Grave and groovy: Flash mobs dance to send anti-piracy message
OUP and Thespianz Theatre team up to support local artists.
A flash mob sends an anti-piracy message through their moves as they dazzle the crowd at Park Towers on Friday. PHOTO: AYESHA MIR/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Multiple flash mobs were co-organised by the Oxford University Press (OUP) and Thespianz Theatre on Friday at Park Towers to spread awareness regarding piracy of books.
Around 30 young professional dancers performed to popular Indian songs and managed to attract a crowd of onlookers with their choreographed moves and stunts. The male dancers of the group performed daring acrobatic stunts while the female dancers made the crowd swoon over their big smiles and animated gestures.
The dancers also performed a short skit depicting an author who was the victim of piracy and focused on how the OUP protects its writers from piracy by copyrighting their books. The skit’s serious message was hidden behind comedic elements in order to retain the audience’s attention.
Sunny Atif, the main choreographer for the event, claimed that the songs were chosen specifically to catch people’s attention and also held significance for the campaign.“We chose the songs according to the theme,” he stated, claiming that the dancers had been practising for five days.
“Piracy is a big problem in Pakistan” said Thespianz Theatre artistic director Faisal Malik. “Whether it has to do with books, movies or music.” He then went on to speak about the importance of preventing piracy and hence support local authors. “Flash mobs are becoming very popular in Pakistan and we have organised many in the past year,” he added.
Thespianz Theatre will be performing a play organised by the OUP ‘ChulBukChor’ in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta and Peshawar to promote awareness of book piracy. After these five flash mobs, another five are being organised at Port Grand for Sunday.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2014.
Multiple flash mobs were co-organised by the Oxford University Press (OUP) and Thespianz Theatre on Friday at Park Towers to spread awareness regarding piracy of books.
Around 30 young professional dancers performed to popular Indian songs and managed to attract a crowd of onlookers with their choreographed moves and stunts. The male dancers of the group performed daring acrobatic stunts while the female dancers made the crowd swoon over their big smiles and animated gestures.
The dancers also performed a short skit depicting an author who was the victim of piracy and focused on how the OUP protects its writers from piracy by copyrighting their books. The skit’s serious message was hidden behind comedic elements in order to retain the audience’s attention.
Sunny Atif, the main choreographer for the event, claimed that the songs were chosen specifically to catch people’s attention and also held significance for the campaign.“We chose the songs according to the theme,” he stated, claiming that the dancers had been practising for five days.
“Piracy is a big problem in Pakistan” said Thespianz Theatre artistic director Faisal Malik. “Whether it has to do with books, movies or music.” He then went on to speak about the importance of preventing piracy and hence support local authors. “Flash mobs are becoming very popular in Pakistan and we have organised many in the past year,” he added.
Thespianz Theatre will be performing a play organised by the OUP ‘ChulBukChor’ in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta and Peshawar to promote awareness of book piracy. After these five flash mobs, another five are being organised at Port Grand for Sunday.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2014.