Student Life at IVS

The Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) proudly unveils its Degree Show 2024, featuring innovative final projects by over 180 graduating students from its Fine Art, Architecture, Communication Design, Interior Design, Fashion Design, and Textile Design departments.

The exhibition, open to the public until Saturday, December 14th, offers a remarkable journey through creativity, innovation, and purpose. 

Among the highlights, Communication Design graduate Nabia Tariq presents her thesis, SafeHer, addressing the challenges women face when commuting in Karachi. The project proposes SafeStops —women-only waiting areas — and an empowering app that provides real-time updates, convenience, and emergency support, reimagining safer public transport experiences for women.

Another Communication Design graduate, Hiba Rehman, introduces Jugnoo, a design-driven initiative dedicated to improving the emotional and psychological well-being of children living with their incarcerated mothers in Central Jail, Karachi. Her project includes trauma-informed spaces equipped with educational resources and a community engagement website encouraging mentorship and donations.

Fine Art graduate Zoraiz Jafri’s project, Silent Symbols and Louder Narratives, investigates how symbols of power, such as branded pens and furniture in government offices, subtly exert authority. His work critiques these elements through their design, placement, and historical context, exploring their impact on identity and societal structures.

Architecture graduate Neha Mansoor draws inspiration from Shah Rasool Colony’s narrow, labyrinth-like streets with her project, Labyrinthine-scapes: Navigating Opportunities for Discovery and Play. Her design creates informal learning and play spaces, integrating art as a tool for empowerment, reflecting the colony’s urban fabric.

Textile Design graduate Mahnoor Mehmoud’s Silhouette in Wax reinterprets Indonesia’s Cap Batik, blending cultural essence with sustainability. Her immersive installation invites viewers to explore this traditional art form through a personal lens.

Fashion Design graduate Reyan Iqbal’s All That Glitters is Gold spotlights the exquisite emeralds of Swat Valley mines. His centerpiece, a breastplate crafted from recycled aluminum, reflects sustainability and innovation while fostering global recognition of local treasures.

Interior Design graduate Sana Waheed’s project, Aakhri Qist, juxtaposes spaces occupied by women in two iconic Pakistani TV dramas, Tanhaiyan (1985) and Humsafar (2011). Her work highlights changes in female characters and their representation across eras.

The Degree Show celebrates the power of art and design to address societal issues, foster creativity, and inspire change.

The second edition of the IVS Film Festival commenced on September 6th with a warm welcome address by Dr. Faiza Mushtaq, Dean and Executive Director, followed by opening remarks from Alfiya Halai, Head of the Dept. Of Communication Design at IVS. The festival consisted of a bootcamp, workshops from industry experts, panel discussions with media moguls and a grand awards ceremony.

Day 1

The highlight of the Day 1 was an engaging panel discussion titled Film as a Catalyst for Social Change, featuring distinguished speakers: Umair Nasir (Director, Nayab), Gul Zaib Shakeel (General Manager, SOC Films), Jamal Rahman (Director, Coke Studio), and advertising powerhouse Ali Rez (CCO, Impact BBDO). Moderated by visual artist and illustrator Samya Arif, the conversation explored how films have driven significant social change in Pakistan by sparking difficult yet necessary dialogues.

Ali Rez and Gul Zaib Shakeel shared impactful examples of projects they believe made lasting societal contributions, while Umair Nasir and Gul Zaib emphasized the importance of empathy when addressing real people and current events through film. Jamal Rahman encouraged emerging filmmakers to tell the stories they truly want to share, urging them to master the art of subtext to navigate censorship.

Day 2

Industry leaders came together to discuss the Future of Independent Filmmakers and OTT Platforms. Panelists Hasan Sandhila (Vice President – Digital Division, Jazz), Ateequr Rehman (CEO, GroupM), and Umair Masoom (Managing Director, myco) highlighted key challenges, such as securing funding and navigating the digital media landscape. The talk was moderated by advertising and marketing mogul, Ali Rizvi

Ateequr Rehman emphasized the importance of focusing on what works in the market, noting that family-driven stories and cultural content have the most potential. Hasan Sandhila added that today’s generation seeks relatable content, making originality more important than ever.

Umair Masoom addressed the struggle to secure capital but encouraged filmmakers to keep pushing forward despite market limitations.

