The workshop featured cultural performances, stalls, and a fully decorated car depicting cultural truck art. PHOTOS: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD: In an endeavour to revive cultural legacy among youth, National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) opened a seven-day truck art workshop on Monday under its ‘Craft of the Month’ series.
The purpose of the project is to provide a hands-on opportunity for students to familiarise them with folk crafts.
Over 40students from three colleges and Baitul Maal Sweet Homes attended the programme. They learnt to paint truck art motifs of birds, houses, nature landscape and animals on tin slates using oil paints, under supervision of master trainers and artisans possessing an experience of two to four decades.
“This is an experiment of sowing seeds of a pluralistic society in our younger generation. A generation which, we hope, will make our country a place where people of all cultures, languages and traditions fully own each other,” said Lok Virsa Director Dr Fouzia Saeed.
The workshop was brought to life with cultural performances and ethnic ornaments including a traditional dhol band that danced and sang folk songs. A fully decorated car depicting cultural truck art was also on display.
The daily timings are from 10am to 6pm with free admission. Visiting students are also encouraged to learn craft making techniques, free of charge.
Students will be awarded certificates and prizes in the concluding ceremony in presence of their families.
The programme will focus on one craft for a week every month where artisans and experts will teach students. In addition to teaching, they will also display their craft.
The future programmes of the series include pottery, doll making, weaving, wax printing, stone carving, chunri making, lacquer art, papier mache and others.
Last month, Lok Virsa held Balochi and Wakhi language workshops under the same programme to create awareness and interest among children for their cultural roots.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2015.
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