pakistani truck art presentation

Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges

Truck art project

Inspired by Luton’s international motor vehicle heritage and strong Pakistani community – we are going to transform a Bedford truck into the style of the famous decorated trucks in Pakistan. Working with young people in Luton from all our communities, we aim to showcase how Luton’s Bedford trucks ended up travelling Pakistan highways as these fantastic art creations.



Truck Art Project Aims.To engage with young people in their cultural heritage and in the heritage of Luton through a programme of activities, inspirational object engagement and exchange opportunities. To work with partners to broker a series of national and international loans of Pakistani materials linked to the truck art folk tradition. The further aim will be to promote community cohesion and tolerance in Luton and the East of England through sharing of the project its ideas, themes and experiences through seminars and mentoring in Luton’s community venues. This will be achieved through involving young people and communities in the development and delivery of the project.


Key elements of project;

1. Involvement of Young People through Truck Art Youth Group

2. Established partnerships in Pakistan to facilitate Truck Art Youth Group visit and Artist Exchange

3. Artist Exchange as part of Material Response programme.

4. Creation of highly decorated Bedford Truck with Pakistani & UK Artist and Youth Group and produce associated exhibition in Luton


Key Project partners;

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

In September last year the Director of Museums, Luton Karen Perkins and myself visited the potential partners in Pakistan to gather their support and help with developing the overall project and youth visit. We were met with enthusiasm, creativity and overwhelming support for a project which aims to build bridges and sustainable partnerships between Luton and Pakistan but also one which they all felt tackled the issues of community understanding and cohesion well.

Project R & D – NCA Lahore



Project R & D – Lahore Truck Yards


Luton Youth Group visit to Pakistan The Luton Truck Art Project Youth Group visited Pakistan from November 29th through to December 5th 2010, to see at first hand the highly decorated Bedford Trucks and the artisans and artists that decorate them and to experience the Arts, Culture Heritage and way of life of people in Pakistan. The group comprised of 6 young adults from Luton, aged between 18 and 25. For most of them it was their first ever visit to Pakistan and potentially a trip of a life time that would no doubt leave a lasting impression on them


DAY 1 Truck Yard, Lahore DAY 2 Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque & Cuckoos DAY 3 National College of Arts, Lahore DAY 4 Chiniot wood carvers, Global citizens &

rural communities. DAY 5 Lahore Museum and Shah Jamal Sufi Shrine DAY 6 Pakistani Handicrafts Centre and the

Wagha border flag ceremony. DAY 7 Karachi, Maripur Rd truck yards and Haider

Ali DAY 8 Home to London.


Artist Exchange – Material Response

We appointed Rory Coxhill as the UK, Material Response , artist for the project. Rory is a traditional gypsy vardoartist working in East Anglia and comes from a family tradition of travellers and caravan artists. He helps the project to make a clear connection between the Truck Art of Pakistan and the folk art traditions of Western Europe and the UK. Rory spent 2 months in Pakistan, as a Truck Art apprentice in mid November last year under the guidance of Master Truck Artist Haider Ali. Rory also developed links with contemporary artists in Lahore with the help of the NCA


Artist Exchange – Material Response

Haider Ali, Pakistan’s leading Truck Artist will complete the return part of the artist exchange when he visits Luton in March to help create our Truck. During this trip he will work with Rory and the Truck Art Youth Group as well as the wider community to share the traditions of the decorated truck art form and cement further the relationships developed between Luton and Pakistan. Haider Ali comes with an international reputation as a Truck painter having worked on successful international projects such at the Smithsonian Museum Silk road Folk festival in 2002

Stories of the World - Eastern ExchangesCreation of highly decorated Bedford Truck with Pakistani & UK Artist and Youth Group


https://cid-4e1767f77d5f0a51.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=play&resid=4E1767F77D5F0A51!383&parid=4E1767F77D5F0A51!382&type=1&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos&authkey=2U4kFNIKjS0$

https://cid-4e1767f77d5f0a51.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=play&resid=4E1767F77D5F0A51!383&parid=4E1767F77D5F0A51!382&type=1&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos&authkey=2U4kFNIKjS0$

Stories of the World - Eastern ExchangesTruck Art exhibitionThe Youth Group facilitated by Museums curatorial staff are producing the Truck Art exhibition launching on the 28th March 2011 We hope it will prove to be a huge success, as visitors get to see the artisans at work in the gallery finishing the Truck design prior to its inclusion in the Luton carnival 2011. We also hope to welcome all our partners to Luton for this event and use it as a stage from re-launch the regional Stories of the World programme, Eastern Exchanges with our partner museums in the East of England.


Fahim QureshiLuton Truck Art project

pakistani truck art presentation

Documents