LAHORE: The two-day 64th Children’s Literature Festival (CLF) and one-day 7th teacher’s Literature Festival (TLF) will be held on January 21-23, 2020 at the Children Library Complex (CLC), Lahore. CLF was first launched at Lahore in November 2011 at the same venue. The CLF is a flagship program of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA)founded by Baela Jamil , CEO of ITA and co-founded by Ameena Saiyid an icon in publishing promoting the love of learning.
The annual CLF will be held on January 21-22, 2020 along with one day Teachers’ Literature Festival (TLF) on January 23, 2020. The 3 day eventbearing the theme of its Tarana “Hamein Kitab Chahiyeh’ written by Zehra Nigah is packed with over 100 sessions, and 125+ resource persons and 26+Institutionalpartners. Ali Noor, Ali Hamza, and Rakae Rahman Jamil will rock the CLF Concert on 21st January at 3:00 pm.
The success and continuity of CLFs is attributable to scores of authors, poets, actors, artists, performers, education experts, renowned celebrities, and new age scientists who are core partners of this unique “qabeela”/tribe of cutting edge humanists giving back to society through this vibrant platform in Pakistan. The Oxford University Press (OUP) Pakistan has co-travelled with CLF/TLF on this nationwide journey since 2011.
The three day festival will be structured around several parallel sessions from 9:00-4:00 p.m. with workshops, performances, theatre, plenary sessions, books and activity stalls including mobile libraries, catering not only to children but also teachers and parents from all school systems and backgrounds. There will be marches by children on each day on the Right to Education and Climate Justice calling attention to urgent emergencies. The last day of the festival will be dedicated to teachers; the Teacher’s Literature Festival (TLF) packed with lively professional development sessions for teachers /educators from 9:00 -2:30 p.m. (Jan 23rd). The 64th CLF will promote the love for reading and the 4 Cs- critical thinking; communication, creativity and collaboration; committed to the principle that Children and all human beings learn with multiple intelligences and all senses to become lifelong learners.
The event will be open to all as a non-ticketed event. Our CLF Goodwill Ambassadors, including Juggun Kazim, Khaled Anam,Omair Rana, Nadia Jamil, Ali Hamza and Ali Noorwill be present. The two-day event has 16 learning strands, including Storytelling with expression and Music, Creative writing, Poetry, Theatre & Puppet shows, Dance and movement, BolKeh Lab Azaad Hain Teray, Heritage& Sports for citizenship, Book launches, Art of book making; workshops&environmental learning, STEM Digital and 3D activities, Robotics and maker space, Cinema Ghar, Arts and crafts, and plenaries on critical thinking, curriculum,girls in children’s literature, child protection and climate change. Books, Science& interactive stalls will mesmerize the children.
The CLF inauguration will be colorful and inclusive with performances/readings by children from the Govt. Special Schools, young authors Harsukh and Sanjan Nagar students. CLF Awards 2019-2020 would be given to eminent resource persons and partners who have supported the movement since 2011. These learninggiants include Amjad Islam Amjad,ArfaSyeda Zehra, SyedaBasarat Kazim/Alif Laila Book Bus Society, Bina Jawad, ShehrezadeAlam, Fauzia Minallah, Mariam Khokhar of the CLC, School Education Dept. Peter Jacob, Maham Aliamong others.
CLF advisors Rumana Husain, Maham Ali, Fauzia Minallah, Peter Jacob and Baela Raza Jamil will actively participate in many strands of the three day event. The School Education Department (SED) and the CEO Lahore Mr. Pervez Akhtar Khan, have supported the mobilization of schools and teachers diligently. NFE & Literacy Dept, Special Education Dept, OUP and Private school associations have supported school mobilization effort. The CLF Lahore 2020 sponsors arethe Oxford University Press Pakistan (OUP), OXFAM, the Open Society Foundations (OSF), the British Council, LGS, Roots Millennium School Life Skills for Kids (LSK), CLC and ITA.
The Institutional Partners of CLF include Alif Laila Book Bus Society(ALBBS); the British Council, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Citizens Archives of Pakistan (CAP), Children Library Complex (CLC),Chughtai Library, Connect Hear, Dept. of NFE and Literacy/Govt of Punjab, Dugdugi, Edkasa, FaizGhar, Funkar Child Art, HarSukh,Idara-e-Taleem-o_Aagahi (ITA), ILM Association, Independent Theatre Pakistan, Kafka Welfare, Kids Gym,Khwarizmi Science Society, Knowledge Platform; KuchJaan Lo, Life Skills for Kids (LSK), LightStone Publishers, Maqbool Books, Olomopolo/OloTatolo, Orbit, Oxbridge, OXFAM, Oxford University Press (OUP), Pakistan Alliance of Science &Maths (PAMS),Pakistan Girls Guides Association (PGGA), Paramount Books, Potters from Harrapa,Punjab Textbook and Curriculum Board (PCTB)QAED/SED, Rafi Peer Theatre, Robotronics, SAHE, Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust (SNPET)Higher Secondary School, Search for Justice (SFJ), School Education Dept., Science Fuse, Sharmen Obaid Chinoy (SOC) Films; Special Education Dept., the State Bank of Pakistan Museum, SunnoKahani Meri Zubani (SKMZ); TeleTaleem,The Book Group, TEVTA, The Citizens Foundation, Walled City of Lahore Authority, Wonder Tree.Schools are being offered memberships to CLF/TLF at nominal rates to avail access to all learning materials, publications and workshops round the year and share widely their young talent!