Slow fashion has been a part of Indian culture for centuries
Delhi-based Craft Village is a centre promoting rare and exclusive crafts. It offers programmes and workshops in Indian craft appreciation, design, art and culture, and self-exploration. The one-acre lush green campus has design studios and facility centres for artists, designers and creative individuals. Richa Bansal spoke to co-founder Somesh Singh about the taxing times encountered by artisans and craftsmen, disruptions needed in this niche and keeping crafts relevant for new age consumers.
How and when did you think of Craft Village?
Craft Village was initially thought by Iti Tyagi when she was working with various craft clusters across India. It had been there on her mind since 2003-04 when she was conducting training programmes. The core issue was the exposure to various things. Unfortunately, trainings have always been conducted where they (artisans) reside and practice, and hence, even though when designers/experts go there, the change in context and exposure doesn't result in incremental training of these artisans. Hence, she always thought of a place that is away from the areas they practice and into the mainstream business hubs where they can get exposed to the best-and-next practices. So, this is how the idea of Craft Village emerged, a decade back, to set up a place that is contemporary and build an interface with modern consumers and the mainstream industry and business.
How many clusters are involved currently and in how many projects?
Craft Village doesn't engage in cluster programmes, as it works for forward markets and end-consumer linkages, which has been one of the most essential tasks to be taken up. It would be visible from the UN data that over 40 per cent of craftspersons since the 1990s have become either daily wage labourers or left the trade in the absence of adequate work. This has happened mainly due to the absence of market forces, brand building, awareness about indigenous products, etc. Therefore, the aim of Craft Village is not to create hybrid craftsmen who neither have traditional skills or knowledge nor have combined sets of skills that loses on all fronts. Due to the above reasons, Craft Village and part of its strategic framework have refrained from cluster projects.
What kinds of disruptions does this niche need?
At the moment, the Indian crafts industry needs more sense than money. Disruptive models and strategic alliances with new modes and methods of businesses through short-term and long-term innovative strategies are required. One possible response can be to increase the output from craft such that it resembles current mass production of other goods. However, it would be in direct conflict with sustainability and the values of craft practice. The other possibility is an idealised version of craft before the industrial revolution, which is not economically viable. Therefore, a way is required to be found beyond these two alternatives. In an ideal condition, crafts can be positioned as more green, integrating new technology without compromising traditional values, creation of robust chains of supply that are sensitive, professional development of makers to grasp the opportunities, approaches to markets that infuse these values, and the creation of new expectations in the buyers about what "value" means (be it cultural value or economic worth). Taken together, this may create the conditions for an economically viable craft sector in a new economic and social order, beyond just making or trading skills to more contextual knowledge and perspectives.
Why is craft so important to both of you?
In India, we have lost a great deal of culture, heritage and crafts over the last few decades. Whereas world over, be it Japan, Europe and many such areas, heritage and crafts have been the key differential and the way they have preserved it. In mindless expansion, we have reduced the priceless past to a shabby and mediocre future. Therefore, we thought of preserving the rare and lost craft forms by setting up a place dedicated to the training and promotion of craft forms without changing their essence. Also, by doing so we will not only save a great deal of heritage, but also provide employment to millions of households engaged directly and indirectly in it and retain a social and cultural fabric. Our mission has been "craft trading can be limited to a generation, but training would empower many generations."
What is the percentage of female workers in the Indian arts & crafts community?
Fundamentally, if the men were engaged in farming/agriculture, women have been engaged in crafts, making a majority of the craft sector women-dominant. Atleast 70-75 per cent women are engaged in the sector directly or indirectly- though this percentage has been changing in the last few decades. More men are getting engaged as a part of MSME or a cottage industry outlook.
How supportive are government initiatives and schemes towards the Indian arts & crafts community?