Day 3

Day 3 of the IVS Film Festival consisted of a powerpacked panel discussion on Heroes and Villains: is there room for Nuanced Characters on Pakistani Film and TV. We were joined by panelists Sarwat Gilani (actor), Bee Gul (writer), Sabeena Farooq (actor) and Nadeem Baig (Director), and Fifi Haroon as the moderator.

Bee Gul explained that negative characters are a lot of fun to write because they are liberated and tend to be more interesting than heroes. Sarwat and Sabeena described which of their characters they believed were heroes. Nadeem Baig shared anecdotes from his TV show, Sinf-e- Ahan, that showed female characters in a new light. 

The evening concluded with an awards ceremony and a soulful musical ceremony curated by thesis student Azhar Zaidi and musicians from IVS and NAPA. 

The Department of Communication Design hosted an Interaction Design Symposium consisting of workshops, student design charrette and 8 workshops for UX/UI designers from all over the city. 

The Liberal Arts Programme hosted its first Undergraduate Research Conference. The department screened over 80 research papers submitted by young researchers from across Sindh out of which 14 were selected to present at the conference. 

After the success of last year’s inter-departmental workshop on Production Design, the Department of Interior Design is hosting a second round for the IVS student community. Like last year, this was a 3-week long evening workshop where students from Architecture, Interior Design, Fine Art, Communication Design, Textile Design and Fashion Design worked alongside to build a physical space around a narrative.

They have had to step out of their studios and invest time and energy developing a project that is not credited nor has a grade attached to it. Their sheer interest in this hands-on exercise and the desire to work in an interdisciplinary space is what is driving them. These students have drawn together, built together and dreamt together.

The workshop was led by Production Designer Aarij Hashimi and Assistant Director, Ariaana Khan. The workshop concludes on Friday, the 8th of March. Join us for the final review to be held from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors and moderated discussion panel from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Mir Khalil ur Rahman Studio (Sound Room). The panel will be moderated by Aarij Hashimi and will consist of Ayesha Omar, Deepak Perwani, Nabil Hasan, Saqib Malik and Tanya Mirza.

We’re hosting a talk titled “Imagining Forward” led by Ellen W. Kaplan, Professor Emerita of Theatre at Smith College. Ellen’s a US-based, Senior Fulbright Specialist, and a respected actor, playwright, and writer.

She brings decades of experience in exploring the intersections of performance, creativity, and how theatre can be an agent for healing. Collaborating with local artists and activists in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, she facilitated transformative theatrical experiences that confronted pressing social issues.

We invite all students, alumni, faculty and staff to attend the talk, especially those who love theatre. THE TALK IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

The Cult Club hosted a Q&A session with the cast of Taxali Gate and gained insight on making high-quality films with an ensemble cast on a tight budget.

The Foundation Programme hosted the first LB talk this Spring. The LB is a series of thoughtfully curated conversations in an informal setting. Eibne Sajjad and his two children Naiel and Sasha will be in conversation with each other. Through dialogue and knowledge-sharing, the speakers and listeners will have an opportunity to reflect on their own concepts, methods, and practical experiences in the context of sustainability.  

IVS hosted a Red Bull: Off the Roof concert featuring Bayaan, and Hassaan & Roshan. IVS was Red Bull’s first stop in Karachi as it tours campuses across the country. 

The concert was opened to the public and was attended by 1600 people.

A big thank you to Team Wakhri for taking the time out to come on campus and speaking to students and faculty about their film and the process of making it. 

We welcomed back all alumni and their guests for a special evening of dinner and qawwali! 

Degree Show 2023 was held from the 4-9th December. Over 160 students displayed their thesis projects and entertained thousands of visitors throughout the week. 

The Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) held its 30th convocation on Saturday and awarded degrees to over 160 students graduated in various disciplines.

The convocation marked a major milestone for the IVS as it celebrated the accomplishments of its 30th graduating batch, said a press release issued here.

This year’s graduating class consisted of 159 undergraduate students as well as three students from the very first batch of the MPhil in Art and Design programme.

Degrees were conferred upon 20 students from Architecture, 17 from Interior Design, 22 from Fine Art, 53 from Communication Design, 23 from Textile Design and 24 from Fashion Design.

To commemorate the occasion, IVS brought back its founding members, the first members of the Board and faculty, and graduates from its very first batch.

In her welcome address, IVS Executive Director and Dean Dr Faiza Mushtaq mentioned the recognition that IVS alumni had been receiving nationally and internationally.

