LAHORE, April 7: The Sixth Youth Performing Arts Festival will open on April 13 at the Alhamra Cultural Complex. Rafi Peer Theatre spokespersons announced this at a press conference held at the Lahore Press Club on Saturday.

Faizan and Aleena Pirzada said the festival was aimed at supporting young people in their chosen artistic enterprises in performing arts.

They said amateur theatre productions were necessary to provide the youth with an opportunity to express their artistic urges.

They said only groups from Pakistan would contend in the performing arts, film and poster competitions. Students from Class 9 and onwards and private groups or companies comprising people below 25 years would be participating in the event while children below class eight could also take part in it, they said.

The event would also include dance and theatre workshops to be conducted by experts from Germany, India and the United Kingdom, they said.

Educational institutions from Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Islamabad will participate in the festival, besides a number of music groups.

Teams from Germany, UK, India and Croatia will also take part in the event to be opened by Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool.

The festival will continue till April 20. —Staff Reporter