A decade’s worth of work to revive traditional art forms and help skilled artisans make a respectable living is on display at a public stocktaking of project Jiyo.
Jiyo was started by the Asian Heritage foundation to build a Swadeshi brand for the 21st century and roped in skilled but economically vulnerable communities to create contemporary products using traditional skills.
The foundation has now set up 18-artisan managed producer groups with district level, State and government bodies and aims to sell the goods designed by the artists through the brand Jiyo.
Rajeev Sethi, founder of the Asian Heritage Foundation, said: “What village India can make for urban bazaars offers a design led paradigm shift.”
He said that it was a pity that so many traditional skills were vanishing due to a lack of patronage. Jiyo will help these traditional artisans showcase their identity and their product by making it economically viable for them to continue honing their skill via contemporary design, said Mr. Sethi.
Among the poorest groups
Many of the rural artisans, craftspeople and performers that have their work on display, have been largely left out of India’s economic growth and remain among the poorest groups in the country and the project has been trying to build sustainable employment opportunities so that they are not forced to abandon their legacy trades and migrate to urban areas in search of consistent employment, he said.
The festival is supported by the Japan Social Development Fund and is being monitored by the World Bank. It is on between October 2-18 at C-52 South Extension Part-II. The festival is holding several activities, including talks, panel discussions, tasting sessions, storytelling sessions, performing arts, bespoke sales, workshops and design showcase.
