The Rafi Peer Theater Workshop has launched appeals to federal and provincial governments to raise money for the World Performing Arts festival scheduled for November. The Rafi Peer Theater Workshop has been holding the festival for the last 20 years featuring international as well local artistes and troupes. Theatre's creative director Faizan Pirzada told a press conference here Thursday the worldwide financial crunch had made it difficult for them to hold the festival as no multinational company was ready to sponsor the event. He said though it was not the reasonability of multinationals to sponsor the festival every year, such sponsorships helped the group manage the international event. He said the government must help them out keeping in view their services for the country by holding international art festivals for the last 20 years and introducing Pakistan on the world cultural map. Pirzada said he had written letters to the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister for financial aid but got no response. Now, he has pinned his hope on Governor Salmaan Taseer, whom he will meet on Oct 8. Pirzada said that he would hold another press conference on Oct 14 to update the media about his funds appeal. According to him, festivals have featured 83 countries and 168,000 artists from all over the world. Pirzada said political and security issues had effected international participation in the festival. Last year, blasts rocked the festival sending shudders down the international community spine. He said he would not reveal the number of foreign artistes attending the festival this year because of security reason, adding that this year, international participation in the festival would be lower than last years. __
