Iqbal Academy Pakistan is offering a series of weekly workshops about the basic ideas of Allama Iqbal and related subjects. Participation is free for the following three sessions but due to limited space, advanced registration is mandatory and punctuality is a virtue (seats will be given on “first come first” basis).

Resource Person:
Khurram Ali Shafique, author of The Republic of Rumi: A Novel of Reality
Venue: Teachers’ Development Center, 129-G, P.E.C.H. Society, Block 2, Karachi. Phone: (021) 4392949
Timings (for all workshops): 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Contact for further information: Dr. Hena Javid henajawaid000@hotmail.com

New horizons in Iqbal Studies – Saturday, August 1

Why do we need to know about Iqbal? What do we know? What are the new questions which are becoming important in Iqbal Studies now? On what criteria can we assess what has been done before? These are the questions which will be explored in this workshop. Note: participants will receive a complimentary copy of Andaz Mehramana (2009), a little book published by Iqbal Academy Pakistan on this subject.

Shikwa: the story behind it – Saturday, August 8

The story behind the writing of `Shikwa’ is being given out in full detail for the first time since the famous poem got written by Iqbal in 1911. Recently presented in the second volume of the comprehensive biography Iqbal: Tashkeeli Daur, the details will now be discussed by the biographer and participants will be asked to participate in an open discussion.

Why Iqbal chose Rumi? – Saturday, August 15

The question has often been asked but the material required to properly address it had never been collected in one place as it has been in the recently published Iqbal: Tashkeely Daur. This workshop enables the participants to discuss the question and arrive at their own conclusions based on evidence provided in the workshop.

Click the image for larger view.

Call for artists who can help to beautify our city and giving it a voice. I guess they will be needing volunteers for other works too except design or paint so interested people should avail this opportunity to give back to the city.

Just a quick note for all MJ fans in Karachi. A memorial for Michael Jackson today from 6 to 7 pm at Unicorn Gallery. Open to everyone.

[ CDGK ]

Nazim Karachi Mustafa Kamal has announced establishing “Karachi Development Trust” for the development and maintenance of infrastructure in city. This he did while dressing a gathering of thousands of employees of the CDGK, subsidiaries and the town administration. He said the funds collected will be utilized by a five member board comprised of non controversial and non political personalities. He personally submitted the form to donate RS. 1000 each month in the KDT account and added that if all account holders donate only Rs.5 in this account than we could collect Rs.45million monthly. Read more . .

Glass is a fascinating medium for art, but sadly art schools in the country don’t have the facility to teach glass blowing and molding techniques as the kiln used in the process is very expensive and consumes a lot of electricity which makes it almost absolutely imposable for any art school or facility to operate a kiln.

Being the reason, artwork made out of glass is fairly a rare sight in art galleries across Pakistan but thanks to artist Martin Willem who has been visiting Pakistan on and off quite often since almost a decade, and had exhibited his amazing work of hand blown glass in 2006 for the first time in Faisalabad and then again in 2008 in Lahore and the same year in Islamabad too,  providing art students and enthusiasts exposure the this wonderful medium across the country.
(more…)

Sometimes, you just gotta love CDGK.

No matter how many beautification projects it undertook, for me the city remained an eyesore owing to the flags and banners everywhere. Areas and towns all over the city were owned by political or religious parties by putting up their multi colored flags.

Below are but a few examples:

But according to the CDGK website:

City District Government Karachi has said to citizens especially religious and social organizations to remove the banners and flags installed in the city as they no more fulfill the purpose for which they had been installed or fixed by the concerned organization.

The announcement of City District Government Karachi said that banners and flags fixed in different areas of the city by various political, religious and social organizations and NGOs have now due to the dust and smoke changed into blackish cloths.

It is also mentioned in the announcement that if these banners and flags are not removed by the concerned organization than City Government would itself initiate action for their removal.

Maybe the CDGK can provide impetus to this initiative by removing the ruling party flags and banners first. I cant wait to see how clean and undivided Karachi would look after that.

www.pnca.org.pk

[Daily Jang]

Vintage & Classic Car Club of Pakistan (VCCCP) in collaboration with DHA Golf Club is organizing a charity dinner and classic car show for the IDP’s in Swat at the DHA Golf Club on Sunday 24th May ‘09. 30 cars are going to be displayed. VCCCP will make their humble contribution to this cause. Do attend to show your support and donate generously.

An exhibition of provocative and powerful work by ten highly acclaimed artists who explore the limitlessness of aesthetic dialogue towards the expression of our current events will be opening at KOEL Gallery on 21st of May 2009.

The participation artists for this exhibition include: 

   Abdul Jabbar Gul, A.R.Nagori, Afshar Malik, Ghalib Baqar, Jamal Shah, Qudsia Nisar, Nahid Raza, R.M.Nadeem, Salima Hashmi, Sumaya Durrani.

The exhibition will continue till the first of June 2009.

Koel Gallery:

+92 (21) 5831292

F-42/2, block 4, Scheme 5 Clifton , Karachi