Address issues affecting Karachi society using technology. Developers, Designers and Ideas welcome!

HackManchester is delighted to announce Karachi’s civic hackathon: Hack Karachi 2016! Hack Karachi’s goal is to get Karachiites together to think creatively to address issues in Karachi’s society using the power of design and technology.

The event will be focused around researching, collaborating in a team to determine solutions for various problems, rather than prototyping products. Alongside your team, a product mentor will be available to help develop your ideas into solutions. At the end of the day, you’ll pitch your idea to a panel of judges and receive feedback, especially on what ideas to carry forward or improve upon.

Lunch and tea breaks are included throughout the day.

Book your free place via Eventbrite: bit.ly/24p9gPk 

This event is organised by the British Council, HackManchester, Manchester Digital Laboratory (MadLab), T2F, and Code for Pakistan.

This event will join CodeAcross, a weekend of civic hacking events around the world that coincide with International Open Data Day (http://opendataday.org/).

» Agenda/Timeline
• 11:00 – Doors open and registration
• 11:30 – Introduction presentations, agenda for the day, and explanation of the goals/judging criteria
• 12:00 – Ideas put up on the wall
• 12:15 – Lunch
Over lunch, please pin your name to an idea. This is an opportunity to ask people for more information on their ideas
• 13:00 – Forming teams
• 15:00 – Mentors arrive and 30 mins are given with each team.
• 16:00 – Tea break
• 17:30 – Pitches to the judges and feedback given
• 19:00 – Close

» About the British Council Pakistan

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide.
We work in more than 100 countries and our 8,000 staff – including 2,000 teachers – work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year by teaching English, sharing the arts and delivering education and society programmes. We have been working in Pakistan since 1948 through our Arts, English, and Education and Society programmes from our offices in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.pk. You can also keep in touch with the British Council in Pakistan through http://twitter.com/pkbritish and www.facebook.com/britishcouncil.pakistan

» About Manchester Digital Laboratory

Manchester Digital Laboratory (MadLab) is a grassroots innovation organisation, based in Manchester UK. Our primary areas of focus are science and technology; arts and culture.

We support a diverse range of communities and activities – from monthly meetups and courses through to public experimentation with new & emerging technologies, and collaborating with others to deliver new, interesting and exciting projects. One of which is the Arts+Tech practice accelerator, inviting artists working with digital making technologies to develop their ideas with backing of £10,000, free deskspace and support from world-class mentors.

For more information, visit the MadLab website: http://madlab.org.uk/

» About HackManchester

HackManchester is a Community Interest Company, running a series of coding competition in the heart of Manchester. Founded in 2011, we have grown from an annual over 18’s event, to run an annual under 18’s event with Hive Manchester, Half Term Youth Hacks, Code Retreats and a Game Jam.

Teams of up to 4 talented developers, designers and those with great ideas turn up, pick a challenge and have just 24 hours to produce something to wow our judges. We aim to showcase the North as somewhere with a diverse and exciting technology scene, and with students attending from nearby Universities we can also introduce North West businesses to our future talent. We have a video explaining here http://vimeo.com/35322798.

We’re proud to hold our main events as part of the Manchester Science Festival which is an annual event held during October half term.http://hackmanchester.com/

» About Code for Pakistan

Code for Pakistan is a technology-focused non-profit building a non-partisan civic innovation ecosystem to improve quality of life across Pakistan. Through the creation of open source technology to address civic needs, we aim to transform civic life by increasing civic engagement, encouraging the opening of government data, and supporting innovation in the public domain.

Code for Pakistan was founded by Sheba Najmi in 2013. Since then, Code for Pakistan has run 4 Civic Hackathons and an Apps Challenge, including Pakistan’s first Civic Hackathon at T2F in Karachi, in April 2013. Code for Pakistan runs the KP Civic Innovation Fellowship Program in Peshawar along with the KP Govt and The World Bank, and its Islamabad Civic Innovation Lab runs a number of civic hacking initiatives. 

For more information, visit the Code for Pakistan website: http://codeforpakistan.org/, and on Facebook: http://facebook.com/CodeforPKand Twitter: http://twitter.com/CodeforPakistan.

When: Saturday, 5th March 2016
Where: The Second Floor (T2F)
Time: 11am – 7PM

Coderetreat is a day-long, intensive practice event, focusing on the fundamentals of software development and design. By providing developers the opportunity to take part in focused practice, away from the pressures of ‘getting things done’, the Coderetreat format has proven itself to be a highly effective means of skill improvement. Practicing the basic principles of modular and object-oriented design, developers can improve their ability to write code that minimises the cost of change over time.

1. Start with a simple programming problem: Conway’s Game of Life
2. Work with different partners to discuss and solve the problem
3. We’ll add restrictions to force you to consider different approaches
4. After each round, throw out your code and repeat!

