ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Lok Virsa has finalized an agenda of strategic cultural programmes for children, youth and all other ages to bring out the true pluralistic nature of our folk culture.
In an interview with the state-run news agency in Islamabad on Monday, the Executive Director Lok Virsa Dr. Fouzia Saeed said that the strategy developed for Lok Virsa was designed to cater more to the younger generation to develop their cultural identity.
She said that the Lok Virsa would focus more on dissemination rather than collection of cultural materials to promote pluralism and national integration, adding that in addition, “we wanted to re-establish connections with other countries,”.
He said that “We are capable to re-establish Lok Virsa as a vibrant hub of cultural activity,”.
Dr. Fouzia Saeed said that “Our programmes, Craft of the Month, teaching how to make various folk crafts, Children’s Literature Festival in collaboration with Oxford and Idara e Taleem o Aagahi and the language Summer Camp were super successful”.
She said that for all ages our programme Mandwa film club, featuring Pakistani and international classic films was successful in generating interest and appreciation of old classics.
“To make Lok Virsa truly national we engaged with a full range of diverse ethnic communities and organized programmes with them to ensure all communities with different languages, cultures and religions are welcomed at Lok Virsa,” she said.
She said that Lok Virsa also organized number of programmes in collaboration with Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, adding that a competition of Rubab in KPK and that of Suroz in Balochistan.
Dr. Fouzia Saeed said that Lok Virsa produced a TV programme for the first time, adding that a half hour programme called the Folk Beats for PTV world aired every Sunday.
“We have taken out 14 DVDs which will be launched soon,” she said.
Executive Director Lok Virsa said that internationally Lok Virsa have begun linkages that would establish a working relationship with Smithsonian in Washington DC.
She said that Lok Virsa would revamp its archives with the help of Smithsonian establish a folk dance group for regular performances and also for Embassies and Foreign office to capitalize upon Music classes, initially for Tabla, flute and Rubab Production of audio albums, video DVDs and discovery of new folk artists.
