ISLAMABAD: An exhibition of artwork by children opened at the Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts on Monday.

A large number of people including parents, children and ministers attended the event and appreciated the creativity, expression and imagination of the children.

Students displayed their works in various disciplines of visual and performing art that they had made during the six-week long Bazeecha summer school workshop.

The young artists’ imaginations and expression about society and the environment, showcased in drawings, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photographic work and films were very powerful and inspirational.

Short films about polythene bags, using trash cans and accepting children the way they are, received great appreciation from State Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, who was the chief guest.

Other visitors including adviser to the prime minister Shahzad Akber and Dr Jawad also appreciated the efforts of Hunerkada in promoting art among children.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Gul recalled her days at the National College of Arts as a junior of Jamal Shah, the founder of Hunerkada, and was all praise for his “magnetic personality” and contribution to promoting art.

Earlier, Amina Shah, the director of Hunerkada, spoke about the institute’s objectives and vision.

She announced that the Bazeecha workshop will be made a permanent feature and continue throughout the year given the interest and enthusiasm of children and parents. She added that most of the teachers were below the age of 20. The youngest ones, Ayyan, 10, Mina Shah, 13, and Areej, 16, taught the students different courses.

Mr Shah also spoke about role of art in society and said: “It has been one of the most effective and harmless means of communication and a catalyst in making people aware of their surroundings, encouraging them to have critical relations and the possibility of evolution.”

This is what we teach students at Hunerkada to develop critical thinking and become a productive member of society, he added.

“Children come with amazing energy and vision. In fact we learn from their expression, as they come without any self-censored ideas. In fact we learn from their expressions a lot,” he said.

We encourage students to become a part of the process of social change, he added.

Mr Shah told Dawn that Hunerkada is in the process of a dialogue with the Higher Education Commission to give the only art institute in the federal capital a degree-awarding college status.

Hunerkada offers a four-year degree programme in fine arts and design in affiliation with the University of Balochistan. It also intends to launch a master’s programme with Allama Iqbal Open University and provides informal training in theatre, TV production and music with the aim of upgrading it to a formally structured degree programme.

Since its inception in 1992, Hunerkada has never received any grant of financial help from any government and is being run as not for profit institute, Mr Shah said.

He said the organisation is trying to build a campus to accommodate more students and faculty, adding that the Capital Development Authority has given plots to more than 200 private educational institutes operating on a commercial basis while a premier art institute has not been given any.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2019