Workshop

Somaiya Kala Vidya, a social enterprise working with textile arts in the desert region of Kutch, India, offers workshops focusing on concept, design and techniques of textile arts of Kutch for design and textile enthusiasts

Objective

Workshops include extra weft weaving on a pit loom, hand block printing, batik block printing, bandhani (shibori), and dyeing with synthetic and natural dyes. Embroidery in Rabari and Suf traditions, patchwork and appliqué can also be taught.

• Participants learn age-old traditional techniques, traditional concepts of color, form and patterns, and creative evocation of artisans’ experiences through their arts.
• Excellent opportunity to experience the vibrant culture of Kutch artisans.
• Participants will appreciate concept as well as learn exciting skills, through working with traditional artisans.
• By the end of the workshop, participants will have produced a genuine textile in the art form chosen, and have had the enriching experience of working directly with these artisans

Facilities

Somaiya Kala Vidya is situated on an expansive campus outside Adipur, near the commercial center Gandhidham, in Kutch. The workshops are taught by master traditional artisans who have graduated from a design program. Studios for weaving, block printing and dyeing are constructed in traditional style with stone and lime mortar, and antique wood and stone elements. These structures have revived languishing eco-friendly techniques while contributing to the beautiful, inviting atmosphere of the rural campus. Workshops may be conducted in artisans' villages. Simple, healthy Gujarati vegetarian meals are included in the workshops.

Traditions Arts

1. Weaving
2. Block Printing
3. Batik
4. Bandhani
5. Natural Dyeing
6. Embroidery
7. Patchwork and Applique

Instructors

In all workshops, participants work with traditional artisans who have graduated from a design program-- weavers, printers and dyers, the inimitable nomadic Rabaris and other embroiderers. Profiles of instructors will be available when the dates of the workshops are set.

Duration and Fees

Minimum 3 people required. Fees per person include lunch and tea as well as materials and instruction and pick up-drop off at Bhuj.

Options for workshops with room and board are available on request.Special discounts for group bookings are also available.

22 Days Course in Textile Traditions

Somaiya Kala Vidya, an institution of education for traditional artisans, offers a 22-day course in Textile Traditions of Kutch taught by its artisan graduates with specializations including weaving, block printing, batik, bandhani, embroidery, appliqué and patchwork. Expert traditional artisans of the desert region Kutch, India, educated in design and business, are well prepared to teach concepts as well as skills. Close interaction with these young masters provides a richly rewarding experience in understanding traditions and an unparalleled opportunity to broaden the comprehension of art, craft and design.

Course Description

The Course is divided into six sessions. All are hands-on, and taught by highly skilled traditional artisans and specialists. Included in each is a brief introduction on traditional textile arts and their cultural context. The sessions together provide an understanding of craft skills and the deep traditional knowledge that supports them. Each participant will choose a craft and specialize in it. The total duration of the course is 22 days.

Objective

• Participants will learn age-old traditional techniques, and traditional concepts of color, form and patterns.
• A session on the historical influences and traditional artisan-client relationships that shaped products, materials, colors, techniques, patterns and motifs, will illuminate the aesthetic elements that ultimately created a holistic regional aesthetic.
• Excellent opportunity to experience the vibrant culture of Kutch.
• By the end of the workshop, participants will have produced a genuine textile in the art form chosen, and have had the enriching experience of working directly with these artisans.

Facilities

Somaiya Kala Vidya is situated on an expansive campus outside Adipur, near the commercial center Gandhidham, in Kutch. The workshops are taught by master traditional artisans who have graduated from a design program. Studios for weaving, block printing and dyeing are constructed in traditional style with stone and lime mortar, and antique wood and stone elements. These structures have revived languishing eco-friendly techniques while contributing to the beautiful, inviting atmosphere of the rural campus. Workshops may be conducted in artisans' villages. Simple, healthy Gujarati vegetarian meals are included in the workshops.

Traditional Arts

1. Weaving
2. Block Printing
3. Batik
4. Bandhani
5. Natural Dyeing
6. Embroidery
7. Patchwork and Applique

Instructors

In all workshops, participants work with traditional artisans who have graduated from a design program-- weavers, printers and dyers, the inimitable nomadic Rabaris and other embroiderers. Profiles of instructors will be available when the dates of the course are set.

Course Schedule and Fees

The course is currently offered on a demand basis and can be scheduled according to participants' specifications.

Winter months, between November and February, are ideal.

Monsoons, between June and September, are not advisable. A minimum of three to four students per craft is required.

The fee for the course is US $1200 | ₹ 88,000 per person Fees include instruction, materials, transport to the venue, meals and tea. Assistance in accommodation can be provided.

Open Studio Tours

Somaiya Kala Vidya, an institute of education for artisans in the desert region of Kutch, India, offers open studio tours of Bhujodi, a weaving village, and Ajrakhpur, a block print and natural dyeing village, focusing on the traditional essence and individual innovations of contemporary craft traditions of Kutch, for design and textile enthusiasts. The studios are all independently operated by master traditional artisans who have graduated from a design program. The expected outcomes are that participants will

• Understand a traditional aesthetic style
• Experience a traditional social system
• Understand the place of individual innovation
• Experience the rich, subtle diversity of contemporary artisan designed craft

Activities

Visitors are provided with a map locating the home/ workplaces of participating artisan designers. They are free to explore the by lanes of the village for the morning. They join again for a traditional lunch in the home of a designated artisan designer. A common display of work from all participating artisan designers can also be organized

Traditional Arts

1. Weaving
2. Block Printing
3. Batik
4. Bandhani
5. Natural Dyeing
6. Embroidery
7. Patchwork and Applique

Artisan Designers

The participants are all traditional artisans who have graduated from a design program i.e. weavers, printers and dyers. Profiles of participants will be available when the dates of the tours are set.

Fees

Minimum three people for a tour. Cost for the one-day guided tour is RS 2,900 per person. If groups are of 5 or more members, the cost per person is reduced to Rs.2,400. Cost includes visits, guiding, lunch and tea. Custom tours for less than three people or other dates can be arranged.