Daily Times

LAHORE: The Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF), School of Visual Arts and Design of Beaconhouse National University and the Centre for Culture & Development jointly organised their fifth artSPEAK in the Stories We Tell – Aao Sunayein Kahani series, holding an active dialogue on the topic titled “Azaadi” at a local café on Tuesday.

The public talk initiated was about azaadi and its various facets including stories of Partition, questions of national identity and concerns of historical research which were addressed. The discussion engaged a diverse group of professionals – asking the question: what does azaadi mean to us today?

The discussion was moderated by renowned lawyer and activist Rafay Alam and the panel consisted of Ali Aftab Saeed, Dr Farrukh Khan, Taimur Rahman and Farhan Shah. Experts highlighted on the historical background of the subcontinent and independence of Pakistan. They also shared stories and incidents with the participants about how the society is perceived nowadays. They emphasised that people should play their own role for the progress, betterment and prosperity of the country.

Officials informed that Stories We Tell – Aao Sunayein Kahani was an audio and visual storytelling project that aims to create a crossover between community and people by constructing an avenue for the exchange of ideas and stories. The overall project aimed to create an intercultural dialogue by using site-specific community projects as trigger points for the collection and generation of stories and narratives. This would encourage citizens of Lahore to tell their personal experiences and initiate a public exchange discourse.

Further, the art of conversation and storytelling has played an important part in the cultural fabric of South Asia. The projects is designed to encourage the revival of informal storytelling around the city. The stories being collected have a tendency to take on directions and trajectories of their own. While this poses unique documentation, it also adds richness to the project.