QUETTA: The Balochistan Culture Department has established an “Artist Cafe” in the provincial capital to provide a creative and intellectual hub for artists, poets, musicians, writers, and painters. The café aims to inject new life into Quetta’s cultural landscape as a center of dialogue and expression.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Deputy Director of the Culture Department, Daud Shah, said the café would offer a respectful and creative environment for artists and intellectuals. “Here, they can sit together in the evenings over tea or coffee and exchange their ideas and creations,” he noted.
He explained that the café’s management lies in the hands of artists themselves and will operate under a membership system to ensure discipline. “Our goal is to provide affordable and quality facilities, create a platform for artists, and revive Quetta’s cultural vibrancy,” Shah added. He further announced that the same model would soon be introduced in cultural complexes across all divisions of Balochistan.
Senior artist Dr. Qayyum Baidar recalled that Quetta’s hotels and cafés once thrived as gathering places for artists, politicians, and writers. “That tradition disappeared, but the Artist Café has brought back a new light,” he said. He highlighted that the café already houses a library, ongoing theatre rehearsals, and classes in music and calligraphy. “This initiative is both a recognition and a fresh source of encouragement for artists,” Baidar remarked.
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Actor Usman Naz welcomed the project, saying the café would bring artists under one roof. “Instead of searching for each other, we now have a platform to connect and carry forward the process of collaboration and creativity,” he said.
Artists believe the café will serve not only as a recreational and social space but also as a vital platform to channel creative energies and give new life to Balochistan’s cultural heritage.
