1. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Truck art project

2. Inspired by Luton’s international motor vehicle heritage and strong
Pakistani community – we are going to transform a Bedford truck into
the style of the famous decorated trucks in Pakistan. Working with young
people in Luton from all our communities, we aim to showcase how
Luton’s Bedford trucks ended up travelling Pakistan highways as these
fantastic art creations.
Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges

3. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Truck Art Project Aims.
To engage with young people in their cultural heritage and
in the heritage of Luton through a programme of activities,
inspirational object engagement and exchange
opportunities. To work with partners to broker a series of
national and international loans of Pakistani materials
linked to the truck art folk tradition. The further aim will
be to promote community cohesion and tolerance in
Luton and the East of England through sharing of the
project its ideas, themes and experiences through
seminars and mentoring in Luton’s community venues.
This will be achieved through involving young people and
communities in the development and delivery of the
project.

4. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Key elements of project;
1. Involvement of Young People
through Truck Art Youth Group
2. Established partnerships in
Pakistan to facilitate Truck Art
Youth Group visit and Artist
Exchange
3. Artist Exchange as part of
Material Response programme.
4. Creation of highly decorated
Bedford Truck with Pakistani &
UK Artist and Youth Group and
produce associated exhibition in
Luton

5. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Key Project partners;

6. In September last year the Director of Museums, Luton Karen Perkins and myself
visited the potential partners in Pakistan to gather their support and help with
developing the overall project and youth visit. We were met with enthusiasm,
creativity and overwhelming support for a project which aims to build bridges and
sustainable partnerships between Luton and Pakistan but also one which they all
felt tackled the issues of community understanding and cohesion well.
Project R & D – NCA Lahore
Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges

7. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Project R & D – Lahore Truck Yards

8. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Luton Youth Group visit to Pakistan
The Luton Truck Art Project Youth Group visited Pakistan
from November 29th through to December 5th 2010, to
see at first hand the highly decorated Bedford Trucks
and the artisans and artists that decorate them and to
experience the Arts, Culture Heritage and way of life of
people in Pakistan. The group comprised of 6 young
adults from Luton, aged between 18 and 25. For most of
them it was their first ever visit to Pakistan and
potentially a trip of a life time that would no doubt
leave a lasting impression on them

9. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
DAY 1 Truck Yard, Lahore
DAY 2 Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque & Cuckoos
DAY 3 National College of Arts, Lahore
DAY 4 Chiniot wood carvers, Global citizens &
rural communities.
DAY 5 Lahore Museum and Shah Jamal Sufi Shrine
DAY 6 Pakistani Handicrafts Centre and the
Wagha border flag ceremony.
DAY 7 Karachi, Maripur Rd truck yards and Haider
Ali
DAY 8 Home to London.

10. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges

11. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges

12. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges

13. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges

14. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Artist Exchange – Material Response
We appointed Rory Coxhill as the
UK, Material Response , artist for
the project.
Rory is a traditional gypsy vardo
artist working in East Anglia and
comes from a family tradition of
travellers and caravan artists. He
helps the project to make a clear
connection between the Truck Art
of Pakistan and the folk art
traditions of Western Europe and
the UK. Rory spent 2 months in
Pakistan, as a Truck Art apprentice
in mid November last year under
the guidance of Master Truck Artist
Haider Ali. Rory also developed links
with contemporary artists in Lahore
with the help of the NCA

15. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Artist Exchange – Material Response
Haider Ali, Pakistan’s leading Truck Artist
will complete the return part of the artist
exchange when he visits Luton in March
to help create our Truck. During this trip
he will work with Rory and the Truck Art
Youth Group as well as the wider
community to share the traditions of the
decorated truck art form and cement
further the relationships developed
between Luton and Pakistan. Haider Ali
comes with an international reputation as
a Truck painter having worked on
successful international projects such at
the Smithsonian Museum Silk road Folk
festival in 2002

16. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Creation of highly
decorated Bedford Truck
with Pakistani & UK Artist
and Youth Group

17. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges

18. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Truck Art exhibition
The Youth Group facilitated by Museums curatorial
staff are producing the Truck Art exhibition launching
on the 28th March 2011 We hope it will prove to be a
huge success, as visitors get to see the artisans at
work in the gallery finishing the Truck design prior to
its inclusion in the Luton carnival 2011. We also hope
to welcome all our partners to Luton for this event
and use it as a stage from re-launch the regional
Stories of the World programme, Eastern Exchanges
with our partner museums in the East of England.

19. Stories of the World - Eastern Exchanges
Fahim Qureshi
Luton Truck Art
project