Designing Root:

Blossoming with cultural Significance

A Social innovation project

Initiated by

Craft future lab 2020, International center for Indian Craft, NID, Ahmedabad & NID Desis LAB India

India has a rich cultural heritage, with a unique sense of diversity. Handicrafts are a mirror of the cultural identity of the ethnic people who make them and are a means of cultural sustenance. The project aims to take into account this ‘Creative Compound’ that involves the different aspects that are influenced through the means of making crafts and the creativity that runs throughout the process. This creativity provides the different avenues that the crafts can get directed towards and provide relevance in the present scenario.

The inclusion of heritage craft in schools gives an opportunity to thrive and revive the rich traditional heritage of our country helping children discover their latent talent and creative expression. Education at all stages has been considered as a powerful instrument for social transformation. Indian education focuses on paving a way for democratic, secular and socialistic society that eliminates prejudices among people. The knowledge and skills of heritage craft reflects Indian cultural heritage and the significance of craft lies in the newness and surprise of each object.

The perception based around the crafts comes as another area of intervention that needs to be addressed in order to understand the psychology behind the non artisanal perception towards this field of crafts and how it is looked at. The sense of creativity that gets washed away due to the unfavourable perceptual factors, and a means to tackle that becomes an important agenda to be addressed.

Increasing unpredictability in climate changes has a huge impact on the Indian craft sector and on craftsmen's lives who practice in the climate-critical regions. The immediate impact of a natural calamity includes the tangible losses of material properties and loss of lives. However, these tangible losses lead to the further intangible loss of the cultural heritage of a community. Their current craft structures do not have the strength to sustain through the recurring calamities and thus providing another possible area of design intervention.

The focus on traditional knowledge systems needs preservation and so gives an opportunity to work in the area, focused on the traditional knowledge systems of the artisans. For their sustenance in the contemporary scenario, there is a need to emphasize again on traditional knowledge systems. The system is based on sharing of knowledge in the craft practices. This exchange allows several ways of learning which will result in value addition of craft practices and strengthen artisan's identity.

The present day scenario of society leads us to focusing on the mental health and wellbeing of individuals, and a lens to look at crafts through that perspective provides another exclusive area to intervene using design methodology and a systemic approach to align the system from the perspective of mental wellbeing of the ones involved in the practice of craft making and the creativity that is involved in it.

In order to understand the influencing and interdependent factors related to creative ecology, we started understanding the process of craft making and the creative aspects revolving around it. It was realized that craft ecology is more than just "craft" and has a bigger purpose to it. To validate this understanding we started digging into different resources available on the internet, as a part of our secondary research. To understand the current scenario, we digitally connected with craft professionals and other important parties which are working for the betterment of Indian crafts. This project is a humble attempt for understanding Indian crafts at the root level, to develop a systemic understanding through the various lenses and hoping, in this modest attempt at keeping its flame alive, through the use of design intervention.

Design led Revitalisation strategy for a Craft/Cottage creative Ecology

Statement of problem :

Ideal

Revitalisation strategy for a cultural significance craft products differ in various materials (tangible and intangible) cultures.

Reality

Today's sharp rise in global trade is pushing for opportunities for artisan, traders of art and culture slowly liberating from geography. The more and more the making culture is less connected to the region or location.Today Contemporary localised craft economies, integrated into global flows of people, materials, and goods, offer products that sought after points of difference in a flooded consumer marketplace. Contrary to that more and more the local governments, business and tourist developments, makers themselves, and visitors look to the handmade as part of broader strategies of local differentiation in the world

Intent to improve

This design-led research framework intends to study the cultural significance of the craft community western part of India and build strategy for a creative ecology as enablers of regional growth.

Why Designer community should think this subject in utmost importance post-Covid 19 scenario?

Since winter 2019, Countries have closed their borders and started choosing who is allowed to pass through. The ideas of globalization and modernization are the only yardstick of development collapsed in front of our eyes. Region, cities, companies, communities, and families build up boundaries to protect themselves from all kinds of risks, whether economic or health.

India is determined to lead the path and show sustainable development where people and their culture take center stage. Our Indian Prime Minister has announced a Rs. 20 lakh crore economic package under the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan’, to aid our country out of the Coronavirus crisis (by making us self-reliant). When India speaks of becoming self-reliant, it doesn’t advocate a self-centred system. There is a concern for the whole world’s happiness, cooperation, and peace in India's self-reliance initiative.

This academic exercise aims to provide future designers with a scholarly environment to discuss the “world after” and explore the design-led strategy for a creative ecology and enablers keeping cultural significance intact in craft and cottage industries for regional growth.

Why Designer community should think this subject in utmost importance post-Covid 19 scenario?

Since winter 2019, Countries have closed their borders and started choosing who is allowed to pass through. The ideas of globalization and modernization are the only yardstick of development collapsed in front of our eyes. Region, cities, companies, communities, and families build up boundaries to protect themselves from all kinds of risks, whether economic or health.

India is determined to lead the path and show sustainable development where people and their culture take center stage. Our Indian Prime Minister has announced a Rs. 20 lakh crore economic package under the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan’, to aid our country out of the Coronavirus crisis (by making us self-reliant). When India speaks of becoming self-reliant, it doesn’t advocate a self-centred system. There is a concern for the whole world’s happiness, cooperation, and peace in India's self-reliance initiative.

This academic exercise aims to provide future designers with a scholarly environment to discuss the “world after” and explore the design-led strategy for a creative ecology and enablers keeping cultural significance intact in craft and cottage industries for regional growth.

# tag

#cultural significance

#regional growth

#creative ecology

#craft and cottage industries

#AatmaNirbharBharatAbhiyaan

# Covid 19 Crisis

Objective of research

To understand “Creative ecology” and “Revitalisation strategy” in context of west coast region of Gujarat.

Research question

What is means by craft and craft ecology
How it is connected to the creative ecology of the west coast region of Gujarat.
What are the revitalisation strategy adopted in last 10 years

To Understand territory development to that locality with an interdisciplinary theoretical framework?

Research question

What are the variables responsible for territorial development
What development means to the locals, government
Why the existing strategy of development is not adequate to maintain the creative ecology of the region

LAD

Lifestyle Accessory design

Gandhinagar