ISLAMABAD: The two-day long Children Festival concluded with the display of creative expression by the students of twin-cities on Wednesday at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). The festival was part of the series of events being organised by the PNCA to mark the 70thIndependence Day of Pakistan. Syed Jamal Shah, the PNCA Director General, was the chief guest on the occasion who also distributed prizes among the participants and winners. Speaking on the occasion, Shah said, “We shall appreciate the children for their creative pursuits and encourage them to take part in such activities. Whether private or government, every school should have its performing and creative arts societies. We lack a cultural policy that should be developed with the consensus and participation of political parties to give the nation an inclusive cultural framework.” He said art and culture knit the human being in a relationship of understanding, harmony and peaceful coexistence. We need to educate our children about the beauty of cultural diversity. Several tableaus were presented by students of local schools including OPF Girls College, F-Block, Satellite Town, Islamabad Model School for Boys, G-10, Bahria Foundation School, Chandni Chowk, Divisional Public School, City School, The Play School, and Quality Public School. The students showed their performing arts skills very well despite limited grooming opportunities. Some students of these schools also presented national songs and speeches on topics related to the importance of independence and nationalism. Aila Malik and two students of the Mausikaar Foundation, Dawood and Zakaria, got big applause for their rendition of national songs. The participants of PNCA children summer camp also performed on the occasion whereas their artwork was also put on display. The teachers of the summer camp were presented with certificates of appreciation. They included Shabeela Shahzadi, Nadia Raza, Hunzalah, Bushra Siddique, Sana Bashir, Nisha Ahmed Malik, Sumera Yousaf, Nasir Seemab and Madiha. Munir Ahmed, director of Devcom-Pakistan, said, “To groom the culturally sensitive talent of students we need cultural incubators at schools where they shall go through summer cultural exposure workshops followed by assignments.” Published in Daily Times, August 17th 2017.