ollaboration and curiosity has been a cornerstone of our cultural heritage. Much of the work we marvel at, such as miniatures from Mughal courts or the embellishments on historic sites (frescoes, mirror work), was created in communal environments, where technical and aesthetic expertise was handed down via ustad-shagird relationships. A vibrant conversation with the rest of the world facilitated by travellers and emissaries allowed a fertile exchange of ideas — all this, long before training in the arts was institutionalised in the modern sense.

It was with this collaborative and inquisitive spirit in mind that Crafting Histories took place early this month, culminating in a display at the Zahoor-ul-Ikhlaq Gallery at the National College of Arts, Lahore.

Crafting Histories was a collaboration between Lahori and Glaswegian institutions, including the National College of Arts, the Walled City of Lahore Authority and the Glasgow Life Museums, all organised by Our Shared Cultural Heritage, a youth-led programme organised by the British Council that explores points of shared cultural histories and artistic practices of South Asia and the United Kingdom. This creates a conduit for new conversations around heritage sites and museums, especially with regards to young people’s interaction with them.

To this end, a team of experts from both cities led a group of young, enthusiastic participants in a series of workshops to explore their linked heritages and forge fresh connections. Tuning into each other remotely, the seven participants from Lahore and five from Glasgow delved into traditional art practices of fresco work, mirror work (ainakaari) and storytelling. A prime directive was to explore these traditional craft practices in the context of collections and sites at the three partnering institutions. The final showcase at the NCA was the result of a summer of fruitful creative exploration in which the participants not only learnt craft from master craftspeople, but also engaged in conversations with museum professionals, art historians, artists and storytellers across Lahore and Glasgow. However, it appears that the true collaboration was happening amongst the participants.

Unlike many other group art shows, Crafting Histories presented work that was not created in isolation, rather in close proximity. Visiting the show on the opening day, one noticed that the items on display flowed cohesively from one installation to the other, reminiscent of the era where a final product, such as an illustrated manuscript, was the result of a community of artists working together.

The participants were invited to respond to the summer’s conversations in a medium of their choice, lending diversity to the show that is often not experienced elsewhere, especially because not all participants were from a fine arts background. The resulting exhibition was a mix of traditional arts, photography and film.

s one entered the gallery a conversation began, one that you followed from wall to wall and room to room, until you came back to where you had started. The first question I asked of art historian Maliha Noorani, the curator of the show and one of the leading forces behind these workshops, was about the placement of the artworks.

The final showcase at the NCA was the result of a summer of fruitful creative exploration in which the participants not only learnt craft from master craftspeople, but also engaged in conversations with museum professionals, art historians, artists and storytellers across Lahore and Glasgow.

Noorani explained how these seemingly blurred lines were a result of a mindful effort to depict shared ownership of the work.

Crafting Histories showcased work that was created in conversation with one another. The way it was presented emphasised the journey that the participants had undertaken, as well as the shared cultural vocabulary they had developed.

An overarching theme I noticed was the emphasis on storytelling. It was in fact a crucial part of the programme. Through a series of in-person and online workshops, the participants had immersed themselves into oral traditions of Urdu, Punjabi, Persian and Gaelic storytelling. Each resulting work was not only a meditation on textures, materials and craft, but also on the stories that could be told with those or were hidden inside those.

Muhammad Sohail, for instance, intelligently used mirror work to portray the dire water crisis in his hometown, Khushab. Nisha Ghani and Aula Khan’s photographs of frescoes at the Lahore Fort (a site of the workshops), brought to life the evolution of the Fort through the centuries. The motifs, or the graffiti they chose to focus on, told a very different story of the Fort than we are used to, one that testifies to the spirit of the place, the conservation efforts and the continual use of the space.

This was echoed in Vania Mazhar’s short film that walked us through the frescoes and mirror work at sites like the famous Sheesh Mahal at the Fort, superimposed with documentation of conservation work being executed by craftspeople. Her film, therefore, became a story where history intertwined with modernity.

ideo was a popular medium of expression at the show. One of my favourites was Rameen Rizvi’s tale of the Raja House. Playful, colourful animations overlaid on a video of an old residential space, along with a voiceover, told a story of spaces inhabited by curious female residents.

Dua Zahra’s animated short film, on the other hand, presented the life of an individual navigating the landscape of a changing Lahore. Both these films touched upon fundamental human emotions: nostalgia, bereavement (of places and people) and the desire to leave a mark in the annals of time.

I also found Ajea Zahid’s display highlighting the synthesis of Glaswegian and South Asian floral motifs, seen at the Lahore Fort and the Burrell Collection’s Wagner Carpet, highly instructive.

A similar showcase was held in Glasgow, where participants, mostly of South Asian descent, learnt about their cultural origins and presented work. All this has been archived on OSCH’s social media accounts.

Ultimately, what Crafting Histories achieved was the making of a strong case for the preservation of traditions associated with craft, to foster more conversations with master craftspeople and the richness of expression that results from creating multidisciplinary creative communities.

The writer is a co-founder of The Peepul Press, managing editor at The Aleph Review, and a photographer based in Lahore. His work can be seen at @hassantl on Instagram