PESHAWAR: A weeklong training workshop on live theatre performance began here the other day with an objective to raise awareness among youth to find out an alternative way of expressing their thoughts and ideas in a delightful manner.

Young girl performers from across the province with diverse backgrounds participated in the event held at Mafkoora, a private institute for research and development.

Live theatre performance was termed an effective tool for transforming the outlook of community as it helped pave way for a substantive change in the society.

The participants said the trio of peace, progress and prosperity could be made possible through theatrics.

Girl performers attend training workshop

They recalled that Peshawar theatre had produced great legends in its heydays in pre-partition era and Khudai Khidmatgaar Tehreek of Bacha Khan had motivated Pashtun youth through live theatre performance for promoting the cause of non-violence.

Hayat Roghani, chief executive officer of Mafkoora, in his inaugural remarks said youth were in the dire need of a platform where they could bring out their hidden talent through performing arts, including live theatre, to build a tolerant and just society.

He added unfortunately, youth had lost alternative ways to express themselves in a positive manner owing to extremism, which had plagued the region for the last several decades, making youth intolerant and even fanatics.

“Militants’ narrative could best be countered through various forms of arts,” he said and urged academia to instill the spirit of cultural and linguistic diversity among youth through such events on the campuses for holistic training of their personality.

Wagma Feroz, an award winning expert on theatrics, said live theatre encouraged young performers to learn basics of communication, raising their confidence level, and enlarging their mental scope through physical expressions and emotional connectivity.

She said it also developed sense of empathy, humanism and respect for the views of others.

“Young girls should learn basic skills of theatrical performance as it would them help better express themselves,” Ms Feroz elaborated.

She regretted that young girls were not encouraged to exhibit their talent in a typical Pashtun society, but still institutes like Mafkoora had been working for the last several years to impart education on fine arts, both visual and performing.

Prof Nasir Iqbal, professor of English at Edwardes College, Peshawar, while shedding light on the background of live theatre said the first-ever theatre play was staged in 1922 in Peshawar and since then Edwards College had kept up that golden tradition.

He said he had been staging theatre plays in the college with an aim to encourage young girls and boys to display their talent.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2024