So we awake in Jaipur to.....rain. Yes, we brought the weather with us. November turns out to be the wettest in the region for about 10 years.
Dressed in our finest for the evenings reception (another learning point for J&B - girls need to know in advance if they will have the opportunity to change or not before an event) we head out to Anokhi and the Museum of Hand Printing. Pioneers of hand block printing for the export market, Anokhi has, over the last 30 years, tried to balance skill and tradition. The collection is just beautiful and we even got the chance to see and try some block printing. And of course there was a shop.........oh - and some monkeys.
We then popped along to what turned out to be, for me, one of the most amazing experiences....Jal Tarang. A major restoration project in the middle of a lake (which was also part of the restoration project as it used to be a sewer), we had the privilege of visiting the palace before its completion. The scale of the work undertaken in such a short time was remarkable and it will be quite spectacular when finished. Another intriguing element was the level of future planning included when it came to the crafts involved. A lot of time was spent at the very start of the project designing bespoke pieces which would also provide future crafts merchandise for the shop. Not something we see a lot of back here. Oh and the best coffee served so far.
Bundled back into the taxis, and very soggy by now, we move on to Festival Foundation JVF to meet Faith Singh (one of many formidable leading ladies we meet) and Divya Bhatia. Divya was just back from Glasgow and had previously worked on the NVA Hidden gardens project. I think we all agreed that Judith won the prize for best purchase here.
On our way to the evenings reception hosted by Association of British Scholars at the City Palace, we escaped from the taxis and walked through the city. Beautifully set, the reception was well attended and despite the nerves, a few words were said to introduce the group.
Back to the hotel and a big welcome back to Siddartha who was intent on experiencing Scottish partying.....
Tuesday 16 November
Is it really only day 3? Today we leave the beautiful Sanskriti and, before flying out to Jaipur this evening, we have another full day ahead of us. First up is a quick trip to see the British Council Offices and then we are off to the Crafts Council Gallery / Shop, Kamala and to meet Manjari Nirula. A voluntary, not for profit registered body with a network of ten councils, the council has tried to tackle the twin issues of providing sustainable livelihoods and professional marketing support as a viable means of developing traditional crafts. Kamala is the visible side of this operation and showcases the work produced. It is also a fantastic shop and is it becoming quite clear that shopping is a favoured activity of the group - perhaps to the surprise of Barney and Jeremy!
Leaving Kalama with our bags we then take a walk (!) to Religare Gallery to have a tour and some lunch. A beautiful space in the heart of the city, Layla from the gallery welcomes us and shares their approach to curating and working with artists. A key element of their program is a residency strand which brings together 25 artists into their space to explore a unifying theme.
After lunch we set off again to the National Crafts Museum. A curious place currently in limbo, we explored the museums exhibitions and installations (Elinor - any thoughts? :-)) We also had the funny experience of being asked to pose for pics with local school kids.....international celebrities or what.
A quick drop into the India Habitat Centre for the Delhi Blue Ceramics exhibition and we are off to the airport.
Asked why horns are used so much when driving in India, our taxi driver says 'if you have a horn and don't use it you are not a man.' Fair enough.
Jaipur here we come......well after a bit of delay.
Leaving Kalama with our bags we then take a walk (!) to Religare Gallery to have a tour and some lunch. A beautiful space in the heart of the city, Layla from the gallery welcomes us and shares their approach to curating and working with artists. A key element of their program is a residency strand which brings together 25 artists into their space to explore a unifying theme.
After lunch we set off again to the National Crafts Museum. A curious place currently in limbo, we explored the museums exhibitions and installations (Elinor - any thoughts? :-)) We also had the funny experience of being asked to pose for pics with local school kids.....international celebrities or what.
A quick drop into the India Habitat Centre for the Delhi Blue Ceramics exhibition and we are off to the airport.
Asked why horns are used so much when driving in India, our taxi driver says 'if you have a horn and don't use it you are not a man.' Fair enough.
Jaipur here we come......well after a bit of delay.
Monday 15 November
Breakfast at 8:30 and a quick tour of the museum at Sanskriti Kendra (and a wave goodbye to Claudia who is off to develop a project for Deveron Arts) then into our carriages and off to the Mike Knowles studio and another warm welcome. This collective studio complex hosts a small number of designer / makers and appears to be a relatively unique set up. Here we caught up with Gaurav Jai Gupta of Studio Akaaro, who we had also met the previous night. A dynamic fashion designer, Gaurav Jai Gupta studied at Chelsea in London as well as NIFT.
Before lunch we also get the opportunity to get our hands dirty by shaping traditional water pots. Not sure all the posts ended up water tight but.......
After a lovely lunch in the garden we are off again, this time to meet Laila Tyabji at Dastakar and Claudia again. Dastakar belives that craft is a viable means of employment which contributes to the national economy. They work with crafts groups to develop their business skills so they can become self sufficient.
The we are on the road again, popping into Alec Davies studio then onto Nature Morte Gallery where unfortunately Mona Rai, the exhibiting artist, is not available. Our next stop is Siddartha Dhas Studio . Siddartha is a designer, craftsperson, curator, public artist (the list runs on) and his projects include one for Scotland's very own Roderick Buchanan. At the end of Siddartha's presentation he lets us see his stock cupboard - ooohhh - let the shopping begin! See you in Jaipur Siddartha........
Before lunch we also get the opportunity to get our hands dirty by shaping traditional water pots. Not sure all the posts ended up water tight but.......
After a lovely lunch in the garden we are off again, this time to meet Laila Tyabji at Dastakar and Claudia again. Dastakar belives that craft is a viable means of employment which contributes to the national economy. They work with crafts groups to develop their business skills so they can become self sufficient.
The we are on the road again, popping into Alec Davies studio then onto Nature Morte Gallery where unfortunately Mona Rai, the exhibiting artist, is not available. Our next stop is Siddartha Dhas Studio . Siddartha is a designer, craftsperson, curator, public artist (the list runs on) and his projects include one for Scotland's very own Roderick Buchanan. At the end of Siddartha's presentation he lets us see his stock cupboard - ooohhh - let the shopping begin! See you in Jaipur Siddartha........
Sunday 14 November
After a long journey we arrive in Delhi - yippee. We are packed up and swept away to the lovely Sanskriti Kendra Foundation where we received a very warm welcome. But no sleep for the intrepid Scottish explorers as we are right down to business. Dr. Jain gave us perspectives on the contemporary crafts of India
India has a lot of crafts people - the figures varied from about 5 million to about 14 million - that is a lot of people. Crafts are the 2nd largest employment sector after farming with the majority involved being women. Social awareness and responsibility appear to be very much at the heart of what we have seen today. Also that crafts are a skills development opportunity for community and creative enterprises.
The day was very relaxed and insightful and gave us all a good introduction to each other. Off to bed for some much needed sleep.
This was followed by an introduction from Creative Scotland and an opportunity for everyone in the room to introduce themselves. It was mentioned that the curators group was made up of all women - not to be the last time this was commented on.
India has a lot of crafts people - the figures varied from about 5 million to about 14 million - that is a lot of people. Crafts are the 2nd largest employment sector after farming with the majority involved being women. Social awareness and responsibility appear to be very much at the heart of what we have seen today. Also that crafts are a skills development opportunity for community and creative enterprises.
The day was very relaxed and insightful and gave us all a good introduction to each other. Off to bed for some much needed sleep.
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