UK artist misperception about Pakistan quickly diminished as he was embraced like a long lost friend

UK artist misperception about Pakistan quickly diminished as he was embraced like a long lost friend

ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP):Live Performing Artist of United Kingdom Spike Mclarrity said that he had no idea what to expect as he never been to this part of the world and certainly had never visited Pakistan, there was some apprehension due to some misperception which was very quickly diminished as he was embraced like a long lost friend. 

Spike Mclarrity is a Live Art Performance Artist from London United Kingdom and studied Fine Art at Kingston University where he graduated in 2010 and in 2012 he did an MA in performance where he received a distinction at Brighton University. 

Spike has travelled all over Europe as well as China, Philippines and Japan where he performs and exhibits his work. 

He said that by a chance encounter in a London cafe meeting a friend from Pakistan he was informed about an international Arts festival taking place in a city called Islamabad. 

“I had not heard of it before but decided I wanted to take part so independently applied and was very happy when I was accepted by Jamal Shah a chief curator International Islamabad Art Festival who invited me to come to Pakistan” he said.

He had offered to run two workshops as well as a lecture and a performance, which all happened within days of arriving.

“Everyone I met in relation to the festival couldn’t have been any more welcoming” Spike Mclarrity said.
His first workshop was on 23rd November where he met a diverse group of people from all over Pakistan who attended and participated in this one-day event.

“Thankfully most people could speak English and so this made it easier for me to communicate” he said, adding that it was a very challenging workshop all about freeing peoples inner creativity; as from his experience sometimes.

He also given a lecture Live Art Performance, using the concept of how people transforms themselves using masks he managed to show various photographs of performance.

He have done also his most famous performance “Barnes White Rabbit” which was a performance he do on the first day of every month to greet the new month ahead wearing a full white rabbit costume. 

Then later that day he gave a performance called “Behind the mask of white rabbit is a shaman” which he performed in front of an audience at the Sire Syed Memorial Complex.  

Day three on 25th November he gave his second workshop titled performing the live, this was very well attended.

He explored the wonderful city of Islamabad and had organised a tour, which he really enjoyed seeing the city for the first time, visiting some of Islamabad’s main tourist attraction’s and view points. 

He said that “the festival itself was an amazing experience where I got to see performances from all over the world, it was a feast of culture and one I had never expected, I wasn’t sure what I expected from Islamabad Art Festival (IAF-19) but the rich mix and integration of Pakistan artists alongside artists from America, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, Japan, Indonesia, China and other parts of the world certainly opened my eyes”.

“I also met the first Lady at PNCA where I was asked to do a talk, which was such an honour, also I joined other artists to have tea and meet the President of Pakistan. Every day I was presented with another life changing experience, I just couldn’t believe the standard and the overwhelming art/performances on show, it was nothing like I have ever experienced in my life” Spike Mclarrity said.  

He said that “for me I wish I had given myself more time to explore the country I was visiting, but I left to return back to the United Kingdom with some wonderful memories to share with family and friends, also I have met artists from other countries and importantly I have now made new friends from Islamabad and certainly intend to return and look forward to IIAF20.

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