Keynote speeches were delivered by Noorjehan Bilgrami, a renowned visual artist, designer and one of the founders of IVS; and singer Bilal Maqsood, one of IVS’s most celebrated alumni who graduated as part of the first batch of 1994.

Ms Bilgrami recalled the humble yet hopeful beginnings of IVS when a distinguished group of architects, artists and designers came together to found the city’s first institution dedicated to art and design education. She shared how fellow founding member, Shahid Abdulla, discovered the 100-year-old Nusserwanjee Building that was famously relocated to Clifton and rebuilt brick by brick.

Bilal Maqsood reminisced the day of his graduation 30 years ago. He remembered being overwhelmed by emotions of excitement and anxiety as he waited to be awarded his degree. He shared that despite coming from a family of artists he faced resistance when he decided to leave his education in commerce to join an art school — a story many IVS students will relate to.

Maqsood urged students to prepare for both success and failure while remaining true to themselves. He admitted that an artist’s constant reliance on external validation leads to emotional turmoil, but advised students to remain patient and wait for their creative calling.

The convocation was attended by well-wishers of the institution and families of the graduating class.

The Marium Abdulla Library held the Grand Finale of the Dramatic Reading Sessions.

The finale was packed with a lot of exciting performances including:

Book Fair
Dastangoi
Poetry
Dramatic Reading
Music
Theatre

Guest Performers:

Kiran Siddiqui is an acting graduate from NAPA (2017) who finds her purpose in telling the stories that matter, stories that help her and the audience move towards the possibility of exploring the complex human mind. Siddiqui has acted in numerous theatre productions at NAPA and the Arts Council and most recently performed as the lead in Khoya Hua Aadmi (NAPA) and an original play written and directed by Farhan Alam, titled Ek Yaad (Pakistan Theatre Festival).

Atif Badar is an extremely versatile and talented artist with a wide range of experience from stage, voice-overs, and mini screen to a film ‘Ramchand Pakistani’. He is an acting coach, storyteller, writer, and dubbing artist too. He’s been associated with IVS as an instructor for the Continuing Education Programme for many years and has performed on campus multiple times.

IVS Film Festival: Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Pakistani Filmmakers

The Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture to hold a film festival showcasing young talent

The Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) hosted a first-of-its-kind educational Film Festival in Pakistan. The objective of the IVS Film Festival (IVSFF) was to inspire, educate and empower the upcoming generation of potential filmmakers by immersing them in the process of moviemaking and exposing them to the inner workings of film production.

IVSFF sought to leverage the new-found momentum in the Pakistani film industry brought on by a new crop of filmmakers eager to explore novel themes and experiment with diverse styles of storytelling. Through the festival, IVS brought together existing members of the film community, film educators, and emerging and aspiring filmmakers to exhibit, share, and exchange ideas and methods of filmmaking.

IVSFF consisted of four main components: an idea-to-screen bootcamp (a 4-day course for A-levels/intermediate students), workshops, film screenings, and panel discussions.

Over 250 short films were submitted by young Pakistani filmmakers and 40 were selected for participation in the festival after a rigorous selection process. From social commentary to dark humor, these short films covered a wide range of genres and told stories that aren’t typically shown in the mainstream media. Film screenings were held for audiences on September 16 and September 17. An esteemed jury made up of filmmakers Mehreen Jabbar, Aisha Gazdar and Syed Hisham Hasan has judged the submissions in various categories. The top films were presented awards and cash prizes at the closing ceremony scheduled on the 17th of September.

The film workshops provided young artists and film enthusiasts a rare opportunity to learn From the best talent in the field. Led by film industry giants like Rana Kamran, Nabeel Qureshi and Naveed Arshad, these workshops are designed to engage participants with practical exercises and give insights into the technical side of filmmaking. There are workshops on Cinematography, Direction, Production Design, Sound Design, Production of Short Films, Color Grading and Post Production. They ran on the 16th and 17th of September.

Each day of the film festival concluded with a riveting panel discussion comprising of industry bigwigs, filmmakers and academicians. Panelists include Oscar and Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Haya Fatima Iqbal, Saim Sadiq (director of Joyland), Gul Zaib Shakeel (co-writer of Lal Kabootar), Iram Parveen Bilal (director of I’ll Meet You There), Fizza Ali Meerza (producer of Na Maloom Afraad), Badar Ikram (producer, HUM Films), Nina Kashif (writer and producer on Tapmad), and Satish Anand (Chairman, Eveready Group of Companies). Arbab Hussain (filmmaker and academic), Khaula Jamil (documentary photojournalist and filmmaker) and Fifi Haroon (producer and journalist) are moderating the panels.

