‘It is not sufficient to have an
experience in order to learn. Without
reflecting on this experience it may
quickly be forgotten, or its learning
potential lost.’ (Gibbs, 1988, p9)
Reflection lies somewhere around the notion of learning and thinking. We reflect in order to learn something, or we learn as a result of reflecting. I have learned so much through the process of my reflection, I want to mention the experiences I have gained throughout my research.
The journey during research intervention was very interesting and full of opportunities and challenges during the pandemic. I was able to contact great people from Fashion and Film industry. The artisans I talked with are so talented and well-deserving creative people who just need a chance and channel to market themselves.
India is a country with a very rich culture and tradition and I have been raised up while learning and perceiving the art very closely. My grandparents were farmers with a very strong understanding of traditions and folk art. That’s how my love for handmade art was conceived.
I have studied and learnt a lot of artforms in depth during this research. Working with artisans , film and fashion professionals directly is a great part of my research. Here I am writing down the experiences and my learning .
I was very much sure about my research question and i thought to take this up as my research 2 years earlier before joining CSM, UAL. After i got enrolled in this course i was very much confident in pursuing this as my research project.
KNOWLEDGE & THOUGHT PROCESS
I started my secondary research studying about the Handmade art , Artisans , Design industry in the detail. It was tough but started very well though , despite of the pandemic i faced lots of difficulties while reaching to the artisans in remote areas. My hard-work and strong networking helped me to withstand during this tough situation.
I observed the loop-holes, competition and the improvement required in the existing process and to make this system works better knowing real people and problems was really beneficial.
After segregating the problem statement pointers, i immediately started talking to the Artisans about the problems they face and improvements they want in the existing process.
PROBLEM STATEMENT:
After talking to the various artisans across India, i found there is a lack of proper marketing channel , that as a result is causing the various difficulties and issues like inappropriate wages , lack of opportunities, copying of designs etc.
The professional from films , fashion , law etc have helped me in filtering down the original requirements in the process from an easy route not only to connect with the Artisans , but to empower them , aware them and educate them.
LEARNING ARTFORMS:
India has been always privileged with the rich culture , various artforms those are vulnerable because of lack of participation by the youth and decline in the interest of pursuing handlooms & handicrafts as a profession by many people and artisans. During the process of my research i have learned various forms of artforms like pattachitra , miniature , gond, kutcchi etc art . These rich artforms makes me feel so confident in predicting the future of fashion and lifestyle markets. That if given a chance the artisans are capable of achieving bigger profits. The requirement of a proper marketing channel is mandatory.
THE BRIDGE:
I was always fond of films and fashion and was curious about the way movie actors , fashion models wear the clothes. There are many commercial brands , designers those are already working on big scale and because of evolution in the technology , machineries everything seems easy. But the originality of handmade art is impeccable and beyond comparison. But the route for these artisans to work directly with the designers and film professionals , stylists has not been easy and clear since starting. My research question will definitely help to eradicate this problem of ambiguity.
STRENGTHS:
The research interviews with the professionals , secondary research , and talking directly to the artisans have clarified various factors and below are the strengths of the research.
Strong Network: This research would help in the foundation of a strong network which would directly connect the deserving Artisans with the professionals from the film / fashion Industry.
Authenticity: Authenticity is the major feature of this bridge as all the Artisans & Professionals are able to connect/register after proper documentation and authentication process.
Trust: This bridge would promise trust to the artisans in terms of fair labor wages, connecting them with real professionals with or without registered intermediaries.
Value: As an initiative to connect Artisans with the professionals, the Artisans should be able to deliver the expected value in terms of quality designs, unique creation through this bridge. Fashion brands/films are focusing more on creativity, uniqueness, and quality.
Awareness: Working directly with the Artisans requires the development of strong programs like training, awareness, and education to enlighten the mindset of the artisans through this channel of exposure.
Empowerment: Preparing artisans for the film/fashion world would not only help them in terms of wages, rights & schemes but it will help in eradication of corruption in the process. Empowering them in terms of their IPR is especially important.
CHALLENGES DURING INTERVENTION / TESTING:
It was not easy to run the intervention and as we know the real execution demands more than what we plan inside the brain. There were the various challenges and hinderance i faced during the research:
Reachability: Reaching to the Artisans and few professionals was a real tough job , everyone has faced challenges during the pandemic but continuous hard work has opened up many more ways to achieve.
Development of Designs : The most exciting and challenging part of my research was the development of the handmade designs directly with the artisans.
Creation of the online portal for the handmade designs: I feel so fortunate when it comes to the design planning, execution , development of the designs to the development of the online platform to sell / trade for these artisans.
Fashion / Film Professionals participation: The professionals from fashion and films willing to participate and give a chance to these Artisans and artforms.
PARTICIPATION IN EXHIBITION / SELLING TRADE SHOWS:
This was my major pain point during the intervention and testing. I approached to various sources during the research period and i found that being on a student visa in London it’s impossible to sell these handmade items.
The continuous efforts towards setting up the exhibition/ events are currently under process to gauge whether there is an audience that could actively participate with my project. This opportunity would identify experts and stakeholders that i want to work with and engage them for feedback.
FUTURE STEPS:
I am now focussing on building good relationships with the Arts & Crafts Councils, British Council, etc to understand and support me with a space and navigation for the handmade products to engage with the people in London. This global exposure would help me in testing my intervention.
I am not only confined to bridge creation but to collect and understand the future aspects of my research that could help and understand the various other factors beyond my course.