LAHORE: The Lahore Arts Council (LAC) has digitized 500 drama scripts created between 1957 to 1998 and 4,000 books on different topics.

The LAC Research and Reference Library became a happening place on Thursday where the inauguration of the process of digitization took place. LAC Executive Director Athar Ali Khan inaugurated the digitized reference section.

The archives at Alhamra Art Centre consist of rare audios, videos, gramophone, script and classical music collections and invitation cards to exhibitions. A gramophone from late 30s on display has been used in several plays since the 70s. It was used again in more recent plays as well such as Manto.

Mr Khan said that 500 drama scripts by leading playwrights had been digitized and atomization of some 4,000 books on literature, art and fiction had also been completed. He said the technology saved a treasure of literature and art for future generations.

Muhammad Arif, deputy director of the LAC Research and Reference Library, told Dawn the bibliography list of all the digitized material would be online after a month at lac.punjab.gov.pk

The team which carried out the digitization and atomization process included Bilawal Sheikh, Aswd Niaz, Ali Arif, Irfan Anyat and Umair Ashraf.

A hefty collection of video cassettes featuring dramas, programmes and musical evenings is also a valuable asset in the archives, which includes plays staged at Alhamra by leading names such as Athar Shah Khan, Munir Raj, Imtiaz Ali Taj, Subhani Bayunus, Kamal Ahmed Rizvi and many others. It also consists of a rare collection of plays such as Mirza Ghalib Bandar Road Par, Khatra 440 Volts, Ulti Seedhi, Anarkali and many other popular plays staged from early 70s to late 90s. Among them were also English plays such as Julius Caesar, King Lear and Macbeth.

A collection of 100 audio cassettes from 1983-2004 and 250 VCR cassettes from 1983-2000 are also available at the reference section. This valuable material contains programmes and plays staged at Alhamra such as Hobson`s Choice, Hansna Mana Hai, Mian Bivi Chor and many more is also part of the archives. They also include memorable musical shows such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan`s show at Alhamra in 1996, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan`s 1991 musical evening and Abida Parveen`s show in 2000 .

There is also a collection of press clippings and articles featuring renowned performing and visual artists as well as invitation cards to different visual art exhibitions such as Lahore Contemporary Painting Exhibition of 1971 and Kutub Sheikh Exhibition of Paintings of 1975, which will be digitized in the third phase in a month time. Also part of the archives is a gramophone collection featuring instrumental and vocal performances of Ustad Ravi Shankar, Naushad Ali, Shamshad Begum, Lata Mangeshkar, Naseem Begum and other leading singers of the era.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2020