Book your free place via EventBrite: bit.ly/1RkKkRW 

We’re looking for experienced developers that are looking to improve their skills. This event is delivered by freelance software developer and tech events organiser Gemma Cameron, who has over 10 years programming experience. She also runs TechNW in the Manchester area.

This event is organised by the British Council, Manchester Digital Laboratory (MadLab) and T2F.

» About Manchester Digital Laboratory:

Manchester Digital Laboratory (MadLab) is a grassroots innovation organisation, based in Manchester UK. Our primary areas of focus are science and technology; arts and culture.

We support a diverse range of communities and activities – from monthly meetups and courses through to public experimentation with new & emerging technologies, and collaborating with others to deliver new, interesting and exciting projects. One of which is the Arts+Tech practice accelerator, inviting artists working with digital making technologies to develop their ideas with backing of £10,000, free deskspace and support from world-class mentors.

For more information, visit the MadLab website: http://madlab.org.uk/

» About the British Council Pakistan

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide.
We work in more than 100 countries and our 8,000 staff – including 2,000 teachers – work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year by teaching English, sharing the arts and delivering education and society programmes. We have been working in Pakistan since 1948 through our Arts, English, and Education and Society programmes from our offices in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.pk. You can also keep in touch with the British Council in Pakistan through http://twitter.com/pkbritish and www.facebook.com/britishcouncil.pakistan

When: Thursday, 3rd March 2016
Where: The Second Floor (T2F)
Time: 10am – 4:00PM

Join us at T2F for the book launch of ‘Jo Dil Niklae To Dum Niklae’ by Dr. Shershah Syed.

‘Jo Dil Niklae To Dum Niklae’ is Dr. Syed’s latest collection of stories, centred around the common people of Pakistan, violation of human rights, violence against women and religious intolerance among other topics. 

Dr. Shershah Syed is an obstetrician and gynecologist by profession and also writes short stories. This is his tenth collection of stories published last week in Karachi. 

He was the president of the Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists of Pakistan from 2007–2010, and is the current president of the Pakistan National Forum on Women’s Health (PNFWH).

Mr. Kurun Singh will be with us at the launch and will talk briefly about the short stories in this book.

When: Sunday, 21st February 2016
Where: The Second Floor (T2F)
Time: 7:00PM
Entry: Free! (Donations are appreciated)

Join us at T2F for a playdate party with Horsie Kimell, a small business dedicated to creating hand-crafted wooden toys to encourage imagination and creativity in children. 

About:
The name Horsie Kimell was coined by a two year old. Our first client (and let’s be honest here – our boss too)! It is what she called a horse (Horsie) and a camel (Kimell) on a Sunday morning trip to Hawks Bay beach. And it stuck! 

Luckily, she works for hugs, kisses and the occasional chocolaty treat, so we, even as a tiny start-up, could afford the services of this creative genius.

Horsie Kimell is a small business dedicated to creating classic high-quality hand-crafted wooden toys for kids from 1 to 101. Horsie was started by a group of friends who love cutting-edge design and because we wanted to sell something creative and something children can play with and treasure, without parents worrying, and conventional wooden toys offered us a way to do just that. 

Our wooden toys are handcrafted, one at a time, by skilled craftspeople, who we train and work closely with, in our workshop. We use child-safe wood finishes and quality hardwoods. The toys are made in a simple, safe, durable, and classical design to encourage imagination and creativity in children. 

These designs play with the boundaries between the imagination and creativity, making learning fun and helpful for children allowing them to explore all that they can become. Whether you’re looking for domestic manufacturing, fair trade production, eco-friendly enterprise, handcrafted products, or simply fun, beautiful playthings, we’ve got you covered.

When: Sunday, 21st February 2016
Where: The Second Floor (T2F)
Time: 4:00 – 6:00PM

The only School Improv Troupe in town, trained by Shehzad Ghias Shaikh, is all set for its first public show. Join us for a night of fun, laughter and improvisation as the funniest amateur Improv troupe in town sends you into fits with their wits. 

LyProv, The Lyceum’s Improv troupe, will perform short form Improvisational comedy for 90 minutes. LyProv will be dividing into two teams and the teams will go up against each other in a friendly Improv-off. Come show your school spirit and spur on your favourite Improv team. Everybody’s welcome! 

About:
Shehzad Ghias Shaikh is one of Pakistan’s foremost stand up comedians who is currently touring the country with his hilarious stand up show. His latest project promises to be as good as his previous work.

When: Sunday, 21st February 2016
Where: The Second Floor (T2F)
Time: 7 – 8:30PM
Entry: Rs.350

We are aware that there is a dearth of entertainment options in the city. But instead of complaining about it, we, a group of comedians from Karachi, have decided to get our Jibran Nasir on and #fixit! 

