‘Art Hub’, a flagship tourism development project, is on the cards for Kerala. The project will hand-pick 20 popular art and cultural destinations in the State and develop basic amenities in those locations to ensure a sustainable livelihood for the associated craftspersons.
The management of Kozhikode’s Sargaalaya Arts and Crafts Village functioning under the Tourism Department will prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for the Art Hub and submit it to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs on November 27.
“The plan is to boost the growth potential of the selected destinations with proper marketing support, aid for infrastructure development, training for product diversification and sustainable income. Each selected village will get a suitable facility that can showcase the cultural or artistic heritage of that spot for tourists,” says P.P. Bhaskaran, Chief Executive Officer of Sargaalaya. He adds that special training will be given to 2,000 persons from the 20 villages to make them aware about project goals and the expected level of cooperation from their part.
The selection of destinations has been made in such a way as to ensure justifiable representation to all districts. Some of the prominent locations selected on the basis of domestic tourism potential under the initiative are Beypore, Wayanad tribal village, Aruvacode, Vellinezhi, Kunnamkulam, Kuthampully, Aranmula, Chendamangalam, Balaramapuram, Peruvambu and Thekkadi.
For Beypore, a facility to showcase the art of making dhow models is under consideration. It aims to bring traditional craftspersons in the sector on a common platform and explore marketing opportunities.
The resource persons at Sargaalaya have already imparted training to 172 persons from various parts of Kerala in their respective fields to improve performance and explain the possibilities of expansion. One of the key areas of training is the ever increasing possibilities of online marketing opportunities. At all the proposed art hubs, there will be a trained team to assist artisans in the area.
The international arts and crafts festival slated to commence at Sargaalaya on December 20 will showcase the importance of the selected villages.
