Pakistan/UK New Perspectives

About the Pakistan/UK New Perspectives

Marking the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence, Pakistan/UK New Perspectives showcases the cultural wealth and contemporary creativity of both countries. Taking place from March to August 2022, the programme features an expansive cultural programme spanning the performing arts, film, visual arts, architecture, literature, museums, broadcast, and exciting cross-arts commissions. People in Pakistan and the UK will experience some of the best UK and Pakistani organisations, artists and institutions and their creative collaborations across the themes of culture and heritage, environment and sustainability and women & girls. Some of the on-going work is described below.

Launch of Pakistan/UK New Perspectives

On March 2 and 3, British Council hosted launch events for the PK/UK: New Perspectives programme in Islamabad and Karachi. Chief Executive Officer of British Council, Scott McDonald and the team hosted over 250 guests on the two days. The Pakistan High Commission simultaneously inaugurated the programme in collaboration with the British Council at the High Commission in London. Chairman British Council Stevie Spring was present at the occasion as the guest of honour, along with 25 other high-profile guests.

Pakistan Stories

Pakistan stories supports a new generation of female Pakistani documentary filmmakers to produce short documentaries on 75 years of Pakistan. The project through its open call attracted over 80 applications. To date it has been published across 27 local print and digital publications and has a combined digital reach of around 20 million.

Currently the project is mentoring 10 females from Pakistan who are putting in practice their concepts explored during the workshops with partners Scottish Documentary Institute and Patakha Films; their films highlight various issues faced by women locally as well as globally.

Gender Ecologies: New Perspectives

The project brings together a group of women from Pakistan to build, decorate and demonstrate the use of a chulah (a traditional Pakistani outdoor earthen cooking stove) designed by award-winning Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari. The project aims to enable women to self-build for greater safety and dignity in the preparation of food, and to highlight the central role of women in the climate revolution. The programme is co-developed with international partners to promote greater awareness and alternatives in responding to global challenges for people and planet. The project will be displayed in Granary Square in London on 25 and 26 May coupled with activities alongside the women building – e.g., sharing stories, knowledge, and skills between women from Pakistan and the UK with the public.

Saahil ki Kahaaniyan – Stories from the Coast

This is a project that, through artistic engagement, aims to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the coastal areas of Pakistan, particularly its fragile Mangrove Ecosystem, with a view to promoting sustainable coastal development. It also aims to share a meaningful dialogue with local stakeholders, highlighting their central role in the relationship between land, coast and climate change. The project through an open call as commissioned leading artist whose work will be exhibited through a public showcase in August 2022. The artists include Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Mahera Omer, Marvi Mazhar, Abuzar A. Madhu, and Swalay Muhammad and Taqi Shaheen and Sarah Khan.

Bridging the Gap

Pakistan’s first ever Boiler Room session was hosted on 14th May under Bridging the Gap project, a creative musical exchange program and collaboration between the UK and Pakistan musicians. Boiler Room is one of the leaders in live streaming music content to international audiences.

Arts South Asia Project

Arts South Asia Project in partnership with the PK/UK Season kicked off its webinar series - Art Murmur to provide capacity building opportunities to young artists and curators in Pakistan and the UK on research-based art practices. 88 people attended the first session on 19th May 2022.

Karachi Biennale

The Karachi Biennale and British Council partnership under the season hosted an artist talk with Ben Eaton, a digital artist and creative technologist from the Invisible Flock in UK through which Ben introduced over 60 young aspiring artists from higher education institutes in Karachi with Invisible Flock's work at the intersection of art and technology, their unique engagement with natural environments, and their collaborative practice.