Winter art camps held in Gilgit-Baltistan
Asma Akbar Ladak
A pioneering Winter Arts program for young people from Gilgit-Baltistan saw teachers from one of Pakistan’s top art schools travelling to the region for a series of workshops that introduced key techniques and skills to budding artists.
In collaboration with the Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture (IVS) based in Karachi, winter art camps were organised in Gilgit, Ishkoman Puniyal and Hunza regions of Gilgit-Baltistan. This camp aimed to introduce the youth to the basic skills of drawing, rendering and painting techniques in an attempt to promote future career prospects in fine arts.
The workshop was attended by a total of 345 students, of which 63% were girls, and was facilitated by six teachers from IVS, who concluded the programme with certificate distribution. The facilitators encouraged students to let the raw beauty of their natural habitat, as well as their cultural heritage, inspire their artwork while making efficient use of resources and recycling wherever possible.
Sana Naqvi, one of the facilitators from IVS saw “a lot of potential in carrying out an art programme in Gilgit-Baltistan.”
Participants felt motivated and touched by the dedication of instructors and staff; one passionately mentioned how they “worked together with the teachers as one family.”
“We are grateful to the leadership and faculty members of IVS for conducting Arts Camps in Gilgit Baltistan,” said Shamez Mukhi, Chairman AKYSBP, adding that, the artistic talent of the youth in the GB is world-class as they compete at national and international level. The fine arts workshops will go a long way in their career development, he added.
Photos: Ali Ahmed
