The Society for Employment Generation and Enterprise Development in AP (SEEDAP) Chief Executive Officer M. Maheswara Reddy inaugurated the ‘Crafts Experience Centre’, a first of its kind platform to promote, discuss and sell the State’s crafts and handlooms.
The centre, promoted by Hyderabad’s Abhihaara Social Enterprise and supported by SEEDAP, will initially reach out to the weavers and artisans at Chirala, Dharmavaram, Pedana, Palacole, Kondapalli and others, and provide them with a platform to showcase their products as well as business opportunities. It will also provide training, according to Abhihaara CEO M. Sudha Rani.
Survey
“A baseline survey was taken up in January and project implementation began in April. So far, 60 women have been trained in hand block printing in Pedana and they have come up as a society. In addition, training of 60 women in natural dyeing and 30 women in Ayur Vastra recently began in Chirala,” Ms. Sudha said.
The centre will create awareness about local crafts among the public and also honour the aspirations of local artisans and weavers, she said.
About the Centre, Ms. Sudha said that in addition to sale of products and training in craft making and handloom, the organisation wanted people to come to the centre and experience the beauty of crafts and the effort needed to weave on a handloom machine. That is why we have placed a handloom machine at the centre, she said.
The centre will also reach out to schools to promote local crafts among the young generation and craft lovers can walk in to discuss various crafts and conduct workshops.
