World Performing Arts Festival comes back to Lahore after 8 years

There is a good news for Lahorites, especially art and culture aficionados, who can once again enjoy the World Performing Arts Festival after a gap of eight years.

The event comprising theatre, dance, music, puppetry and films from around the world was last held in 2008 but security concerns affected the annual feature which had to be shelved for a few years. This year the festival has been planned for November and a number of performing arts’ groups from Asia and Europe are likely to participate.

According to the plan, a ‘village’ will be set up at Alhamra Cultural Complex, Qadhafi Stadium, by the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop.

Saadan Pirzada told this reporter that the event would be held from 24 November to 4 December. He said several European countries and many groups from India were expected to participate in the festival that would take place after eight years.

He said each day more than 13 performances would take place at the single venue. Among the performers will be Abida Perveen, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shafqat Amanat and Atif Aslam.

The World Performing Arts Festival has been a beautiful amalgamation of artistic disciplines such as dance, puppetry, music, film and theatre but it is also a glorious coming together of the world people and cultures.

The organisers have requested the government to ensure security for the festival and also sought permission to decorate Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport to promote the cultural activity.

Nothing has been done to upgrade the heritage museum at the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (Pilac) despite repeated reminders.

Officials told this reporter that three proposals had been sent in a year and a half to the Punjab Culture Ministry to upgrade the institution but to no avail. They said the museum was set up to represent the rich culture of Punjab but this facility lacks a proper curator and objects.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2016