Pottery, ceramic and terracotta crafts of Rajasthan are world famous. The delicately crafted coloured artefacts with varieties in shades, tint and tone are a delight for an art collector. In Rajasthan, the raw material resources are abundant and there are craft communities in villages who have been engaged in clay / terracotta crafting activities for generations. The painted, glazed or unglazed terracotta (terra cotta) have been used as a medium in sculpture and architecture since unknown period. Along with the favourable hot and dry climate of Rajasthan, the fusion of imagination, art and skills has granted unlimited advantages to the pottery practitioners. The focus of this project is to broaden the exchange of knowledge and technical skills between IICD & UK ceramic practices, that would deal with design strategies, technology, consumer preferences, market, society and community practice based at Baswa, which is located around 110km away from Jaipur, in Rajasthan. An online repository of knowledge would be built. The craftsperson will be benefitted by getting connected to makers and artists, participating in exhibitions, training in technology etc. will help flourishing the cluster with further advancements in knowledge and skills. Furthermore, the community will gain a spot in the realm of the proposed craft tourism map.
Through the India-UK Collaboration Scheme, Crafting Futures in India brings together Indian and UK partners to co-develop and collaborate on projects which explore new futures for craft in India and investigate the following questions:
- What are new ecosystems for craft?
- How can traditional skills, contemporary design and enterprise come together to create new systems?
- How can craft be a route to women’s empowerment and leadership?
- How can craft address global environmental challenges?
- How can craft tourism ensure craft is widely appreciated?
- What possibilities does digital technology bring to craft?
Fore more information, visit the British Council webpage https://www.britishcouncil.in/programmes/arts/crafting-futures
The images shows visit by IICD team members to the village of Baswa, Rajasthan.
