Lok Mela in full swing

Islamabad :The 10-day folk festival, Lok Mela, organised by Lok Virsa at Shakarparian is in full swing.

Hundreds of master artisans, folk artists, folk musicians and folk dance groups from every concern of Pakistan are participating in Mela and performing at special pits set up by Lok Virsa.

The provincial pavilions put up by the respective culture departments depicting their indigenous folk heritage, arts, crafts, music and cuisine are the major attractions.

The organisers said artisans and artists from different provinces, regions and even remote and far-flung areas come to the federal capital, meet each other and exchange their expertise and technical know-how through this national event.

They said the festival served to create national harmony and integration among all federating units while providing them with an equal opportunity of showcasing their beautiful cultural traditions.

The organisers said the unique event, which had attained public importance and household name 'Lok Mela', was initiated in 1981. Millions of visitors attend it every year and take with them enjoyable memories full of cultural entertainment. The Lok Mela timings are from 10am to 09pm daily, while the entry ticket is Rs50 per head. The Lok Mela will conclude on Sunday (Nov 24) with a colourful Awards Ceremony wherein cash awards will be granted to deserving artisans and artists on the recommendations of a national jury constituted for the purpose.

Art Festival: The first-ever Islamabad Art Festival 2019 (IAF-19) will begin tomorrow (Monday).

Sponsored by the Serena Hotels under its Cultural Diplomacy to promotes art and culture in the country, the 13-day event has been organised by a consortium of public and private educational institutions, art galleries, and artist associations from across the country, including support from international embassies.

Led by its president and chief curator, Jamal Shah, the IAF-19 will be held at several locations in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, including museums, art galleries, educational institutions, and public parks.

Jamal Shah said the event focusing on the ‘dialogue between tradition and modernity’ would be inaugurated on November 18 at 11am at the Pakistan National Council of Arts and will continue for 13 days.

He said the festival was expected to engage around 500,000 people from diverse backgrounds and ages, while the participants would include over 200 people from 34 countries and around 400 people from across Pakistan.

“For the first time, the expression of almost all art forms will be showcased together. Painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, textile design, dance, music, film, puppet shows, theatre, fashion design, and performing arts from across the world will be there to satisfy the cultural aesthetic of people,” he said. Jamal Shah also said literature from different lands was also in focus. “An international literary conference is part of the festival. Among discussants will be noted writers and poets from around 20 Asian African countries. They will assemble under the banner of the three day International Writers Conference, Islamabad, 2019,” he said. Jamal Shah said the deliberations and poetry recital sessions would engage literature and academia circles to promote understanding of the cultures and mores of people from different parts of the world. All these art forms are being presented in venues open and accessible to the public," he said.