Friday, the 29th of January, 2016, marks the launch of our monthly comedy platform where we shall unite at T2F to set up COMEDY SCENE, an opportunity for all aspiring comedians to PERFORM. Yes, perform.

Since we want to create a culture for comedy in the city, the platform is open to all for viewing and for taking the stage! The rib-tickling, tummy splitting line-up for the show on the 29th of January at T2F is:

• Umar Ahmed: An actor, a writer, a singer, a screenwriter and a guitarist are all things he would probably be if he had any talent.

• Nida Syed: Artist, writer, gallery manager and an obsessive cyber stalker. If you are reading this, chances are she’s already stalked you too.

• Muhammad Altamash is a compulsive procrastinator, he has promised to write the rest of this bio later. 

• Hassnain Shah: well known for spending long hours trying to forget rather than learn a new language (Urdu). Hassnain can often be spotted in Saddar happily buying products at Zainab market for three times their original price.

• Fahad Zaki: He learnt English from Sesame Street and still makes people turn heads with his muppet voice.

• Syed Osama: Bio shuru hotay hi khatam, much like his height!

• Kashif Shehzad: He makes Blueprints by profession. For the rest, ask Baban Mian. Baban Mian knows best.

• Faraz Ahmed: Advertiser by day, standup comedian by night, Faraz delivers a unique brand of humor – The Crazy Gentleman.

• Faheem Azam is an actor, a writer, coach, counselor and a face reader. The potpourri adds fun and humor to his life and according to him, occasionally makes himself a joke.

So come and laugh away your troubles at our modestly priced night of standup comedy which will feature 9 exciting comedians from Karachi. 

All proceeds from the show will be donated to T2F.

Please note that there will be no foul language in the show and content will be appropriate for anyone aged 12 and over.

Those who would like to showcase their comedy talents at future shows, should send a message to standupcomedy2016@gmail.com

When: Friday, 29th January 2016
Where: The Second Floor (T2F)
Time: 8 – 10PM
Entry: Rs.200 (All proceeds from the event will be donated to T2F)

The fifth and final show of Is Saye Kay Parcham Talay (ISKPT), which started in Lahore in November 2015, is titled Talay, which loosely translates as beneath. The word is loaded with connotations referencing being beneath society’s judging gaze to being lower in the great social and economic ladder. It is a word used much to signify class, place and identity.

Here, two artists: Ali Imani and Saadat Munir use varying media to illustrate themes of connectivity, understanding and dialogue, the founding elements of this three month long project.

Ali Imani uses elements of architecture and interior design to highlight how both can be used as tools of exclusivity and inclusivity. For Talay, Ali Imani will re-interpret one of societies most used pieces of furniture: the settee, turning it into a device that encourages both connectivity and conversation.

Saadat Munir, who currently resides in Denmark, explores the lives of the marginalized and misunderstood through the lens of a camera. We will be screening his documentary, Chupan Chupai: Hide and Seek, which investigates the lives of those in the Pakistani queer community, in particular Pakistani transgenders, who despite their long historical presence within South Asia still face a great deal of prejudice. 

The screening will be followed by a question and answer session by Kami Chaudhry, trans-activist and social worker for Naz Male Health Alliance. Naz is an organization that promotes free STD and HIV screenings for transgenders and MSMs throughout Pakistan.

About:
Is Saye Kay Parcham Talay, The Shadow Over Our Flag, is the first project of its kind in Pakistan. A travelling art show that seeks to build bridges between artists and their wider community, and invites people into difficult but necessary conversations. As well as tackling issues of marginalization and minority politics in Pakistan, Is Saye Kay Parcham Talay looks at ethnic, religious and gendered communities in the country and within art institutions themselves.

Having started in Lahore with our first show in November, Is Saye Kay Parcham Talay has already begun creating spaces of cohesion. The works to be displayed include those composed by death row inmates and nearly 25 children photographers from Karachi’s Neelum and Shah Rasool Colonies. They will sit alongside the works of artists from a wide array of backgrounds whose collective work observes a fractured nation.

The project has now reached where it will feature works of additional local artists and will spread out over four different venues across Karachi through the month of January. These spaces include the Jamshed Memorial Hall, The Second Floor, Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture and 71 Clifton. In choosing not to exhibit at commercial galleries, we investigate the effects that physical spaces have to marginalize people. The premise of Is Saye Kay Parcham Talay is to understand difference and diversity, to absorb the cultural contexts of Lahore and then Karachi. In this way, we hope to be part of a growing movement that broadens the boundaries of what we as a society have labeled as art. 

Official Hashtags:
#issayekayparchamtalay, #ISKPT and #thecityasgallery

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/sayaparchamkarachi/?fref=ts

When: Sunday, 24th January 2016
Where: The Second Floor (T2F)
Time: 5 – 8PM
Entry: Free!