The treasure of age-old handicrafts and handloom products churned out by the skillful artisans of Andhra Pradesh is not fully explored. Though their products reflect the rich culture and tradition of the Andhra land, the skilled craftsmen’s products have not met the demand they ought to have.
Recognising the need to train artisans in not just use of modern tools and techniques but also to articulate their communication skills to be able to converse freely with their clients, especially those from foreign lands, officials at the helm of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism wing have designed a series of workshops in main cities across the State.
Secretary, Department of Tourism, Mukesh Kumar Meena, is of the view that equipping artisans with the wherewithal to find market for their products will help them improve their living standards. The handicrafts are produced only by hand using simple tools and variety of decorative materials available in the market. Artisans rely on simple mechanical skills using their hands, beautiful colours, motifs and designs that bring to the fore their ingenuity.
In most of the artisan communities, handicraft products are enmeshed with ethnic, local and regional heritage. It is this message of the rich tradition of Andhra that the Tourism officials want to spread among foreign tourists visiting the State.
The first in a series of workshops, will be held in Vijayawada city on Sunday which will be followed by similar awareness meetings at Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Anantapur.
Sunday’s workshop at hotel Minerva Grand in city will be attended by Mr. Meena and CEO of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority Himanshu Shukla. “There is no denying the fact that our artisans are immensely talented and their products are of high quality. But they have not been keeping pace with the changing times. Also, along with making beautiful products, they should be in a position to explain to the buyers the significance of their artistic creations,” said Mr. Meena.
The workshops will focus on training the artists in communicating the history behind their art, its significance, quality and skills to their buyers. It would also explore different avenues of marketing for their products. “We want them to think modern and design their products accordingly,” said Mr. Meena.
Mr. Shukla said it was the responsibility of the Tourism wing to inform tourists about the locations of the outlets where these products were available and it was for the artisans to present their best side and entice them into buying their products.
