KARACHI: The Pakistan Youth Festival, which is showcasing Pakistani talent in different fields in the southern port city of Karachi, aims to counter “extremism” by engaging young talent in sports and cultural activities, the festival’s organizer said on Thursday.
Celebrating 76 years of Pakistan’s independence from British rule, the Karachi Arts Council has been hosting the Pakistan Youth Festival 2023 that kicked off on January 23. The event opened registrations for entries in 10 categories, including singing, theater, dance and photography, wherein the winning participants in each category will receive a cash prize of Rs200,000 ($824).
Over 30,000 young boys and girls have come together from various corners of the country to participate in the competition. A theater workshop and other learning activities are also part of the festival that will continue until January 29.
“The talent that emerges from here goes around the world and represents Pakistan. It is open for everybody without any bias of cast, creed, gender, language or religion. The aim is to make society inclusive and plural, and counter all sorts of extremism,” Mohammad Ahmed Shah, president of the Karachi Arts Council, told Arab News.
“You have to change the minds and hearts of the youth by engaging them in alternate activities such as healthy sports and cultural activities. They have a lot of energy and we need to encourage them toward these activities so they don’t engage themselves in destructive activities.”
This year, Shah informed, they have gathered “amazing” talent in singing, dancing, beat boxing, painting and drama, with 80 percent women participants.
“I didn’t think the festival would be as fruitful as it turned out to be,” Abdul Sattar, a Hyderabad-based dancer who mesmerizes audiences with his performances on Sufi Raag, told Arab News.
“I consider myself the best in Hyderabad when it comes to dance but when I came to the festival, I noticed the competition is tough. There are very talented people here. It has been a great learning experience for me.”
Sattar, more popularly known as Sufi Sattar, is one of the finalists in the dance competition. The 26-year-old, who has been performing Sindhi folk dance and has trained in the classical kathak dance too, is eyeing the winning prize as well as a scholarship from the arts council.
“I was delighted to see a huge turnout of contestants for the auditions, I did not expect it,” Karachi-based vocalist Ahad Asghar Chaudhry told Arab News.
“Living in Pakistan, we do not see very open mindset about singing and music. So, seeing many youngsters come upon the stage and showcase their skills made me think acknowledgment of the art form is increasing,” said Chaudhry, a 25-year-old Computer Science grad who is currently associated with an IT firm.
“We do not have a lot of platforms to showcase our talent, jam or sing. Stages like these help us out in a very advanced way. It not only entertains audiences but also encourages them to follow their dreams.”
Chaudhry is not sure if he has made it to the next round but he is hopeful he would get there.
As part of the festival, a day for differently abled children will be celebrated today, on Friday, for which the arts council has received 1500 entries from both public and private schools. These children will be participating in painting, dancing and other competitions.
