Contribution to World Craft Council report 2020 via British Council India

Design and Craft collaborations at a micro-level has to lead to creating ecosystems that are dynamic and global, given birth to a luxury market and transparency in the supply chain

1. the importance of design and craft collaborations / for the future sustainability of craft products and for it to become a part of our daily lives, it is important for it to be relevant for a global market/ wider audience.

2. encouraging many micro-level associations/ this lead to a macro impact rather than macro engagements by larger institutions that fail to increase the perceived value of the product. (eg smaller designers working on the aesthetics to add luxury value + it is a more transparent and efficient use of funding.)

3. creating ecosystems where the craftsperson can be connected to their eventual global consumer by bridging the gap( use of micro e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, Instagram, WhatsApp) and encouraging slow craft led tourism where they understand the value of their product and have more exposure.

4. extensive documentation and exhibitions ( creating literature) that secures cultural IP from big retailers/ capitalists yet celebrates shared cultural history between regions and communities.

5. educating the crafts community about the pros and cons of expanding/ collaborating and letting them decide on the route they want to take rather than government-imposed policies or corporate interventions. ( usually personally developed relationship and smaller interventions make them feel more secure and help their growth). they also learn about the design process and how to add more value.

6. who does it belong to? the answer is not one. For example, mata ni pachedi belongs to a community of many families that have migrated over a period of time and not one family in one location.

7. emotional/ nostalgic value attached to certain crafts and materials is encouraging people to use them in their daily lives as it brings a quality of slow living.

8. adding artistic value to crafts ( example in mata ni pachedi) is a collaboration between curators, galleries, and the artisan. hence full transparency and equal share is needed.