Goa Crafts Village
South Asia Foundation is setting up a crafts Village in Goa, a unique crafts village, which would be only of its kind in South Asia. The unique aspect about this crafts village would be that 200-250 artisans of different crafts from Goa would be provided with residences cum worksheds and place for displaying their crafts under the same roof. There will also be 20/25 additional housing cum workshed units for domestic visiting artisans from outside Goa and for visiting 10-15 South Asian Nations’ artisans with a maximum stay of 15/20 days to share work skill, design development and exchange of creative ideas. In a broader perspective, a rural arts and crafts complex, this would be an educative and enriching place to visit for tourists and researchers. An artistic and innovative set up will be built, with total rural infrastructure, so that one can appreciate the artisan’s way of life in that village in Goa.
The Project will be focused on the various crafts of Goa. A data base would be prepared on the socio-economic conditions of the crafts-persons of the area so that possible intervention can be envisaged in phased manner.
The Project would explore the possibilities of making a road map that would prepare various steps like skill up gradation, design development, marketing tie-up, managerial skill development and micro-finance based artisans’ SHGs.
The Project would also emphasize to organize artisans into self help groups with a view to enabling them to strengthen their economic activity for sustainable development with larger community participation & creation of revolving fund.
The Project would also create job opportunities by way of imparting skill & enhancing the skill of the crafts persons, helping them create marketing avenues, bringing more people into the fold who would appreciate artisan’s way of life and join the village.
Further objectives of the project are to conduct base line diagnostic survey of the area and identify the people engaged in - and those who are interested to take up training and develop the various craft items. This will help to have a rational approach to make the project meet its target and objectives. This survey would help make an effective plan.
Initiative would be taken for setting up of Training cum Production Centre for better marketing and enhanced productivity. The infrastructure, thus created, would be put into optimal use. Highly professional, artisan sensitive designers will be engaged to bring a new look to existing products with diversification & by value addition, through design workshops as per market trend and national & international design concept.
Every effort would be made to create a crafts village that would be a sustainable model for artisan led rural development and a community based income generation programme for their socio-economic enhancement. The crafts village would be a centre of excellence in promoting & preserving arts & crafts, Goan ethnic & traditional crafts and would also have a resource centre on these.
 |
To set up a crafts village at the outskirts of city with complete rural infrastructure. |
|
Land requirement of 20 to 25 acres in rural surroundings & leasing of the same |
|
200-250 families of artisans to be settled permanently with housing & workshed. |
|
Land use would not be changed or transferred at any time under any circumstances unless the Govt. of Goa decides for the benefit of the project. |
|
A survey to be conducted on artisans on social, cultural, economic, skill assessment. |
|
Common work sheds and design facilitation centre and a common display unit. |
|
Regular design development and product diversification cum skill up gradation. |
|
Regular design development and product diversification cum skill up gradation. |
|
Crafts Cluster development with handicrafts and handlooms. |
|
To have 20-25 additional housing cum work sheds for domestic visiting artisan’s (from outside Goa) for a maximum stay of 15/20 days to share work skill, design & product development & exchange of creative ideas. |
|
To have additional 10 to 15 housing cum work sheds for visiting SAARC craftsmen. |
|
To have a mobile health clinic with regular health & social awareness camps |
|
To form artisans’ SHGs with micro-finance friendly & need based co-operatives. |
|
To introduce new techniques in crafts, introduction of innovative ideas –identification, improvement of tools and equipment. |
|
Identifying the important /popular and languishing crafts of Goa. |
|
Involving CSR Project, UNDP, State Govt., SIDBI, NABARD, & other FIs. |
|
Monitoring mechanism for effective implementation & sustainability |
|
Larger community participation to be the key focus of this project. |
|
Setting up of a Resource centre on traditional crafts & designs of Goa |
|
To create new marketing avenues & opportunities for the crafts persons. |
|
To create awareness about the artisans way of life and its appreciation. |
|
To institute awards for master crafts persons. |
|
To organize & improve the socio-economic conditions of artisans |
|
To develop a module for requisite intervention for developing the crafts. |
|
To create new marketing avenues & opportunities for the crafts persons |
|
To increase awareness and knowledge of artisans’ life, especially for the younger generation. Special emphasis would be made for school children on arts & crafts. |
|
Craftsmen from different states will be invited to exhibit their skill & to demonstrate their crafts and market their arte-crafts with direct access to buyers |
|
A crafts Bazaar, like a traditional ‘Haat’ for visitors to have direct interaction |
|
Setting up of a Gandhi Ashram in the crafts village, inspired by Gandhi ji’s ideals. The ashram to have handlooms, charkhas, meditation centre for visiting guests. |
|
Setting up of a Dairy Unit for the Crafts village sustainability. Dairy to process 15,000-20,000 liters of milk daily, this unit will support & sustain on its own. |
|
To have a school from primary level initially & then to expand up to class X. |
|
Common facility centre to have improved equipment, modernized kilns and design studio for master craftsperson & designers. |
|
Landscaping, gardens, tree plantation, herbal medicinal plants, etc in phases. |
|
Roads, sanitation, safe drinking water, street lights etc. |
|
A handmade paper unit. |