The fifth day of the 3rd World Culture Festival at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, brought a vibrant mix of art, music, dance, film and theatre, as international artists gathered to celebrate cultural diversity and creative expression, the Express Tribune reported on November 3, 2026.
From a panel discussion on art and artificial intelligence to a Japanese bass-guitar workshop, Brazilian samba dancers, Arab short films and a physical comedy from Italy, the day offered Karachi’s audiences a packed cultural feast — continuing a festival that opened with 1,000 artists from 150 countries and runs for 25 days.
Art and AI: global artists discuss cultural diversity
As part of its ‘Artfelt: Conversations Series’, the festival hosted a panel discussion titled ‘Cultural Diversity as Represented in 21st Century Fine Art’, featuring artists from Ethiopia, Germany, Singapore, Sweden and Kenya.
Participants Kaleab Alemayehu, Petra Kaltenbach, Yip Yew Chong, Domi Forest and Nelson Ijaka discussed contemporary art, artificial intelligence and the role of artistic expression in promoting cultural identity and understanding.
Alemayehu said art could transcend political divisions and connect people, while Kaltenbach emphasised dialogue and self-transformation as tools for positive change. Yip spoke about using his artwork to introduce Pakistan’s beauty to audiences abroad, Forest called for greater love and solidarity, and Ijaka described art as a means of shaping cultural narratives and building national pride.
The ‘Artfelt’ conversations have become one of the festival’s signature features, giving Karachi audiences direct access to working artists from around the world and turning the Arts Council into a space for debate as much as performance.
Music and dance workshops: Japanese bass to Brazilian samba
The festival’s workshop programme gave young musicians and dancers hands-on time with international performers. Japanese guitarist Juna Serita led a music workshop titled ‘Beyond the Bassline’, demonstrating the bass guitar’s potential as a lead instrument and introducing young musicians to improvisation techniques.
Brazilian dance group Cia Livre De Danca Da Rocinha conducted a workshop on traditional Brazilian and Samba styles, while an open mic session showcased young singers from the city.
Eight Arab and North African shorts on the big screen
Cinema had a strong presence on the fifth day, with eight films screened under the ‘Arab and North African Shorts’ programme. The selection explored weighty themes including Palestinian identity, displacement, memory, family struggles, social injustice and psychological conflict — bringing regional storytelling to Karachi’s big screen.
Theatre: an Italian clown and a Pakistani satire
The theatre programme featured Italian performer Tom Corradini’s 50-minute physical comedy ‘Shaolin Clown’, which explored self-discovery through movement and humour.
Pakistani production ‘Taleem-e-Balighan’, written and directed by Farhan Alam Siddiqui, offered a satirical take on social decline through the chaotic encounters of students at an adult education centre. Both productions received an enthusiastic response from the audience, bringing the festival’s fifth day to a lively close.
A 25-day celebration still under way
The World Culture Festival Karachi 2026 opened with a qawwali night and artists from 150 countries, and its 25-day run continues at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi. Earlier days of the festival featured film, theatre, music and dance showcases that drew large crowds, and the programme continues to bring international and Pakistani performers together on one stage.
For Karachi’s art lovers, the festival remains one of the year’s biggest cultural gatherings — and with days of performances, workshops and screenings still ahead, there is plenty more to come.
Now in its third edition, the World Culture Festival has steadily grown into a fixture of Karachi’s cultural calendar, drawing international performers and large local audiences to the Arts Council year after year. This year’s 25-day programme is its most ambitious yet, and the fifth day’s packed schedule — spanning five continents of artistic talent — showed why the festival keeps getting bigger.
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