Through Tirumani, FLO pledged branding, product development and market linkage support to the Cheriyal Artisans.
FLO also announces adoption of the Cheriyal village
Many Indian Art and Craft forms are on extinction: experts
India exported handicrafts worth over 128 billion Indian rupees in the fiscal year 2019: Usharani Manne, Chairperson, FLO Hyderabad
COVID accelerated online adoption: Siva Devi Reddy, CEO, GoCoop
More than 60% of artists earn less than Rs 5000/- a month: Siva Devi Reddy
Quoting Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts report, Priya Gazdar, Honorary Secretary of FLO Hyderabad says, Indian handicraft community, is fast disappearing’.
New Delhi, September 04, 2020: FLO Hyderabad Chapter announces a major initiative, Tirumani, a social outreach initiative to promote 400 years old Craft Form, unique to Telangana State. But, today it is under threat of extinction, because of declining popularity and just left out with 16 artisans.
The FLO Community Outreach, Tirumani not only helps revive dying art form but also to lend its organisational skills to the local artisan community, guide them in creating lifestyle-oriented product range, establish marketing channel, to get the visibility and promotion that the craft deserves.
Towards this end as well as part of Tirumani, FLO on Tuesday virtually launched logo, brochure, catalogue, website and social media campaign for the Tirumani initiative.
Our vision through Tirumani, Usharani Manne, FLO Hyderabad Chairperson said, is to ensure that more traditional artisans come back to the fold, throughout sustained efforts to create better market linkages and assistance in product innovation.
Tirumani is our small offering to the artisan community of Cheriyal, Usharani she declared while launching the logo.
FLO member and coordinator for the project Monica Bhandula shared more details and their plan of action about Tirumani.
The name Tirumani, Priya Gazdar, the Honorary Secretary of FLO says, is derived from the gum that is used as a binding material in Cheriyal art. She also explained the significance of the newly developed logo
Nishita Manne announces that Tirumani will be placed on Weavesmart, a crafts and artisans aggregating platform. She also explained how it works.
Besides this, FLO has also adopted Cheriyal Village as part of Adopt a Village, a national initiative, says Usharani.
FLO, she adds, aims to facilitate growth and transformation in the lives of women in the villages. The objective is to empower women in rural India, thereby eradicating poverty and unemployment. That is why we are adopting a village in the rural sector, she says.
A conversation, ‘The Handmade Life 2 Survival & Revival of Indian Handicrafts’, which is a Knowledge Lab series 6 was held on Tuesday which went upto late evening. It was the second episode of ‘The Handmade Life’ series – Survival and Revival of Indian Handicrafts.’
Few domains experts shared their valuable perspectives and insights.
Participating in the conversation, Siva Devi Reddy, CEO of GoCoop, said, Crafts have utmost relevance now than ever before. Both Life and Livelihood are important. India is an Agrarian Economy.
Craftspeople form the second largest employment sector in India, second only to agriculture. Handicrafts are rightly described as the craft of the people: they’re said to be twenty-five million craftspeople in India today and the number varies from source to source, he says.
Many Art and Craft forms cease to exist. They are vanishing. More than 60% of artists earn less than Rs 5000/- a month, which is far lower than minimum wages, he says. Artists, Siva Devi Reddy says, need to live a dignified life. Indian Crafts have great potential. India’s rich cultural diversity and heritage provide a unique and huge resource for developing craft products. The Indian Handicraft Industry is said to be a $100 billion industry worldwide. India’s contribution in the world market is just 1.2%
Speaking about digital adoption he said digital has a profound effect on Artisans. COVID accelerated online adoption. More generation next is showing interest to get into crafts sector because of the sector’s quick adoption of the digitization.
Sharing about, GoCoop, Siva Devi Reddy said, GoCoop is India’s first national award-winning marketplace which connects artisans, weaver co-operatives and clusters directly with consumers across the world. We enable sustainable livelihoods for artisans by ensuring fair prices to them, and authentic handlooms and crafts to you, he said.
Joining in the conversation, Sudha Rani M, CEO of Abhihaara, a Social Enterprise, that binds the cotton growers with the handloom weavers and the craft artisans, says, their focus was on building skills in women and capacities of women.
Sudha talked about Alambana App, which was launched by KT Rama Rao was developed in partnership with the State government, UNDP and Abhihaara to provide skills training, and create market linkages and new opportunities for weavers.
Representing Cheriyal Craft community, the Sai Kiran, fourth-generation Cheriya Artisan, shared their plight. He urged three things—Manpower, Marketing and Product Design support from Government and Social Enterprises and organizations like FLO.
Giving her opening remarks Usharani Manne, Chairperson of FLO Hyderabad Chapter said the beauty of the Indian crafts is much deeper than aesthetics. It is its close connection with our hyper-local cultures.
India exported handicrafts worth over 128 billion Indian rupees in the fiscal year 2019 making a significant contribution to the national and state exchequer., she says
As one of the largest employment generators after agriculture, the handicrafts sector is a key means of livelihood for India’s rural and urban population, Usharani says. And adds, what particularly interests us at FLO is that close to 50% of the workforce in the sector is women, with the potential to absorb many. Today’s conversation, Usharani says, will centre around why, despite their obvious contribution to the Country’s growth, many of our crafts are fading away. And, how a concerted effort by Government, organizations and individuals can ensure that our rich heritage can be made relevant enough for future generations to depend upon.
Setting the context for the day’s conversation, FLO Honorary Secretary, Priya Gazdar, says according to the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts report on Cultural Mapping of India, ‘due to rapid change in lifestyle, ageing, and negligence, the vast repertoire of knowledge and wisdom that sustained and nurtured the Indian handicraft community, is fast disappearing’.
Then, Priya adds, the clarion call is for us to take a serious look at our crafts culture. With more than 3,000 craft forms we are sitting on an untapped goldmine. With the right support and a conducive business environment, the Indian craft sector has the scope to become a billion-dollar marketplace across the globe, exemplifying all that is best about Made in India.
Speaking about Cheriyal artisans, Priya says, in recent times, no concrete effort seems to have been made to organise them into a brand. The USP is already there. Their art is so unique. The IP is being created non-stop. They are even innovating in terms of product line and materials
Our effort now, Priya, adds, is to create new market linkages for them to make Cheriyal a sustainable livelihood generator would be pretty much futile without professionalising their approach to marketing. And branding is the first step in this direction
Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)
