How Craft Fairs Have Become Game Changers For Local Economies

According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets.com, the global exhibition market was estimated to soar to 25.19 Billion USD in 2023 with a 12.96 per cent CAGR. Vipul Jain and Shibani Jain, Founders, Hand for Handmade, the organisers of the Hamari Virasat artisanal exhibition join Everything Experiential in an exclusive interaction. They talk about the challenges of organising a large-scale exhibition, the role businesses can play in supporting artisans and business opportunities in the sector among much more.

Excerpts:

What were some interactive or immersive elements planned for the exhibition to enhance the experiential aspect for visitors?

Vipul Jain: There were both in-person and online workshops along with games being held alongside the workshops around the art. As HFH, we are preparing digital online learning and skilling content for artisans and entrepreneurs which is available for free on our Handmade Academy platform. We have also planned interesting social media engagement opportunities for visitors.

Shibani Jain: We have planned games around the exhibit at Kalaghoda while building upon the idea of the Indian constitution. We also have a digital catalogue that explains all the artworks and reveals the thought process involved.

In terms of experiential impact, how do you envision these 1mx1m artworks engaging viewers and cultivating a deeper connection with India's cultural legacy?

Vipul Jain: ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ – we envisaged Hamari Virasat as a visual statement of the diversity and beauty of Indian handmade traditions. The artisan sector is a microcosm that lives values like fraternity, equality and liberty and the core thought of ‘unity in diversity’ in practice and this is communicated at a very experiential level.  The artworks are simple and accessible and they will connect to youth and next-gen citizens.

Shibani Jain: These artworks are the artisan's interpretations of the preamble and what they understand it to mean. Each artwork is rooted in some profound idea and when you understand these ideas (as explained in our catalogue) you understand the mind and soul of these artists and artisans too. Therein lies the connection you make with your brethren, separated by geography, economics and sometimes education.

How are businesses playing a role in supporting initiatives like 'Hamari Virasat' and how can corporate partnerships enhance the impact of such cultural endeavours?

Vipul Jain: I think it is important for corporates and policymakers to realise the importance of the sector to fulfil our SDG goals and foster inclusive growth for the country. The artisanal sector creates anywhere from 10 million to 200 million livelihoods (the wide variance reflects the absence of data on the sector). These are livelihoods that not only provide supplemental income but are distributed across all parts of rural India and do not require migration to cities. 60 per cent are women working in the sector and therefore this sector is a powerful way for women empowerment. The sector has a positive impact on climate change due to the use of sustainable and natural materials. The handmade sector impacts six SDG goals in a very significant way.

It is also important to recognise that the sector also represents a significant business opportunity for entrepreneurs. The market for handmade crafts, interior décor, fashion and apparel, art jewellery and visual arts is estimated at 120 billion USD and is expected to grow to 360 billion USD by 2030. India’s share of global trade in handicrafts is 1.6 per cent of a 680 billion USD market and only 10.6 billion USD today. If we grow our market share to 3 per cent, our trade-in handicrafts can grow to 46 billion USD by 2030. There is a very significant business opportunity driven by secular trends such as the conscious consumer movement, increased cross-border e-commerce and the Indian diaspora reclaiming their culture.

There are many ways businesses can support the artisan sector; the most important one is buying more handmade and craft products not only because it helps artisans, but because it helps them become more sustainable and creates a better value proposition for their customers. Handmade products made from natural materials in terms of décor, accessories and gifts offer good alternatives to plastic and mass-produced goods. Packaging using natural and decomposable materials is another huge area ripe for exploration. Workshops and art performances are a great way for employee wellness programs, additionally, cultural tourism is a fast-growing segment.

The sector is underserved in terms of access to finance; there are opportunities for purpose-led and catalytic finance. One of the first venture funds focusing on creative, cultural and circular enterprises is Hearth Ventures and there is space for many more so that the start-up ecosystem can be kickstarted for the sector. NBFCs have an opportunity to provide blended finance and revenue-based instruments for the sector. Institutes should set up craft design labs and incubators to encourage new-age tech and market-savvy entrepreneurs to enter the sector.

The policymakers must look at this sector with fresh eyes as an opportunity for India to become the ‘handmade factory’ of the world. Entrepreneurs working in the sector should be supported by liberal grants and given liberal access to capital by setting up a focused ‘fund of funds’ for this sector. Collaborations with designers from across the world should be encouraged and design labs made available for designers and artisans to innovate and create new products that have a global appeal.

Shibani Jain: Businesses like JSW have supported our initiative. Many businesses have their CSR and social agenda mandated along the same directions. They realise the need to build goodwill in society and to support supplementary income opportunities at and around their places of work, which can be remote or rural.

How has technology been incorporated into the showcase of these artisanal artworks to reach a wider audience?

Vipul Jain: We are planning to release limited edition NFT artworks for the pieces contributed by the artisan groups and offer them for sale globally. The proceeds will be shared with artisans and used for the benefit of artisans by HFH Foundation. This will be a first in the industry and showcase the use of technology for a wider and fairer distribution of value to artists.

What were the challenges you faced for a cohesive representation of 75 artisans from diverse regions?

Vipul Jain: In Hamari Virasat, we wanted each textile artwork to be inspired by that art and the values of the Constitution. We also wanted the artwork to be a voluntary contribution from the artists so that it becomes very inclusive and an opportunity to express their love for the nation. So, it was challenging, but to our delight, when we did a call out among the Hand for Handmade members, we got an immediate and spontaneous outpouring of support to make the artwork.

Shibani Jain: We started planning the call for artwork almost 12 months back. Some individuals were proactive, some took time. We had to rework some of them to make them more interesting visually and technique-wise. The last 10-12 were the hardest to get- as by then, we had specific regional asks- to ensure that North, West, East and South were covered adequately. For instance, we got a representation of a meessing weave from Assam, just in time for the setup.