Youth performing arts festival begins today

LAHORE
True to Rafi Peer’s manifesto of promoting arts and artists of Pakistan, the Rafi Peer Theater Workshop’s 14th Youth Performing Arts Festival opens with a new zeal and loads of highly entertaining performances by the brilliant youth of the country at Alhamra Cultural Complex, Qaddafi Stadium on Thursday (today) at 5 pm.
In a joint press conference, a day ahead of the inauguration of this highly innovative and unique event, Usman, Saadan, Imran, Tasneem and Aleena Peerzada told the media representatives that Punjab Minister for Culture Rana Mashhood Ali Khan will be inaugurating the 14th Youth Festival. Usman Peerzada said in 2002 a new dimension was added to RPTW’s network of festivals by staging an amateur performing arts activity drawing on talent from around Lahore. This year saw what began in 1999 as a small theatre camp dedicated to youth performances, emerge as a full-blown festival in its own right, as the first Youth Performing Arts Festival.
The Youth Performing Arts Festival is similar in style and format to the World Performing Arts Festival. In Pakistan, it has emerged as an important platform for artistic growth and learning. It has become an integral festival for the youth, inspiring by its spirit many smaller youth festivals throughout the country, as well as a multitude of inter-college activities.
The YPAF remains one of the first and only platforms for performing young artists to compete at a national and international level. The Youth Award has become synonymous with the discernment of excellence, bestowing honor upon its recipient, while also fostering the spirit of quality and competition. These awards are used to encourage and challenge the young people of our nation to be fearlessly ambitious.
The youth of today are highly energised and confident, striving to create a niche with their distinctive talents. Since its inception, the Youth Performing Arts Festival has aimed to support artistic expression, promoting young performers to nurture their link to culture and traditional arts.
Over the years, the YPAF has played host to local and international performers from around the globe, in the field of dance, theatre, music, film and puppetry. The event creates a progressive platform where performers who have delighted thousands on stage, come together with an eager audience to highlight Pakistan's art culture.
We firmly believe that cultivating and continuing to foster love, recognition and respect for our artistic heritage amongst the youth, is the only hope for the future cultural identity of Pakistan.
Through this grand celebration of diverse artistic mediums and traditions we hope to engender a spirit of oneness and compassion in our young people. With this high aim in mind we embark on the creation of the 14th Youth Performing Arts Festival and ask you to join hands with us, in supporting these exceptional young people and their unique artistic voice.