Palestinian Play “As If It Were a Dream” Captivates Audience at World Culture Festival 2025

Palestinian Play “As If It Were a Dream” Captivates Audience at World Culture Festival 2025

Soulful Qawwali Performance by Fareed Ayaz, Abu Muhammad and International Artists Mesmerizes the Audience at the World Culture Festival 2025

KARACHI: On the 36th day of the “World Culture Festival 2025,” organized by the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, five workshops, a film screening, and the powerful Palestinian theatre production “As If It Were a Dream” by The Freedom Theatre were presented. Later in the night, the Qawwali performance by Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad enthralled the audience.
The Palestinian play “As If It Were a Dream,” written and directed by Mo’men Sa’di, narrates the life of a young Palestinian navigating the narrow alleys of the Jenin Refugee Camp alleys caught between checkpoints, soldiers, and shattered dreams. Amid this desolation, the young man nurtures an unlikely aspiration: to become an actor. The path, however, grows more painful as tragedies and separations increase. Torn between surrender and miraculous perseverance, he begins to realize that theatre is not merely performance, it is resistance .The stage becomes another frontline; words turn into weapons; acting becomes defiance against chains and darkness. The moving storyline gripped the entire hall. At the end, the audience rose to their feet, giving the Palestinian performers a standing ovation. Earlier, the 36th day of the festival began with a Sculpture Workshop conducted by Mozambican artist Luis M Santos, attended by students from the Arts Council’s Fine Art School as well as Makli and Sujawal’s Peoples School. During the session, Luis M Santos taught techniques of sculptural creativity and said that “You can create as much art as you want with your own effort—just keep working. Art is something we first create for ourselves; it is not necessary that everything must be sold. Look at this festival; see how the team is carrying it forward so successfully that it is art. In creativity, time does not matter.”
President Arts Council Muhammad Ahmad Shah also addressed the participants, saying, “If a person works hard, they can progress. The Arts Council is a place where everyone is equal, whether from Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, or KPK. If you have the passion to learn, no power can stop you from moving forward. I am proud of all of you—you are the future of our art.” The second workshop, focused on theatre, was conducted by Russian artist Lidia Kopina, who trained students in techniques of body movement. The session was attended by Theatre Academy Director Khalid Ahmed and a large number of students. Lidia Kopina stated, “An actor must be able to control their voice. When you listen to the rhythm of your own voice and body, that is the moment you truly perform. This technique strengthens your acting.” In the third workshop, Brazilian artist Victoria Santos introduced students to modern photography techniques. She said that “Photographs create memories. I believe that good photography doesn’t depend on an expensive camera, but on passion. I capture whatever pulls me in; every picture tells its own story.” The fourth workshop, led by German artist Alina Belyagin, focused on hand-based dance techniques. Alina and Jay C Val also delivered an energetic performance, receiving loud applause from the audience. Alina remarked“While dancing, you must look into the eyes of your partner—connection is the soul of the performance.” The fifth Fine Art workshop featured Barbadian painter King Kesia, who taught students the creative process of painting. Students from Makli and Sujawal also attended. King Kesia explained“When blending two colors, move your brush as if it’s floating in the air. To create depth, the use of a third color is essential.”In the “Film Screening” segment, three British films HOME, The Frog in the Well, and Spring Amidst the Dust, were showcased. The 36th day concluded with a mesmerizing Qawwali Night, where the powerful performances of Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad captivated the crowd. Joining them on stage were international musicians, including Japan’s Kenta Shoji, Algeria’s Farah Baba Ammi, Pakistan’s Fariha Chaudhry, Bangladesh’s Sultana Chaudhry, and Burkina Faso’s Zouratie Kone. Their cross-cultural collaboration added brilliance to the night, making it one of the festival’s most memorable evenings.