artworks were submitted in response to the call by children and youth from all over Pakistan to serve a small tribute to their teachers.

Winners were selected by a jury. Children were awarded with cash prizes, certificates and shields.

Director of The Little Art Shoaib Iqbal said “This year was an opportunity for us to explore with children the people who truly inspire them to be great in life and to achieve their dreams; we believe that teachers, educators, mentors and parents are the people who shape and change the world. The art works we have received from all over Pakistan shows that children have visually expressed their feelings for teachers that they consider their heroes and through this we hope that teachers will continue inspiring their students”.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th,  2016.