New Delhi, India: Tarasha’s Design Direct, a unique showcase of artisan-designer collaborations, is set to take place from March 17th to 19th at Craft Village in Delhi. The event, organized jointly by Titan’s Project Tarasha, Creative Dignity, and Craft Village, aims to promote equitable artisan-designer partnerships and promote craft practices and explore new, fresh possibilities within crafts. Tarasha’s Design Direct showcase will offer artisans a chance to network with crucial industry stakeholders like designers, design houses, architects, brands, craft enthusiasts, and the fraternity. The event aims to expose artisans to new market engagements and connections.
Craft and design have traditionally been intertwined in India like warp & weft, and with this same idea, Project Tarasha and Creative Dignity launched a Design Mentorship program. This exchange has resulted in innovative craft products co-created by artisan-designer pairs over a period of three months. These include a variety of unique and innovative products such as a chessboard made with traditional leather puppetry, a temple for homes, a pop-up storybook for children, a kid’s cupboard, contemporary candle holders, kitchen utensils, tealights, Ajrakh rugs, cushion covers, and table runners.
Ritika Gandhi, Anchor, Project Tarasha says “our aim with Tarasha's Design Direct is to showcase the true potential of artisan-designer collaborations and promote equitable partnerships that value the unique skills and cultural associations of craft practices. We believe that craft and design are two faces of the same coin. In fact, in the Indian context, craft and design have always been used interchangeably. However, in the last two decades or so, the dynamic has shifted, skewing towards designers and reducing artisans to mere manufacturers or suppliers. This event illustrates an equitable artisan-designer collaboration with focus on inclusive design, co-learning, co-creating, and two-way knowledge transfer."
About-Project Tarasha: Project Tarasha, a pandemic-born social initiative by Titan Company Ltd. brings craftspeople from nooks and crannies of the country to the fore. It facilitates craftpreneurs and groups to create their own micro websites and reach customers directly. This initiative creates an opportunity for India’s hugely promising but fledgling art and craft space to thrive and flourish with the right medium in today's digital world. It is an endeavor committed to discovering and cataloging India’s ecosystem of artisanal businesses. Some of these award-winning craftsmen and women had never navigated online space. To make their transition to online selling seamless, Project Tarasha handheld them with customized workshops and training modules enabling them to create their own digital presence.
Creative Dignity: Creative Dignity is a volunteer-led movement spread across India, actively working on relief, rehabilitation and rejuvenation within the craft sector. Established in early 2020, Creative Dignity has brought together diverse creative producers, practitioners, and professionals to energize the ecosystem that Indian artisans need in this time of COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 impact. By keeping artisans at the core of every initiative, CD’s goal is to enable artisans to become equal and active participants in building a thriving ecosystem, where they have the agency to thrive with dignity. Creative Dignity was recently recognised as one of the 12 ecosystem builders (multi-stakeholder partnerships) in the list of India's top 50 Covid 19 last-mile responders by the World Economic Forum's Covid Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs.
Craft Village: A National Entity of the World Crafts Council, Craft Village is focused on re-building the creative and the cultural industry. Founded in 2015, Craft Village has created an ecosystem through India Craft Week to increase demand for authentic handmade & handcrafted products, directly connecting artisans with buyers, thereby eliminating the middleman/agency; built a higher value proposition of handmade, indigenous craft products through world-class exhibits, clear communication, and contemporary brand image; portraying Craftspersons and Artisans as 'Makers’ like how artists are presented in Art Fairs, globally.
