This year Rafi Peer Theatre (RPT) returned to Alhamra Cultural Complex after a gap of five years with their 13th Youth Performing Arts Festival on Thursday, October 16.
The festival aimed at providing the artistic youth of Pakistan with a platform to exhibit their talents, was attended by a vast number of art lovers, youngsters along with various other showbiz personalities.
From the first day, the festival proved to be quite captivating while accomplishing its primary aim alongside.
From the culturally enriched and vividly colorful decorations at the event venue to the performances themselves, people were delighted by the variety of performing styles, genres, disciplines, ideas and outlooks which were remarkably portrayed by the energetic youth through the platform of the festival.
The festival, divided into two sessions, kicked off with a formal inauguration ceremony by the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop Chairman UsmanPeerzada.
“In order to promote young people through performances, the RPT decided to reorganise the YPAF, which would now include theatre, music, and dance performances besides short film screenings,” he said in his opening remarks.
Usman further added that the aim of the festival was to project an image of Pakistan as a country that was rich in culture and heritage.
To achieve this aim, he said, the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop has been encouraging activities and creativity in the field of live performing arts like drama and mime, dance, music theatre and filmmaking.
The festival divided into two sections, began with the screening of nine short films in the first session.
The short films were put up by students and participants from different universities and colleges from all over Pakistan. The short films displayed on the first day were ‘Dilemma’ and ‘Anjan’ by the students of National College of Arts (NCA), ‘Iqrar’ and ‘An Urge’ by Kinnaird College (KC), ‘Roshan Nagar KeAndhay’ by Punjab University (PU) and ‘WohRaat’, ‘Shadows of Darkness’, ‘AkhriBazi’ and ‘Hijacked’ by the students of Beaconhouse National University (BNU).
The short films were much appreciated by the jury, which comprised of notable names such as OmairRana, UsmanPeerzada, Claire Pamment and YaminaPeerzada. They remarked that the short films portrayed insightful plots and presented promising acting talents.
Followed by the screening of films, the second session comprised of theatre, mime and skit performances. Theatrical performances by students of The City School, SOS Village, KC, Froebel’s International School, St Anthony School, BNU, University of Lahore, University College Lahore’s Ajoki Theatre, and NCA represented their institutes in nine performances.
‘We Sinful Women’, a theatrical performance put up by KC revolved around the concept of violence against women in our society. Three jailed women and a book writer were main characters of the play. The play describes that women today are being humiliated, abused and tortured by men at different stages including their family’s male members.
Another highlight of the first day was BNU’s play, ‘4 Gram’ in which the main idea behind the performance was the importance of speaking the truth at the right time. Main characters of the play were a doctor and his patient who was not informed about his fatal illness by his doctor.
The delightfully artistic day concluded in evening by a dance and a music night on the first and second day respectively.
The festival continues till October 19th (Sunday).