KOEL Gallery held an exhibition by the first graduates of M.Phil. in Art & Design, IVS, on August 22, 5:00 – 8:00 pm.

And an Artist Talk ‘SADIA SALIM in conversation with Adeela Shah, Babar Sheikh & Quratulain Qamar Choudry’, on Friday, August 25, at 5:00 pm.

Adeela Shah is a visual practitioner and an academician. She is currently teaching at IVS. Her practice-led research examines the complexities of identity-making, which are politicized by nation building and enforced societal narratives that erase many relevant geometries of interconnected relations. 
Babar Sheikh works as a multimedia performance artist, musician, and an educator. He recently won the Glass Lion Award for Change at Cannes for one of his film projects. His work delves into the concepts of devotion, tradition, and faith, within the physical and spiritual framework of Karachi’s dargahs, khanqahs, and astanas. 
Quratulain Qamar Choudry is a multidisciplinary visual artist, photographer, and educator. She was honoured as a Fulbright Global Fellow in 2010. She investigated the idea of Gendered Time, with a particular focus on women’s leisure moments, accountability for lost and wasted time, and feeling of guilt for being unproductive.”

Artist Talk moderator:

Sadia Salim is a visual artist, designer, and educator. She was the founding director of the Graduate Programme, an interdisciplinary study in critical and creative practice, at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.

The Marium Abdulla Library held Part 1 of its Dramatic Reading Series featuring Zarqa Naz as the Guest Reader. 

IVS hosted Open Day 2023 for prospective students and their friends and families. 

The event was about creating games from anything (literally anything)! It can be a card game or it can be a board game, it can even be a cleaning game. There were no rules whatsoever, except for one: No programming and no arts were involved. Participants used their imagination and objects required to make a game, develop a set of rules/gameplay and make sure it is fun to play.

The opening night of: Kaghazi Kashtiyan (paper boats): The Pakistani Bengali Story, on Thursday 18th May from 5pm at IVS, with a special performance at 6.45pm from the Khel Gymnastics National Champions. =

The show opened a window to the experiences of the Pakistani Bengali community living in Karachi. It is part of the Partition of Identity project, a cross university collaboration between University College London, UK and LUMS.

IVS was  a Project Partner in the study.

Session 2 of the Building Foundations series by the Foundation Programme took place on 11 May 2023 at 4PM at Mir Khalil ur Rahman Studio.

The alumni returned to the campus that they once knew as their second home. They rekindled old friendships and reconnected with the mentors who set them on their creative paths at a time when pursuing the arts was still considered risky.

Special guests for the evening included Shahid Abdulla, Nighat Mir and Shahab Ghani. The event was attended by IVS alumni who are prominent architects like Noman Faruqi, Anwer Ali Quettawala, Ramiz Baig, and Ahmed Mian. Founder and CEO of Khaadi, Shamoon Sultan and Creative Head Saira Shamoon were also present alongside scores of Khaadi employees — all graduates from IVS. Actors Sarwat Gilani and Zehra Nawab, filmmakers Umer Adil and Babar Sheikh, Sadia Qutubuddin and Zehra Zaidi from the advertising world, and CEO of the IBL Group that includes Habitt, Munis Abdullah, were among those present. As Sarwat Gilani enthused, “It was absolutely amazing to meet everyone, see them doing so well and vibing as one community. This night was epic and we will remember it forever. Thank you Indus Valley School for giving us these wonderful memories so we can cherish the best days of our lives together”. 

Bilal Maqsood, a graduate of IVS”s first class (1994) performed his melodious hits for the crowd. 

Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture alumni and celebrated fashion designers Sania Maskatiya, Nida Azwer, and Khaadi’s Saira & Shamoon Sultan come together for a powerful fusion of fashion, light, and sound — inspired by the elemental forces of Earth, Water, and Fire, set to the rhythms of Qawwali. Hosted by renowned actor and IVS alumna Sarwat Gilani, this evening is a celebration of IVS’s creative legacy.

Venue: Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture

Date and time: Sunday, 1st February, 2026

All tickets for the evening support the future of creative education in Karachi.