‘Arts Council institute likely to be granted university status’

The Karachi Arts Council’s Institute of Arts and Crafts, which is being revived, is likely to be granted the status of a university.

Addressing a news conference at the Arts Council on Wednesday, Arts Council President Syed Ahmed Shah said that the new council building was almost ready and the institute would be housed in it.

Negotiations, he said, were on with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to grant the institute the status of a university. He said the revived arts and crafts institute would have a board of directors comprising prominent figures in the field of art and education and would be headed by former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and former dean of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Dr Ishrat Hussain.

Shah further said that 100 financially challenged students would be provided scholarships. He said that scholarships for 80 students had been pledged by various business figures. The Arts Council, he said, had to its credit taking art and music to the doorsteps of that segment of the population who had the talent but could not muster the finances to make it flower.

Shah said the body had groomed young people from the less fortunate localities of the city and it had been found what a massive reserve of talent existed among the youngsters of these localities. He said that he was happy that the council had done society this noble deed as talent, wherever it existed, must be given a chance. He reiterated that the Arts Council had groomed youngsters totally free of cost.

Shah said it had been proved that despite an overly conservative narrative being foisted on the nation, the people were nowhere near accepting it. He said that this narrative was neither the Quaid-e-Azam’s nor that of society.

Head of the Arts and Crafts Institute, Shahid Rassam, briefing the media, said that the chief objective was to bring the institute in line with the top arts institutes of the country.

He said the institute would be upgraded to include dance, music and theatre academies and a school of fashion design. He said it would have state-of-the art features including tools and equipment.

Rassam said that student exchange programmes with other countries were also envisaged and that it would be the institute’s endeavour to send students on foreign residency programmes.

Legendary TV and stage personality Anwar Maqsood said that the best thing about the institute would be that it would be grooming youngsters not just from Karachi but other less developed parts of the province, from the interior of Sindh, and from all ethnic groups, without least consideration of financial status and ethnic or geographical origin.

He made the otherwise somewhat staid press conference come alive with his characteristic sharp wit and humorous remarks, something he’s really admired for. He wished the Arts Council all success in their endeavours.