LAHORE: The Information and Culture Department has proposed a new board of governors for the Lahore Arts Council (LAC) for three years, sources in the department told Dawn.

The proposed names in the board will be sent for approval to the minister for culture and to the chief secretary, Punjab, and later on for final approval to the chief minister.

This year the names which have been proposed are Muhammad Ali Baloch, Attaul Haq Qasmi, Mian Nauman Kabir, Irfan Gill, Javed Iqbal, Prof Dr Rahat Naveed Masud, RM Naeem, Tariq Saeed Sehgal, Gohar Ijaz, Sajida Haider Vandal, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Amjad Islam Amjad, Sohail Sarwar Warraich, Asif Raza Sana and Shoaib Bin Aziz.

The six official members will be the secretary to the information and culture, the deputy commissioner, the Lahore PTV general manager, the principal of the College of Art and Design, University of Punjab, and the executive director of the Lahore Arts Council.

Among the non-official members, the chairman of the board would be elected. To many art critics, the proposed board does not have any performing artists or journalists who report art and culture. There is an issue of relevance when it comes to the board. There are four visual artists on the proposed board -- Mr Naeem, Mr Masud, Mr Iqbal and Ms Vandal and four writers and poets Mr Syed, Mr Amjad, Mr Aziz and Mr Qasmi. Mr Qasmi also is the former chairman of the board.

However, the proposed board does not have any performing art artists or senior journalists who write on culture. Both performing artists and cultural journalists are the most relevant entities for the board.

Watercolourist and art historian Dr Ajaz Anwar commented on the disproportion in the board of governors of the LAC, saying, “We’re a nation of quakes as we like to be experts in every other field rather than ours.” He said that arts councils are meant for cultural activities, therefore the board should have artists and relevant people from journalism.

Visual artist and art educationist Saleema Hashmi said, “The original vision of the Board of Lahore Arts Council is to represent all the arts, the visual and performing arts, literary people and the people who write on art.”

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2022