Performing Arts
Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The National Academy of Performing Arts, located in the newly renovated Hindu Gymkhana offers a two-year diploma course in performing arts that include classical music and contemporary theatre. The All Pakistan Music Conference, linked to the 45-year old similar institution in Lahore, has been holding its Annual Music Festival since its inception in 2004. The festival is now a well established feature of the city life of Karachi that is awaited anxiously and attended by more than 3000 citizens of Karachi as well as people from other cities.
Aside from regular performances by the nation's biggest musical stars, Karachi also boasts one of the biggest underground music scenes in the country, where traditional musical influences blend with modern, Western style to create a unique brand of fusion music. This style of music has been very popular all across Pakistan and is utilised by most of the nation's up-and-coming musical artists. Many of the nation's emerging musicians have based themselves in Karachi because of excellent employment opportunities in the burgeoning entertainment industry of Karachi. Many of the nation's fresh musical acts can be found in cafes, restaurants and concerts across Karachi, especially in the city's upper middle class and upper class areas.
The National Arts Council (Koocha-e-Saqafat) also has musical performances and mushairas. Karachi has a few museums including the Mohatta Palace Museum and National Museum of Pakistan that regularly have exhibitions related to performance arts. Karachi is also home to the annual Kara Film Festival, which is one of the biggest film festivals in Pakistan and showcases independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries.
Recently, youths inspired by theatre and improv have formed Karachi's first drama club, called The Acting Wheel. Groups of young theatre enthusiasts meet twice a month to act out famous film and theatre scripts spontaneously. These are not rehearsed performance but rather a forum to encourage spontaneous, improv acting. Participants are encouraged to let go of their inhibitions and just act out. Recaps of each act-olution can be found at http://www.theactingwheel.blogspot.com
Read more about this topic: Karachi Culture
Famous quotes related to performing arts:
“More than in any other performing arts the lack of respect for acting seems to spring from the fact that every layman considers himself a valid critic.”
—Uta Hagen (b. 1919)