Responding to Coronavirus Crisis
Resilience and commitment to children and youth

Dear Friends,

Since the beginning of Covid-19 pandemic, I have been thinking what it means for our audiences specially children and youth. How will it impact our arts offering? How will it change us and our audiences? As we produce various large scale festivals and exhibitions year around, how we will be impacted with the idea of not coming together and maintaining distance. While the whole point of our work is based on bringing people together to celebrate the excellence of arts and creative expression.

We are living in uncertain times, we do not know what the new normal will be, and how we will come out of the pandemic? We are sure for one thing though, we will not be the same whenever it ends. This only certainty challenges us to think new ways of what we are passionate about, and evolve to remain relevant and find new ways for culture and arts to thrive.

Resilience does not mean that we survive and wait for the situation to return to as it used to be. Resilience demands innovation to succeed in new realities. I tried to think about each project of The Little Art in the new light, and in the past 3 months, devised new forms with the amazing team and rolled out some ideas for our audiences.

In the past few years of my journey, I always saw problems interesting as if you solve one, it will push you ahead and set you apart from many others. I welcome failures as great opportunity to learn and grow. I always remember this verse from Mizuta Masahide, a 17th century Japanese poet, who wrote; “My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon.” My barn also burned down many times in the past few years, and I always see what I can find from the ashes and around.

I believe we are taking this opportunity of time in finding new possibilities, and when we return to the post-Covid-19 new normal, these innovations will be added as the expansion of our projects. I hope that time will not be that far, so that we have courage and resources to continue as an organization till then.

Among many more to come, here are some of the current happenings that we have designed for teachers, parents, children and youth. These are in various art forms i.e. discussions, visual arts, filmmaking and theater, all of it is adopted to the current reality.

Be engaged, and keep us going!

Shoaib Iqbal
Founder, The Little Art

For Teachers, Parents, Children and Youth
We are bringing painters, filmmakers, designers, performing artists, dancers, sculptors, calligraphers, photographers, writers and musicians to talk to parents, children and youth through a series of conversations.

Fridays and Saturdays, 6PM

Fancy to watch all the episodes, click to see the playlist.

Below are recordings of the live sessions.
Session 1: Night Chaoudhry, Dancer and Teacher

Session 2: Painters: Mina Haroon (Painter, Assistant Director Alhamra Art Gallery), Shireen Bano (Head of MA Visual Arts, NCA), Irfan Gul (Painter, Teacher, Curator O Art Space)

Session 3: Filmmakers: Armughan Hassan (Editor, Filmmaker) Fazal Ahmed (Director Thin Air Films), Madeeha Raza (Founder, Women Through Film)

Session 4: Mariam El Bacha, CEO Cinepax Cinemas Pakistan

Session 5: Designers: Affan Alam (Barack 13), Wajeeha Abbas (Illustrator, Designer), Sabahat Nawaz (Department of Industrial Design, NUST)

Session 6: Salima Hashmi, Artist, Teacher

Session 7: Theater Makers: Zain Ahmad (Artistic Director, NAPA), Fizza Hasan (Founder, Theatre Wallay), Amir Nawaz (Founder Maas Foundation)

Session 8: Theater Makers: Mobeen Ejaz (Director, Chota Mota Theater), Iram Sana (Olomopolo Media), Aqdas Waseem (Actor, Director)

Register now to get information for the sessions happening in the next two weeks.

Become a Young Jury Member with LICFF20!

LICFF20, the 12th edition of Lahore International Children’s Film Festival (LICFF), is excited to announce the call for young jury members. The children and teenagers, as young jury, will act as judges and will watch all the shortlisted films and vote for the winner films.

If you are under 18, love films and want to get a an international exposure through films, this is your chance. Apply to become a jury with us.

Limited seats, selected jury members will be working online from home.

Deadline: 10th August 2020

If you are based in Pakistan, work with children & youth or in theater, and are a cultural organisation, theater group, school or university, apply now to become member of global network.

By joining ASSITEJ Pakistan, you gain access to a wide range of benefits, including tapping into the performing arts practitioners resource base, collaboration and exchange opportunities, connections with international art scene and range of discounts for our future festivals and events.

ASSITEJ Pakistan is a growing national network of artists, performers, arts managers, administrators, educators and students working together to create a vibrant performing arts scene and shape the future of Theater for Young Audience (TYA) in Pakistan.

They are inspirational. They are unapologetic.
They are the 25 under 25.

Some women may exist as ordinary around us, but can carry extraordinary stories of determination and passion. The Little Art is celebrating 25 stories of resilience to encourage and inspire millions and is ecstatic to announce the 25 finalists for 25 Under 25 Award!