LAHORE: A three-day Children Literature Festival (CLF) 2018, a social movement on art and literature
will begin on Friday (Jan 12) at different heritage sites in the Walled City.
According to a press release issued here, this year's festival is based on the theme of `Celebrating Peace, Heritage, and 70 Years of Pakistan' and seeks to highlight Pakistan's cultural treasure trove.
The festival was being organised by the CLF in collaboration with WCLA. Revealing details of the ground breaking collaboration between the CLF and WCLA, Baela Jamil, Founder CLF, tributed Lahore saying that it enjoys rich heritage and culture spreading over centuries--"We want to weave this historical narrative into the threads of CLF".
"As such, we are extremely proud of this collaborative effort with the WCLA and are confident that this year's event will help nurture and multiply children's love for stories, storytelling, creativity, and reading", she said.
WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said, "It has been a great pleasure to help create this amazing event for all Lahorites.We are confident that it will provide much entertainment and education for all, and hope to continue this collaboration well in future", he added.
The sessions of the festival would be held simultaneously at 14 heritage sites from the Delhi Gate to
Asif Jah Haveli-including locations all along the Shahi Guzargah, it was learnt.
The festival will encapsulate various activities, including digital learning, arts and crafts, story telling
through music, puppetry, and interactive theatre workshops along with traditional art forms, especially tile making, clay work, and fresco painting.
Acclaimed writers, poets, artists, educationist, singers and musicians from across the country will be
contributing their time and knowledge for the children of Lahore as part of the event.
Participants include luminaries such as Zubeida Mustafa, Rumana Husain, Ameena Saiyid, AdeelHashmi, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Faisal Bari, Mushraf Ali Farooqi, and Basarat Kazim. The festival is being supported by organisations such as UNESCO, the Oxford University Press, the British Council,
Allied Bank, the Baber Ali Foundation, the Beaconhouse School System, and the Lahore Grammar School to help promote a message of peace and heritage and love for literature.
The District Education Authority of Lahore has also extended its full support engaging the maximum number of school-going children for the event.The Children Literary Festival is a social equaliser and is open for all with no fee or entry ticket.
The festival intends to bring together children from all across the city under one umbrella to inculcate in them a love of reading, while promoting literature and Pakistani culture. It will also include discussions on the interaction between cultural preservation and youth in a globalised world.
For three days, the Walled City of Lahore will be the destination of choice for those who hold a love for culture, history, arts and performance.