IN THIS POST:
– About the Arts Council, Karachi
– History of the Arts Council, Karachi
– Location of the Arts Council, Karachi
– Facilities at the Arts Council, Karachi
– Venues at the Arts Council, Karachi
– Academies at the Arts Council, Karachi
– Arts Council, Karachi, Tickets
Watch a theatre play live in an auditorium full of people at the Arts Council, Karachi. The organisation hosts a number of plays, dramas, comedies, tragedies, and satires, round the year, along with supporting and sponsoring literary events in both Urdu and English. Let’s learn more about the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi and how you can get tickets to watch the shows at the Arts Council.
About the Arts Council, Karachi
The Arts Council of Pakistan is based in Karachi and is among the best non-profit organisations in Pakistan that are promoting performing arts and fine arts in the country. It also holds the honour of being the first-ever authority to be established to support art in all its forms in Pakistan with its creation in 1954.
The organisation hosts various plays, talent shows, literary conferences, art exhibitions, musical concerts, and dance performances throughout the year, helping both new and veteran artists in showcasing their talent on a larger scale. It is also a platform where extraordinarily gifted artists, human rights activists, and talented performers get to speak their mind and show the world what they are capable of.
Almost 500 events are hosted by the Arts Council every year, and it is also a big supporter of movements for artistic freedom, women empowerment, and social justice. The premises includes several different venues, giving the organisation a chance to host more than one event at a time along with providing state of the art facilities to its patrons. The organisation has also established three academies under its banner and is also closely associated with the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA), situated directly opposite the Arts Council.
History of the Arts Council, Karachi
The history of the Arts Council, Karachi, goes back to 1948, a year after independence, when a group of devoted art lovers formed a “Fine Arts Society of Karachi” and began gathering at private residences to discuss their love of art and host small art exhibitions on their personal properties. These individuals then became the founding members of the Arts Council of Pakistan six years later in 1954. Today, the organisation supports all art forms, hosts its own events, and even sponsors events that promote other art forms.
Location of the Arts Council, Karachi
The location of the Arts Council, Karachi, places it in the heart of Saddar Town, surrounded by government buildings and a range of other attractions. The Arts Council is situated at the intersection of six routes, namely M. R. Kiyani Road, Strachan Road, Court Road, Sarwar Shaheed Road, Din Muhammad Wafai Road, and Service Station Road.
Popular landmarks around the Arts Council Roundabout include NAPA (previously the Hindu Gymkhana), Sindh Boy Scouts Association, Muslim Gymkhana, YMCA, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Provincial Assembly of Sindh, High Court of Sindh, Sindh Secretariat, Karachi Press Club, Polo Ground, Burns Garden, National Museum of Pakistan, and more.
Meanwhile, the Arts Council also has several of the older residential and commercial areas of Karachi located nearby, including Burns Road, Civil Lines, Aram Bagh, Bohrapir, Garikhata, Saddar, Lucky Star, Bohra Bazaar, Zainab Market, and Empress Market.
Facilities at the Arts Council, Karachi
Arts lovers can benefit from a range of facilities inside the Arts Council building, including:
- Open-air theatre
- Indoor auditorium with raised stage platforms
- Sound recording and filming studio
- Conference hall
- Café
- Library with the best literary publications
- Reading room
- Audio-visual library
- Art gallery
Venues at the Arts Council, Karachi
The Arts Council building and its walled premises are home to seven different venues where events, exhibitions, and shows of varying genres take place all year. The venues at the Arts Council, Karachi, include:
- Manzar Akbar Hall – A large exhibition hall that is perfect for use as an art gallery for both painters and sculptors. Some of the artworks are merely on display while others are on sale too.
- AC Auditorium 1 – An indoor air-conditioned auditorium for stage plays and dramas. It has become known for its youth-centred productions.
- AC Auditorium 2 – A fairly new addition to the premises based on the recent revival and success of theatre productions with a capacity of 250 people.
- North-End Courtyard – Most of the music festivals and concerts are held in this open to air courtyard that is surrounded by plants.
- Open Air Theatre – Open-air amphitheatres have been used as entertainment since the time of the Roman Empire. This tradition had been kept alive by the Arts Council with this venue where only a few plays are performed. This amphitheatre was designed by the famous architect Aqeel Bilgrami.
- Lobby – The ground floor lobby has now been converted into a space for literary and art workshops, seminars, and meetings with space for about 300 people.
- Hall 1 in the Ahmed Shah Building – This is a specially designed hall that is perfect for small gatherings of up to 100 people. It is a centrally air-conditioned space with a hi-tech sound system and projector for presentations during meetings and conferences.
Academies at the Arts Council, Karachi
Three academies function under the Arts Council of Pakistan, namely:
- Arts Council Institute of Arts and Crafts (ACIAC)
- Arts Council Music Academy (ACMA)
- Arts Council Theatre & Dance Academy (ACTDA)
Let’s discuss each of these academies at the Arts Council, Karachi, in detail below.
Arts Council Institute of Arts and Crafts (ACIAC)
The Arts Council Institute of Arts & Crafts is an institution that prepares its students for careers in Graphic Design, Textile Design, and Fine Arts. This includes skills like web designing, logo designing, weaving, oil painting, calligraphy, and sculpture. ACIAC offers short courses ranging from 3 to 6 months, as well as 4-year Diploma and 2-year Certification courses in all of the skills tough here. This educational establishment has been training artists for more than 5 decades and has several famous personalities as its alumni.
Arts Council Music Academy (ACMA)
Established in 2010, ACMA focuses on polishing the talents and voices of young singers and musicians. Artists can opt for a 1-year vocal training in classical singing or learn to play a range of eastern and western instruments in the same timeframe. Musicians can learn to play the sitar, piano, guitar, violin, harmonium, drums, bass guitar, or sarangi at the Arts Council Music Academy.
Arts Council Theatre & Dance Academy (ACTDA)
The Arts Council Theatre & Dance Academy offers 1-year Certificate courses in acting, lighting, improvisation, diction, movement, voice & projection, scriptwriting, and makeup, lights, & set design. The academy opened its doors in 2007 with a small 10-day workshop and has never looked back since. It is yet to offer any dance lessons for eager individuals.
Arts Council, Karachi, Tickets
After reading all of the above, you might be wondering how to get tickets for the Arts Council, Karachi. Well, for most events, tickets are available at the Arts Council’s ticket booth and online. You should follow the organisation’s Facebook page, where they upload information about the latest events, and how to get tickets for them. The ticket prices for plays vary, starting from PKR 300 and going up to PKR 2,000 or more, depending on the event that is being hosted.
The Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi has truly brought the art of theatre back to life, especially among the youth, playing to houseful auditoriums back to back for their most famous plays, and even bringing back some stories on popular demand as sequels or repeat performances.
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* [Images for this post have been sourced from the Official Website and Facebook Page of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi]
