A celebration of inclusion, creativity, and shared cultures at the World Culture Festival.
KARACHI:
On the 35th day of the successfully ongoing World Culture Festival 2025 at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, organisers held a special ceremony to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, featuring a theatre workshop, an open mic session with international artists, a film screening, and a theatrical performance by Italy.
The 35th day of the festival began with the ceremony titled “Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities”. Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Tuaha Ahmed Farqui, President Arts Council Mohammad Ahmed Shah, Additional Secretary Atibar Ali Buriro, Deputy Director SPDPA Dr Ratna Diwan, and Regional Director Karachi Farman Ali Tanwari attended the event.
A large group of children with disabilities joined the ceremony, including students with Down syndrome from Scinoca School, as well as participants from Karachi Vocational Training Centre, Binai Foundation, Dar-ul-Sukoon, Edario, and School for the Blind and Deaf. A vibrant musical performance filled the children with joy, and they enthusiastically presented Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan, Lal Meri Pat, and Shukriya Pakistan.
Speaking at the event, Secretary Tuaha Ahmed Faruqui said that celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the festival encourages everyone, as these children deserve constant attention. She urged people to take these children with them wherever they go, adding that if the children work at a slower pace, society must adapt to their pace.
President Arts Council Mohammad Ahmed Shah reiterated that any society that does not include persons with disabilities in its happiness cannot call itself civilised. He described the children as flowers and announced that the Arts Council is establishing a dedicated desk for children with disabilities, enabling artists from around the world to meet them.
During the open mic session, artists from Algeria, Azerbaijan, Italy, Germany, Burkina Faso, Spain, South Africa, Cameroon, Palestine, Brazil, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Barbados shared their views. Speakers discussed the increasing reliance on AI tools such as ChatGPT, noting that AI can complete tasks in minutes but should not replace human creativity. They emphasised that art derives its value from human effort and emotion, and that AI can assist but cannot replace artistic creation.
Sri Lankan director Ruwanthie De Chickera conducted a theatre workshop attended by international artists and students of the Arts Council Theatre Academy. The Sri Lankan instructor trained participants in modern acting techniques.
The film screening featured the movie Umro Ayyar directed by Azfar Jafri, with Atif Siddiqui as writer.
The 35th day of the festival concluded with Italy’s theatrical performance “THE ACTING CLASS,” written by Marta Fumagalli and directed by Francesca Bizzarri and Goffredo Puccetti. The play revolves around an enthusiastic student who arrives to learn Italian acting, but a language barrier disrupts his plans. The humorous and engaging performance delighted the audience from start to finish.
