SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages inaugurates the eight-day long Theatre Festival Kashmir 2023 in presence of Secretary Culture Department Syed Abid Rasheed, OCD Culture Tufail Matto and Incharge Cultural Academy Mirza Farooq Anwar as special guests on Thursday.
The guests were welcomed by performers of Band Pather headed by Manzoor-Ul-Haque. The programme is aimed to promote the rich cultural heritage in Jammu and Kashmir. Mirza Farooq Anwar delivered a welcome speech where he spoke about several upcoming cultural programmes.
While addressing the audience Tufail Matto focused on the need for attachment with culture. He said, “Kashmiri Pandits teach kids Kashmiri language primarily but in Kashmir, it is the least preferred language.” “Theatre has helped people to get international recognition. We should develop the habit of engagement with Kashmiri music, art and culture in our kids to keep it alive,” he added further.
Syed Abid Rasheed also spoke at the event and promised to work on the revival of theatre in Kashmir. He said, “If we do not revive our culture of language, art and music, we will be left with buildings, roads and infrastructure only. It is important too but cultural heritage is the soul of a society.”
While interacting with the audience he asked for suggestions for the theatre to evolve with the needs of the present generation. He expressed his views on saving cultural heritage along with incorporating the interests of youngsters by saying, “We should be open to change and evolution.”
He also mentioned some measures that the Cultural Academy will be taking under his leadership including involvement of stakeholders to take decisions, taking up initiatives for handholding of artists, providing platforms for artists on school level, acceptability of all the true artists and providing international opportunities to artists from Jammu and Kashmir.
The event is being held in collaboration with Cluster University Srinagar, Government College for Women MA Road, Abdul Ahad Azad Memorial Degree College, Government Degree College Chadoora, and Chief Education Office Budgam. The ceremony was attended by Srinagar Coordinator of the National School of Drama Gulzar Ahmed Ganie, Mohammad Amin Bhat, and Javed Ahmed among hundreds of other people in the audience.
