Art Nagar 2026 Celebrates Youth Talent Through Theatre and Performing Arts

The second edition of Art Nagar 2026, the All Pakistan Performing Arts Festival and Inter-University Performing Arts Competition, brought together student performers from universities across Pakistan on 23 and 24 October at the Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Auditorium in H-8, Islamabad. Organized by Team Revenant under the leadership of Saad Kayani, the festival featured theatre, mime, monologues, stand-up comedy, dance, makeup, and scriptwriting competitions.

The two-day event concluded with awards recognizing performances, direction, technical production, and individual contributions across different performing arts categories. The festival's competitions were evaluated by a panel of judges comprising Sibte Hassan (Makhotay Theatre), Qasim Rajput, Noor ul Sabah, Raisa Raisani, Salman Tahir and Abdullah Baloch, who assessed the participants across various performing arts categories.

Islamabad Model Postgraduate College H-8 Lead Theatre Category

The Islamabad Model Postgraduate College(IMPC), H8/2, secured the Best Play award, while the University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, received the Best Play Runner-Up award and Best Delegation Award.

Several individual performances from IMPC also received recognition. Aqsa Nousheen won Best Actor Female for her portrayal of Anarkali, while Abrar Bazmi received Best Supporting Male for his performance as Maan Singh. Shahzeb Asad was recognised as Best Comic Male for playing Shehzada Saleem. 

The college also received awards for Best Script, awarded to Saad Sultan Goraya, and Best Costume.

Other theatre awards recognised performers and production teams from participating universities:

• Best Actor Male: Hashim, UMT Lahore

• Best Concept: Robo Khan (Play), Quaid-i-Azam University

• Best Supporting Female: Air University Thespian Society (Dadi)

• Best Negative Male: Usman, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi

• Best Negative Female: Air University Islamabad

• Best Comic Female: FAST-NUCES Lahore

• Best Director: UMT Lahore

• Best Production: Team Banjary, University of Wah

• Best Technicals: UMT Lahore

• Best Stage Design: University of Wah

• Best Light Design: Government College University Faisalabad

Winners Across Other Performing Arts Categories

Beyond theatre, Art Nagar 2026 recognised participants in several individual and group performance categories.

In the Mime competition, UMT Lahore secured the winning position.

The Monologue category featured two participants from UMT Lahore, with Ahmed winning first place and Adnan receiving the runner-up award.

In Stand-Up Comedy, Rafay, representing a private delegate, secured first place, while Ahsan from UMT Lahore finished as runner-up.

The Makeup competition recognised Idala Shoaib from UMT as the winner, followed by Ayesha from FAST-NUCES Lahore in second place.

Recognition for Scriptwriting and Online Competitions

The festival also provided opportunities for participants to showcase their writing and performance skills through on-site and online competitions.

In Scriptwriting (On-Site), Arsala Shoaib from UMT secured first place, while Jawad from UMT received the runner-up award.

The Online Scriptwriting competition was won by Faiq from FAST-NUCES Lahore, with Nouman from Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) securing second place.

Similarly, the Online Monologue category recognised Syeda Ruman from the University of Lahore (UOL) as the winner and Awais from BZU as the runner-up.

In the Dance category, Arman from Quaid-i-Azam University won first place, while Idala Shoaib from UMT secured the runner-up position.

Celebrating Student Talent and Performing Arts

Art Nagar 2026 brought together university societies, independent participants, and emerging performers through a platform dedicated to creative expression. Its competitions highlighted different aspects of performing arts, from acting and stage production to scriptwriting, comedy, and dance.

Organised by Team Revenant, the festival continued its efforts to promote theatre and performing arts among young people. By recognising both individual talent and collaborative production, the second edition provided participating students with an opportunity to present their work and gain recognition beyond their respective institutions.

Special Recognition

Nationally-acclaimed and multi-award winning theatre Director, Muhammad Ali Farooqi, Founder The Curtain Raiser Productions  along with Dr. Imran Khan, Chairman IMPC Dramatics Club H-8 were given ‘Guest of Honor’ shields for the recognition of their contributions for the performing arts in Pakistan.