Corporations across the globe undertake various initiatives as a part of being socially responsible and to demonstrate their care and concern for the society they operate in. Even though art has proven to be an integral part of societal growth and change, it receives a mere 4% of the global corporate sponsorship budget, while a whopping 70% is dedicated to sports.
At JS Bank, our leadership has worked diligently over the years to change this narrative and create a shift in focus as our Chief of Staff Imran Haleem Shaikh says, “We believe that investing in art and culture is just as crucial as any other form of corporate philanthropy.”
In line with this, JS Bank has redirected a significant amount of its sponsorship to the promotions of arts and culture in our society. Some of these activities have included events such as the IVS Alumni show of 2019, the Karachi Literature Festival 2019 and the Sindh Literature Festival 2017. Obhartay Sitaaray 2019, an annual fundraiser organized by The Citizens Foundation and the Karachi Biennale 2016 and 2018 as well as sponsoring the Pakistani Pavilion at Venice Biennale in 2019 have also been other art events that we have endorsed.
As a part of the JS Group, Mahvash and Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation (MSJF) continuously supports initiatives that encourage differently-abled children to showcase their artistic talents. The Group also has its own gallery in Karachi housed at the Alliance Francaise and maintains an auditorium at IBA which is routinely used to showcase art performances and musical concerts.
Alongside its contributions towards art, JS Bank has also sponsored the All Pakistan Music Conference of 2016, renowned musician Atif Aslam’s live performance for the Professional Education Foundation as well as other leading theatrical performances such as “Naach Na Jaanay”, “Kiun Nikala”, “Blood Brothers” and “Twins Apart”.
These are just some of the endeavors we have undertaken as proof our commitment to promote and nurture arts and culture in Pakistan so as to promote art as a strategic national resource.