Lovely place

Summary at bottom.When I asked local friends for a recommendation for an art institute in Islamabad, Hunerkada came up twice. It happens to be one of maybe 2 art institutes here in the country’s capital.I was visiting Pakistan from the States and was very excited to learn art and to have a great experience learning drafting skills and mastering perspective.My expectations fell short repeatedly. I continued to attend because it was time in which I could practice art, but despite the class technically having an instructor and an assistant, neither spent much time instructing during the classes 3 hour duration. Most of the class the lead instructor was absent. Much of the class, the assistant was gone, too. When they were present they would be bored and looking for something to distract themselves with. Each would leave the class repeated to chill with other members of the staff or volunteers.Meanwhile, the students were left with some random object like a bottle propped on a cube and told to use a medium: pencil, pen, pastel, etc. Once I asked the teacher what we would be drawing tomorrow and he said he didn’t know.One of the students made it to week 4 without understanding how to draw a box in 2 point perspective. She had been instructed to draw the corner of the room and had her two vanishing points placed vertically on the page. Neither instructor was present for the next half hour and it was an hour and a half into the class.Never once did I see a completed version of the assignment done by the hand of teacher. I was never given a syllabus for the class. The other students would get bored and frustrated with their piece and sometimes waste the class on their phones or with any available distraction.Nevertheless, I wouldn’t be writing this review if not for what became my worst experience with any institution in Pakistan in my life. Abruptly, my instructor Akhtar Iqbal started to belittle me in my second week in attendance. He was addressing me in Urdu as I started my sketch and when I told him that I don’t speak Urdu (which he knew) he said, “Learn it.”Another day, I arrived with my drawing board and supplies and without greeting me he asked, “did you bring the pens?” I said that I hadn’t. He said, “Leave.” I sat confused for a moment. He said, “get up and go.” He didn’t bother to inquire about my visit to 5 different stationary shops which either didn’t carry the pens or were out of stock. I took out a ballpoint pen, continued drawing and shrugged it off.Other unusually rude interactions happened, but I was clueless.Yesterday, after the class, as I was leaving he was in the front reception drinking tea, he hadn’t shown his face for the last hour or so of class. He stopped me to tell me that I did my piece wrong. I smiled , shrugged and said, “it’s too late. The damage is done.” He said, “you should go.” I didn’t understand, held my keys up and said yeah, I’ve got my car. He repeated himself, “Yeah. You should go.” Even lifting his chin to make sure that I get the message.I left feeling terrible for being humiliated by a person who was supposed to be my art instructor. After a couple of hours I called Hunerkada and scheduled an appointment with the director.Today, I arrived, the reception didn’t know about the appointment but led me upstairs to her office. I expressed my grievances about my teacher’s inexplicable attitude problem and the lack of any course of study. It was met with token sympathy and a “well, of course we have a curriculum.” As a response a staff member was given an instruction. Some 20 minutes later, Akhtar Iqbal himself arrives with a freshly printed single sheet of paper. It had a dozen item list that was the “curriculum” on it.TLDR: Unfortunately, Hunerkada is not an art institute, much less a “College of Visual and Performing Arts”. Many of the instructors are teen volunteers. The adult instructors could care less. Learn art elsewhere. If you’re thinking about sending your kids, find another option.

Nice college.

Ok