KARACHI — The 36th day of the “World Culture Festival 2025,” organized by the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, featured a series of engaging workshops, film screenings, and standout performances, including the Palestinian play As If It Were a Dream and a captivating Qawwali night by Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad.
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The Palestinian production, written and directed by Mo’men Sa’di, portrays the life of a young man in Jenin Refugee Camp, caught between checkpoints, soldiers, and shattered dreams, yet aspiring to become an actor. The performance highlighted theatre as a form of resistance, with words as weapons and acting as defiance against oppression. The audience gave the performers a standing ovation for their powerful and moving portrayal.
The day also featured five interactive workshops led by international artists:
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Mozambican sculptor Luis M Santos taught sculptural creativity techniques to students from the Arts Council’s Fine Art School and schools from Makli and Sujawal.
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Russian theatre artist Lidia Kopina conducted a workshop on body movement and voice control for actors.
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Brazilian photographer Victoria Santos guided participants in modern photography techniques.
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German dancer Alina Belyagin led a hand-based dance workshop and performed with Jay C Val.
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Barbadian painter King Kesia demonstrated painting techniques, focusing on color blending and depth creation.
In addition, three British films — HOME, The Frog in the Well, and Spring Amidst the Dust — were showcased during the film screening segment.
The day concluded with a mesmerizing Qawwali performance by Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad, joined by international artists from Japan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, and Pakistan. The cross-cultural collaboration enthralled the audience and marked one of the most memorable evenings of the festival.
