HYDERABAD: Sindh Minister for Education, Culture and Tourism Syed Sardar Ali Shah and Arts Council Karachi president Mohammad Ahmad Shah inaugurated a 10-day ‘Sindh Theatre Festival 2022’ at the Mehran Arts Council, Latifabad, on Tuesday evening.

The festival has been organised jointly by the Karachi and Mehran arts councils in collaboration with the culture department.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Sardar Shah underscored the need for making the province’s cultural narrative popular in order to counter extremism and terrorism.

“Art and culture unite people, who are agents of peace and love,” he said, adding that this subcontinent had historically promoted theatre.

The minister observed that the Karachi Arts Council was the largest and most active cultural institution where five theatres were presented in a day. He appreciated Ahmad Shah’s efforts in holding the festival.

He noted with concern that the Mehran Arts Council had remained deprived of cultural activities. “Sindh government wants to connect all arts councils in Sindh with each other,” he said, and expressed his desire that such a council should be established in every city where it did not exist.

The minister said that the Mehran Arts Council building could be handed over to a body comprising people affiliated with art and culture. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the purpose could be signed with the culture department, he added.

He announced naming the Mehran Arts Council’s auditorium after Mustafa Qureshi, the legendary film artist from Hyderabad.

Earlier, speaking to journalists, Sardar Shah said described Hyderabad as Sindh’s cultural capital where he spent his childhood days. “Karachi is Sindh’s administrative capital and Hyderabad cultural capital,” he said.

The minister said he was well aware of cultural activities in Hyderabad. He said he was committed to restore Hyderabad’s glory like Karachi. Health cards were being issued to artists for their welfare and ailing artists were being supported, he pointed out.

Mr Shah promised that 750 music teachers would be appointed in schools, and held out the assurance that government would not let artists beg in streets.

The minister said that during the 10-day festival, five theatres in Sindhi and Urdu languages would be presented daily.

Ahmad Shah told the audience that Arts Council Karachi was organising this festival to widen the scope of cultural activities to entire Sindh. Now arts councils of Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas would be activated and music and literary festivals would be held there, he said.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2022