LAHORE: The Lahore Arts Council, the premier cultural body of the city, has unveiled the tapestry of its forthcoming programmes including a line-up of music shows, theatrical ventures and art talks.

Woven into rich texture of the local culture, a music sitting with folk singer Attaullah Esakhailvi is up on the line as the inaugural show in the extended line-up of programmes the council plans to hold in June and July.

The solo music show by Esakhailvi was earlier postponed two months ago owing to his health issues.

“We would have gone for the folk melodies by the iconic Esakhailvi two months ago but his aching backbone left us with no option but to wait for the right time,” Art and Culture Director Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi told Dawn on Sunday.

The council keeping up its 14-year-old tradition of holding drama festivals will reminisce the good old times when this festival was first materialised after having long discussions and floating of numerous ideas. Theatre groups from all over Pakistan would be invited and encouraged to participate in this 10-day activity. The festival will have Ajoka Theatre, Azad Theater, Rafi Peer Theater, Mass Foundation Theater and other groups from all over the country.

“The theatre festival will be a great event in Lahore as many groups will come up with new scripts highlighting a host of issues.” The festival will be held in July.

Perhaps as a prelude to the Theatre Festival 2019, the council will organise a 15-day workshop on theatre for children aged between 8-15 years during the current month; the dates for the workshop will be announced in the next few days. The council has first time put forth a registration fee for the workshop which is Rs1,000 so that only genuinely interested people apply for the practicum.

The council is also planning a visual art workshop on landscape and portrait and a photographs exhibition in coming weeks.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2019