Lancashire to Lahore: Exchanges to develop cultural understanding

Partner Institutes
University of Central Lancashire and School of Visual Arts	Beaconhouse National University

Project brief:

Visual arts embed in itself the cultural heritage of Pakistan, whether it is in the form of photography, calligraphy, landscape painting, printmaking or even filmmaking. The arts community in Pakistan has a vibrant and diverse repertoire of work that represent the real face of the country.

The Beaconhouse National University has initiated a strategic partnership with the University of Central Lancashire to develop a communications link that will document the contemporary culture of Pakistan. This INSPIRE partnership will provide a platform for local communities in the two countries to engage and explore the personal perceptions of the institutions within UK and Pakistan. This will lead to a dialogue between the communities and a fuller understanding of cultural differences.

The program involves a small-scale postcard exchange which was successfully piloted in 2010. Through visual communication; powerful political, personal and creative viewpoints were also exchanged. There are also opportunities to chat informally in designated forums about global issues and discuss and develop future symposia topics and plan group exhibitions together. A highly interactive website is due to be launched soon where discussions would be carried out and an online facility with live video conferencing would be available, both by recording and presenting information onscreen.

Staff exchanges between the two institutes are one of the key aims of the venture and the delivery of training will enable the development of new skills to support this project and instil this participatory learning into the curriculum. The learning and training set in place will provide a cornerstone in the policymaking of the institute. 

The main aim of the linkage is to grow and develop the idea of ‘international exchange through art’ into the curriculum, maximise knowledge, skill and social interaction. Also, a significant outcome of the partnership is to have accredited modules and extracurricular activities for the students of Beaconhouse National University.

Lessons learnt: 

The project has been a great learning experience for both institutions. The first visit (BNU to UCLan) occurred in December 2011 and the trip was extremely well organised by Mr. William Titley and his team. The BNU team were given a tour of the facilities the university has, which gave them ideas for developing similar facilities at BNU. The BNU team not only attended workshops but also gave talks to UK students on art practices in Pakistan. Views on art, culture and social perspectives have been exchanged through this initiative. 

Challenges faced:

It has been smooth so far.

The impacts/benefits of the project:

The impact will be far-reaching in terms of the knowledge exchange that has and is going to take place.

Key contacts:

William Titley, University of Central Lancashire

WDTitley@uclan.ac.uk, www.uclan.ac.uk/

Salima Hashmi, Beaconhouse National University

hashmisalima@hotmail.com, www.bnu.edu.pk/