‘I Am Karachi’ theatre, music festival all set to start today

Karachi
The ‘Napa I Am Karachi Theatre and Music Series 2015’ is envisaged as a series of performances showcasing the complexity and diversity of the city of Karachi.
The festival director and a consortium member of ‘I Am Karachi’, Zain Ahmed, expressed these views while speaking at a press conference at the National Academy of Performing Arts on Wednesday.
“The theatre performances are a response by the young directors to the complex modern city they live in. It is an attempt by the young theatre artists to grapple with the myriad problems and opportunities presented by the city to its young citizens,” he said.
He said the music performances were a celebration of the diversity of Karachi.
“The shows are a presentation of the folk music of the many ethnic groups living in the city. The young performers bring their own contemporary understanding of the city to their roots to create a new modern and complex ethnic group.”
Ahmed also informed that Napa had announced a week-long audition would begin on May 3 for young music performers, and the candidates could visit Napa from 9am to 7pm for registration. He said the focus was to promote the classical and folk music of different parts of the country.
He added that the selected candidates, tentatively 30 to 35, would be offered to polish their skills under the supervision of renowned mentors.
“We hope that such activities will go a long way towards fulfilling our goal of a peaceful, tolerant and cultural vibrant city,” he said.
Answering a question, he said September 1 was the last date to submit the play for the Napa Play Writing Award, where the candidates were supposed to transform a Pakistani or an International novel into a play for the competition.
Arshad Mehmood, Napa’s director programmes and administration, advised the candidates of playwright competition to start working on the project, saying that the art of writing plays deserved much time and many attentions.
“We have to revise again and again what we write on the paper to remove errors to improve the script to some perfection.”
Mehmood said Napa was planning to arrange a workshop to help young writers enhance their writing skills.
“We are working with limited resources and many unfavorable conditions, yet using all our energies to serve our purpose,” he said.
“I am jubilant to see the openings of new cinemas in the city, but there is also a dire need to allocate new places where we can arrange theatre and music programmes in the presence of proper equipment,” he said.
He urged the media to help Napa in promoting theatre and music, and especially encouraging youth to take an active part in the upcoming music auditions and playwright competition.
The plays under the Napa ‘I Am Karachi’ series are: ‘Al Farishta’ on April 30 and May 1 at Napa, ‘Madya Not Media’ on May 2 and 3 at Napa, ‘Aaj ki Tazah Khabar’ on May 7 and 8 at the Pakistan American Cultural Centre (PACC), ‘Juloos’ on May 9 and 10 at the PACC.
Various artists will perform at concerts at the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs on May 21, 22 and 23