The Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi has given the opportunity to the youth of Karachi to prove their talent and abilities through 'I Am Karachi Youth Festival' each year held at its premises. This year the youth festival was organised in collaboration with Koocha-e-Saqafat. The aim of the festival was to revive the peaceful environment of Karachi and promote creativity among the youth of the city.
Many youngsters were attracted by a painting competition where any young boy or girl who wanted to paint can paint anything he/she likes in any medium. No matter if the painting was immature in nature. The purpose was to give a platform to the talent trapped inside our youth as they have no venue to show it.
Every participant in the painting category was allowed to paint as many paintings they want and then their work was displayed without any condition of subject and medium whatever a young boy and girl has painted was shown to the visitors at the Koocha-e-Saqafat gallery.
This freedom of expression help in building self-confidence in the young people and give others an opportunity to know what is in their minds, what is their approach and which direction they are taken and what are their views and perceptions about certain issues. What they feel about their society and what they are absorbing from the surrounding as what they take will give back to the society. Therefore, we must care what our young people require and what we are providing them.
If we want our society to produce productive young citizens then we must take care of their mental health which can only be provided by healthy activities such as this festival.
Art is the only remedy for sick minds to eliminate negative thinking which promote violence. For a healthy peaceful mind mental exercise in the form of art activities are necessary.
Our future generation needs healthy activities like this through out the year so that they can use their energies positively in the construction of their careers and in return help boost the economy of our country.
Such activities help create a peaceful atmosphere and promote healthy minds which will take part in the development of our country.
Another objective of the festival was to provide a chance to the oozing talent of youth in various fields. Karachi is endowed with an abundance of talent in various fields, be it music, poetry or the arts, and this festival give an outlet to the talented youth to prove themselves.
The people specialised in their respective fields, including singers, artistes, musicians and painters who are nationally and internationally reputed judged the participants in the respective fields. The participants who have taken first, second and third positions in the competition were awarded with shields and certificates.
The exciting activities help boost the self-confidence of young people of our city and refresh their minds so they can become a positive part of the society.
The event gave an opportunity to the young people from all over Karachi to show their talent and abilities. The festival helped to bring forward some of our youth's hidden talent and gave them a platform to showcase their veiled abilities.