Za Yam Pakhtunkhwa: Project to preserve culture to be launched
43 programmes will be held on tehsil level
43 programmes will be held on tehsil level. PHOTO: EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
With the aim of reviving the indigenous culture of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the directorate of culture will initiate a project, Za Yam Pakhtunkhwa, within a month.
According to Directorate Assistant Director Riaz Khan, “The mega project will not only provide entertainment but also highlight the rich local traditions and customs of the people of K-P.”
The need
According to the officials of the directorate, art and culture has neither been institutionalised nor has it been incorporated into the syllabi or academic curriculum. There are no government galleries or institutions to promote the work of artists or to create awareness among the youth about their culture. “The event will help create a cultural map of the province as artists, singers would be facilitated and local traditions would be highlighted and preserved,” said an official.
The decision is being lauded across all circles. “Arts are essential since they help creating a more balanced society,” said Arshad Husain, a Pashto drama artist who also works as a consultant at the directorate. “Traditional wedding rituals, folk music and other entertainment activities have vanished from the region due to radicalisation. We need a revival soon,” he emphasised.
Husain stated that culture and tradition are instruments that unite people and everyone needs to work together to ensure that it happens. He believed that the continuous war on terror and militancy have suppressed the beauty and richness of the region. “Our culture has not only been damaged but have failed to get recognition with the new generation,” Husain added.
Other artists concurred with Hussain and believe that the youth has failed to relate to the customs of the region and that a project of this magnitude is necessary to enlighten them.
Project events
Za Yam Pakhtunkhwa will start at the tehsil level and will include 43 programmes. The events will include music, tableaus, stage dramas and comedy sketches performed by renowned singers and artists.
They will also include cultural melas (festivals) that are indigenous to particular areas as well as conferences and folk dances for which the proposal are yet to be finalised.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2015.
With the aim of reviving the indigenous culture of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the directorate of culture will initiate a project, Za Yam Pakhtunkhwa, within a month.
According to Directorate Assistant Director Riaz Khan, “The mega project will not only provide entertainment but also highlight the rich local traditions and customs of the people of K-P.”
The need
According to the officials of the directorate, art and culture has neither been institutionalised nor has it been incorporated into the syllabi or academic curriculum. There are no government galleries or institutions to promote the work of artists or to create awareness among the youth about their culture. “The event will help create a cultural map of the province as artists, singers would be facilitated and local traditions would be highlighted and preserved,” said an official.
The decision is being lauded across all circles. “Arts are essential since they help creating a more balanced society,” said Arshad Husain, a Pashto drama artist who also works as a consultant at the directorate. “Traditional wedding rituals, folk music and other entertainment activities have vanished from the region due to radicalisation. We need a revival soon,” he emphasised.
Husain stated that culture and tradition are instruments that unite people and everyone needs to work together to ensure that it happens. He believed that the continuous war on terror and militancy have suppressed the beauty and richness of the region. “Our culture has not only been damaged but have failed to get recognition with the new generation,” Husain added.
Other artists concurred with Hussain and believe that the youth has failed to relate to the customs of the region and that a project of this magnitude is necessary to enlighten them.
Project events
Za Yam Pakhtunkhwa will start at the tehsil level and will include 43 programmes. The events will include music, tableaus, stage dramas and comedy sketches performed by renowned singers and artists.
They will also include cultural melas (festivals) that are indigenous to particular areas as well as conferences and folk dances for which the proposal are yet to be finalised.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2015.