Editor report
LAHORE: The Little Art has launched the 18th edition of ArtBeat – National Child Art Competition & Exhibitions, Pakistan’s largest and most recognized platform dedicated to showcasing the creative voices of children and young people.Since its inception in 2012, ArtBeat has grown into a nationwide movement, engaging over 104,225 students from 3,155 schools across 60 cities, and empowering young voices through creativity and expression.This year, ArtBeat 18 invites students aged 4 to 18 to submit original artworks inspired by three imaginative themes: Images of Nature (celebrating the beauty and diversity of the natural world), Spring in Pakistan (capturing the vibrancy, colours, and joy of the season), and Beyond the Stars (exploring outer space, planets, and worlds born of imagination). A distinguished jury comprising leading artists, educators, and cultural experts will evaluate the submissions, ensuring merit-based recognition and professional encouragement for participating students.Winning artworks will be showcased in high-profile exhibitions at the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, and the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA), Islamabad, offering national visibility to young artists’ creative voices.Over the past 13 years, ArtBeat has become a launchpad for aspiring young artists. With 31 exhibitions held in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, the competition has spotlighted thousands of artworks, distributed millions of rupees in prizes and scholarships, and inspired many past winners to pursue careers in the arts.ArtBeat has become a movement for children’s art in Pakistan, said Awais Shafiq, Senior Program Manager at The Little Art. What began as a small initiative in 2012 is now the country’s largest platform that listens to children’s voices through their art. Each edition reminds us of their limitless creativity and the need to keep nurturing it.
