There are already many 
workshops and training sessions 
organised for craftspeople 

SO, WHY DID SRISHTI CHOOSE TO
CONDUCT A WORKSHOP FOR CRAFTSPEOPLE?

Craftspeople are not perceived as deserving cutting edge pedagogy.

Unidimensional in structure, content and approach, conventional training sessions do little to empower craftspeople to innovate, reflect and problem solve creatively.

We wanted to change this culture of dull, lifeless, conventional learning platforms and we felt that using art and design pedagogy would help us bring new life, and new directions.

Faith in this approach was not accidental, we had conducted a workshop for wood carvers at Sri Kalahasthi - a town in Andhra Pradesh, India. Here we tried out some new ways of making learning happen in the areas of creative thinking, problem solving, reflection and planning. This convinced us that it was necessary to demonstrate the efficacy of this method to train craftspeople.

Only if we could show the stakeholders an alternative approach to
empowering craftspeople would any real change be possible in this sector.

This is why "Aagaman - listening to craft" happened.

METHODOLOGY OF THE WORKSHOP
We aimed to create an environment where all the participants had an opportunity to become "present". Broadly, we used a participatory, highly visual way of revisiting assumptions on issues related to craft. We designed the workshop where introspection

would be nudged to find new insights and shed old prejudices. The exercises were designed to stimulate, provoke, question and make connections.

WHAT WE HOPED TO ACHIEVE?
Since craftspeople are intuitively visual and comfortable with handwork, we felt they would use our approach to explore new ways of looking at their own work, their lives and their dispositions. We were seeking definitions that were idea and coherence centered.

Therefore we hoped that we could create a spirit of scrutiny, criticism and control that would lead to a capacity of self-reliance and sustainability. It also provided a platform where new technologies could be discussed and explored.