British Council launches ‘Creative Cities in Pakistan’ exhibition

Islamabad

The British Council launched an exhibition called ‘Creative Cities in Pakistan’, which focuses on five cities with thriving creative communities that are rich in arts and crafts, as well as history and culture. Taking place at the British Council Spring Garden office, the exhibition will run between Aril 4 to May 26, 2017.

The exhibition is based on the Creative Cities in Pakistan research report which attempts to identify programmes that would help these ‘creative cities’ to become thriving economies. It includes cultural and traditional artefacts from Multan, Peshawar, Gilgit/Hunza, Quetta and Hyderabad such as carpets, instruments, jewellery, shoes, music, film and television clips and more.

The launch event was hosted by Christopher Rodrigues, British Council Chair. Dignitaries at the ceremony included, Kamran Lashari, Director General of the Lahore Walled City Project, Rosemary Hilhorst, Country Director British Council Pakistan and Rachel Harris, Creative Producer, Festival Development at the Southbank Centre, Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri and Political Secretary Dr. Hassan Rabbani.

Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said “The Government and the creative sector in Pakistan are increasingly recognizing the importance of the creative economy as a generator of jobs, wealth and cultural engagement. As result these industries now form an integral part of Pakistan’s current economic revival. The growth in arts and cultural sector also provides excellent opportunities for the youth of the country in terms of employment, skills and avenues for entrepreneurship.  We believe that the exhibition and the report will not only show the richness and diversity of the Pakistan’s creative industries but also shed light on the immense opportunities presented by this sector.”

Kamran Lashari, Director General of the Lahore Walled City Project said “This is a very good initiative undertaken by the British Council in projecting Pakistan’s culture in the UK. We need to improve the livelihood of local artisans by enhancing their skills and arranging a network of support systems, which can make their traditional skills sustainable.”

Rosemary Hilhorst, Country Director, British Council in Pakistan said “I believe that the arts and cultural sector not only has the potential to contribute in solving Pakistan’s social and economic challenges, it also presents itself as an opportunity to help improve its international image. The report is a starting point for the British Council to connect institutions and individuals from the UK and Pakistan to co-create cultural sustainability for the citizens and local creative communities of these cities through timely interventions and programmes.”

The Creative Cities in Pakistan research report in Pakistan deliberately moved beyond the major metropolises in Pakistan (Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore) to identify five second tier cities. Often overlooked, these five cities have rich historical, traditional and cultural roots – but traditional crafts and art forms are increasingly not seen as a viable option to provide sustainable income stream as a result traditional skills are at risk.

Creative Cities in Pakistan explores various interventions and programmes and their implementation which could benefit these cities. The interventions and programmes recommended in the report would give opportunities to local artisans to receive the support and recognition they require to continue working arts and cultural sector.

The ‘Creative Cities in Pakistan’ report is a follow up to British Council’s 2014 report on ‘Creative Industries in Pakistan’. That initial report focused on the creative enterprises based in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad- the impact that creative industries have on the economy. Apart from sharing cultural traits of the creative cities the report proposes the following potential interventions:

Policy dialogue on protection and sustainable tourism promotion of historical urban heritage sites