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ISLAMABAD:
A 10-day workshop on Entertainment – Education Drama arranged by the Center for Communication Programs Pakistan in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs concluded on Friday at Hill View Hotel Islamabad.
The workshop’s underlying idea was to train writers to recreate socially inspired and commercially viable dramas and featured notable writers Asghar Nadeem Syed and Haseena Moin as mentors.
Andrew Whaley, a notable script writer and Peter Roberts, a health communication specialist, were the key trainers.
Participants went through a refinement exercise of their concepts getting treatment on the lines of entertainment education and transferring their concepts into full-fledged scripts. Various exercises were conducted to equip the writers professionally and come up with entertaining stories on social issues.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Syed said this is the first time that both new and experienced writers have been brought together to refine drama writing skills on issues like women empowerment, child health, nutrition, mother care and human rights.
Sharing his views on the activity, Whaley, said this is the first time he has worked on an idea like this. “This platform has enabled writers to not only share their ideas but also to assist each other through interactive training”, he added.
Roberts termed the experience as an intense learning exercise. “We are trying to not just instruct the viewers about social problems but also entertain them and that was the real challenge”, he said.
A film student from the National College of Arts working Sarmad Cheema said the workshop helped him focus on scriptwriting as a tool of behavioural change rather than just an entertainment piece for viewers.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 2nd, 2015.
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