Economic security will help attract youngsters

FM radio channels will be set up while digital art will be promoted

RAWALPINDI: With artists struggling to attract a younger audience, while youngsters stay away from art, senior poets and artistes have suggested that providing economic security for artistes may help turn the tide.

This was suggested at a dialogue on draft Art and Culture Policy Framework for Punjab which was organised by the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) on Wednesday. A number of artists belonging to all forms of art and culture from the region, including those from the Potohar area, took part in the dialogue and offered their suggestions to improve the situation.

Naheed Manzoor said that it is not just the government’s job to promote culture, rather every segment of the society should play their role in this since the promotion of culture guarantees improvement in social outlook.

Senior poet Sarfraz Shahid said that the economic security of artist, a significant part of the new policy, will help protect culture and introduce the youth to our culture.

Aftab Ahmed Khan termed the policy as ‘historic’.

RAC Resident Director Waqar Ahmed said the promotion of cultural education, setting up culture information centres, providing material to promote regional languages, and setting up of arts council at the district and tehsil levels were the salient features of the draft policy.

He added that arts councils have been set up in all the nine divisions of Punjab and efforts are under way to establish arts council in eight other districts, with work on them expected to start during the current fiscal year.

Further explaining the draft culture policy, Ahmed said that it would encourage local filmmakers to make films. Moreover, FM radio channels will also be set up, while digital art will also be promoted. He said that a culture policy was being drafted with cooperation with all stakeholders and consultations were being made at every level.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2017.