The Indian government has taken plenty of initiatives to support the revival of crafts, and the contribution of Kamladevi Chattopadhyay has been significant, besides many other veterans who have contributed to the development of the sector. Unfortunately, the only issue is that the government still has very conservative/myopic view of the crafts sector, whereas it must look at more disruptive models practised across other nations, who have successfully evolved traditions to more contemporary outlook without changing the essence. Also, policywise, a lot needs to be thought beyond crafts as cottage industry to a mainstream "creative industry" contributing to the "creative economy". There is an interesting model that Indonesia has been working on, bringing all kinds of crafts under a new ministry called "ministry of creative industry". Now, this is a very far-fetched idea but dedicating a ministry for "creative industries" could benefit not just crafts but also others falling in that domain.
Please share a few details about your up and coming projects, courses, and initiatives.
The global craft and folk traditions are disappearing fast. Handmade has taken a back seat in a rapidly changing world, posing great danger to crafting traditions across the world. The diminishing demand for craft products is attributed to "good stories untold". These world crafts may have originated at different places, times or in a different dynasty but they all look alike as if they belong to one culture, one tradition and one world. It is the spirit of the people, and endless passion of craftspersons and artisans that imparted a meaning to the world around us-be it objects, spaces or experiences.
Craft Village in 2016 marked October 15 as International Craft Day as there was no dedicated day for the celebration of world crafts. In 2017, we started International Craft Awards to recognise global talents in the crafts sector and in 2018 India Craft Week (ICW) was an endeavour for "one world, one craft".
ICW is designed to position crafts as 'aspirational or desired' by bringing international communities who value them, and to present a new imagery to the world of exotic and rare handcrafted forms. ICW 2019 will work further towards creating a balance of tradition and modernity.
Which craft forms and techniques are being taught at your organisation?
Almost all craft forms and techniques are being taught at Craft Village by either national award winners or Padma Shri artists. The mode of knowledge and skills are part of Craft Village's training model CRAFTS (Creating Reason for Appreciation of Traditional and Sustainable Crafts), which has trained more than 7,500 urban individuals including CEOs, IAS officers, professors, doctors, engineers, design tutors and students, international visitors and Indian universities of repute (including Delhi University) on various craft techniques (through 33 specialised and rare craft workshops including gond, kalamkari, madhubani, natural dyeing, block printing, camel belt braiding, patachitra, devanagari and many more), and learners from 10 countries including Singapore, Indonesia, the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Poland and Mexico have been trained through interfaces with Indian crafts.
Which rare crafts of India are you working towards preserving?
Recently Craft Village through India Craft Week looked at promoting and preserving ten rare craft forms that are on the verge of extinction. They are: pallavastone craft, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu; pinjrakari (jaali), Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir; kutch embroidery, Bhuj, Gujarat; phad painting, Shahpura, Rajasthan; calligraphy weaving, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir; rogan, Nirona, Gujarat; bidri artwork, Bidar, Karnataka; kharad craft, Kukma, Kutch, Gujarat; tangaliya weaving, Surendranagar, Gujarat; and chamba rumal, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.
How are you at Craft Village uplifting local artisans or weavers? What benefits do they get?
How are you at Craft Village uplifting local artisans or weavers? What benefits do they get? aCraft Village is aimed at contemporising crafts, connecting rural-urban centres with global citizens and empowering craftspeople to build a longterm sustainable model. Craft Village has been established to create a fine balance between rare and exclusive Indian crafts (supply) with modern industry and consumers (demand) through an innovative value chain, which has resulted in higher demand (better manufacturing landscape), wages and finally self-empowering communities and societies.
Craft Village has been able to connect rare crafts of India with modern consumers by imparting the knowledge about traditional crafts through "hands on" experience in workshops. These workshops offer the urban population an opportunity to explore their interest in the crafts of India by working on concepts, techniques and understanding art forms. During a workshop, the narratives and stories of the rare crafts connect very well with the emotions of modern consumers and help them build tangible values/insights and broader perspectives. These workshops have resulted in "less bargaining" on craft products, choosing of Indian crafts over cheap imported goods to support sustainability and being part of responsible consumption finally increasing net sales. The urban population has also helped in enhancing the brand perception of cultural products by connecting through digital and social media ending in better wages and value for the artisans.
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