Business and Management for Artisans

Business and Management for Artisans, a "post graduate" course of Somaiya Kala Vidya, practically enables graduates of the design course to increase their capacity to earn well from their work. The course provides protected time and space for them to consider how they want to begin or expand their own businesses, and increase the value and economic return of their designs and craft. In this course, each student designs a new collection and uses it to produce stock for sale in a group exhibition in Mumbai. The students of the men's and women's sections collaboratively produce the exhibition as well.

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Course Structure

SKV's BMA course is eleven months in duration. It is structured as five sequential 2-week class sessions, between which the students return to the home/ work place. Homework after each session insures that the students utilize what they learned, and creates material to initiate the next class.

Between sessions, SKV Faculty visit students individually in order to guide the application of course learning. Following the fourth session, the students produce an exhibition sale in Mumbai. The final session reviews the entire year and its results in the exhibition, and guides the students to use the experience to develop a final business plan.

Faculty and Resources

Courses are taught by Visiting Faculty - professional business and management educators, supported by SKV faculty - artisan designer graduates of the course. The course draws on resources including guest speakers, field trips, the SKV media lab and SKV library, film archives and textile resource center.

Course Content and Objectives

In the eleven-month course, artisan designer students learn to:
» Create a new collection targeted for the high end Mumbai market
» Strategize for their entry into or increase of existing business
» Apply for a loan with a reputable banking partner
» Plan and optimize systems of production
» Increase their existing sales and return
» Document and manage financial systems
» Produce a group exhibition
» Analyze and maximize business performance

The underlying objectives of the course are to develop:
» Research, analysis and planning skills
» Financial literacy and record keeping skills
» Cost analysis and pricing skills
» Performance evaluation skills
» Leadership and interpersonal skills
» Business English and computer skills

Evaluation

The course is evaluated practically through the sales of the Mumbai exhibition. After the final course, the students participate in an oral examination by a jury comprising experts in the fields of business education and craft markets, followed by a public seminar on issues of sustainability of craft traditions.

Course Follow-up

Following the course, the students are mentored for ten months to insure that they apply the concepts and principles from the program into their business/ work. At the conclusion of the program, they present new collections demonstrating their capacity as Artisan Designer BMAs in the annual Convocation Mela.

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