India Craft Week Holds 3-Day Live Event During Lockdown

In a bid to elevate craft and tell the makers stories, India Craft Week will be reaching out digitally during the lockdown with its Global edition, eGood Stories Untold – From your home.

New-Delhi based social venture Craft Village, a member organisation of World Craft Council – APR, is back with India's first and World's fifth official Craft Week, with a brand new digital avatar in partnership with British Council, India.

Scheduled from 1st May to 3rd May 2020, the three day live event will come as encouragement for millions of skilled crafts-people, brands, craft-entrepreneurs, patrons and craft seeking opportunities along with ways to engage creatively and professionally with India's iconic heritage. Focusing on eGood Stories Untold – From your home', the worldwide digital preview strives towards eOne World, One Craft' that transcends boundaries and fear.

"COVID-19 is having an impact globally, far beyond the cultural sector-but our responsibility is to sustain the Craft sector as best as we can, so that Brands, Craftsmen, Designers, Organisations, Institutions, Craftpreneurs and Makers can continue to nourish the imagination of people across the world, both during the crisis and in the period of recovery. Taking a cue from this thought, our team at India Craft Week has curated this Global-Digital Preview which you can participate being at home" says Iti Tyagi Founder Craft Village & India Craft Week.

ICW 2020 will provide 'Creative Seekers' (Global & Urban Population, Craft lovers, Craft Patrons and the general public at large) an opportunity to participate in a range of activities, learning new skills, acquiring new knowledge and insights, buying craft products and taking a journey into folk, tribal and cultural performances. On the other hand, this initiative would help Artisans and the Craft Community in dire need to connect with potential consumers and revival of interest in Crafts. Participated by more than 70 brands, Artisans, artists, Experts & others, the 3-Days ICW-Digital Preview would be inaugurated by Shri Dinesh Patnaik, Director General, ICCR, Govt. of India and the thoughts Leaders in Craft & Culture from across the world would share their insights and experiences including Dr. Ghada H. Qaddumi, President, World Craft Council-APR, (Kuwait), Dr. Barbara Wickham OBE, Director, British Council, INDIA, Dr. Darlie Koshy, Former Director, NID, Deepikka Jindal, MD, Arttdinox, Manish Saksena, Lead Advisor, Aadyam Handwoven, Sundeep Kumar, CEO, Craft Beton, Dr. Kevin Murrey, Editor, Garland Magazine, Australia, Ms. Lisa Cahill, CEO & Director, Sydney Craft Week & Australia Design Center, Dr. Fatina Saiklay, Director, Co-Creando, Italy, Rahul Mishra, Fashion Designer, Anju Modi, Fashion Designer, Rina Dhaka, Fashion Designer, Dr. Jonathan Kennedy, Director Arts, British Council, INDIA, Jaya Jaitley, Craft Revivalist & Founder, Dastkari Haat Samiti amongst many others.

Praising the initiative, Jonathan Kennedy, Director Arts India, British Council says: "We are delighted to partner with the India Crafts Week, as part of our global commitment to craft and design. The Crafting Futures program supports the future of craft and livelihoods. In India, our program broadly aligns with the Indian government's agenda of supporting local artisans and giving them global exposure. During this hugely challenging and uncertain time of Covid-19 capacity development for resilience, improving economic opportunity for survival and improving livelihoods of Indian craftspeople – especially women – is more important than ever."

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In the midst of this dilemma, many in the craft sector are doing their best to connect together to meet this challenge by finding solutions to prevent this sector from a detrimental collapse.

"In my capacity as President of WCC-Asia Pacific Region and on behalf of the Board and all of the WCC-Asia Pacific Region members, we place a word of appreciation to all organizers and participants in this Digital Edition." says Dr. Ghada H. Qaddumi, President, World Craft Council-APR.

The craft of India and traditional Indian Craftsperson / artisans will be sharing international platform with prestigious brands like Dunhill, Bugatti, Purdey, Rolls Royce, Mont Blanc, Ermenegildo Zegna, Burberry amongst many others. (IANS)