The second round of awardees — for British Council's Crafting Futures India/UK Collaboration Scheme 2022 to develop and strengthen crafts sector in India — have been announced. By Team Viva
British Council, the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations announced another set of grant winners for its coveted global programme — Crafting Futures: India-UK Collaboration Scheme 2022. Under the programme, the grants are jointly awarded to a partnership of two organisations — an organisation in India and a compatible UK organisation. Jaipur Rugs Foundation & University of Arts London, IICD and West Dean College of Arts and Conservation, University of Liverpool & INTACH Hooghly Chapter have been shortlisted.
Crafting Futures supports collaboration to strengthen the crafts sector in India through exciting and innovative projects which addresses inclusion across communities, explore solutions for global environmental challenges and generate new propositions for the relationship between craft and technology.
Jonathan Kennedy, Director Arts India, British Council, said: “Our recent research with Fashion Revolution confirms the Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly tough and remains challenging for livelihoods of crafts organisations, women artists and artisans. The British Council has continued its commitment to strengthening the Indian crafts sector, for improving livelihoods, and developing contemporary craft skills and traditions with a series of UK partnerships.”
The first round of Crafting Futures India-UK scheme saw projects from vocational training of Pinguli puppetry artisans in Maharashtra; business skills training and empowerment of women artisans through sustainable processes in crafts working at Swami Sivananda Memorial Institute (SSMI); reviving the urban 'living' crafts and develop opportunities for collaborations by urban craftspeople in Kolkata, Goa and Bangalore presenting their crafts work at the Unbox Festival; improving the livelihoods of skilled craftswomen in Gujarat through new product designs and use of modern marketing methods for the Indian and European market; collaboration to develop an international artists' residency with 72 Muslim potter families of Gundiyali in Gujarat; and a collaboration to revive and strengthen the local economy around wool in the Kutch reaching out to 100 women weavers.
As part of second round of Crafting Futures: India-UK Collaboration Scheme, applications were invited for project proposals from India and the UK organisations, out of which three more projects have been chosen which will benefit from monetary and technical support to collaborate with craft communities in India to co-develop and co-deliver projects that support the crafts sector.
All three awardees aim to impact the craft sector whilst uplifting the artisans across various cities. The collaboration between Jaipur Rugs Foundation and University of Arts London will help rural women to learn new skills to earn dignified incomes and gain financial independence. The programme will address the skill gaps in Indian artisan communities and help them expand their economic opportunities through design and entrepreneurship.
The partnership between IICD and West Dean College of Arts and Conservation focusses on the potters of Baswa district in Jaipur through exchange of knowledge between India and UK ceramic practices whilst focussing on design and technology.
Last, the partnership between University of Liverpool and INTACH Hooghly Chapter will work with women artisans in Kolkata who work in the silk industry. With Patch-WORK, West Bengal and an app-enabled e-commerce network, the partners aim to train the artisans with new business skills and create products for the global market.