Introduction

Craft Design Innovation Project is an attempt to initiate an all inclusive and participatory process, bringing together the fields of craft and design. The idea is to engage with community and foster the idea of innovation within them. With an all inclusive approach, each individual is valued and becomes an important part of the entire process. This entire process and approach is not planned as a series or sequence of events, rather they are like a web of activities which may repeat, overlap and coincide with others. Divided over three phases, this project attempts to strengthen the relationship with craft community and empower them with multiple skills of craft design innovation. This project was conducted through a series of workshops, training sessions and exposure sessions. The project was initiated in early 2015 with support from Manthan Educational Programme Society. A series of activities and events have been conducted in the rural and urban settings since its inception in 2015. The project is still ongoing and the phases of this project are mentioned below: Phase 1: Craft Innovation Training Program Phase 2: Community driven Innovation Training Program Phase 3: Spatial reconfiguration of the work spaces

The project began with a detailed mapping which produced comprehensive information consisting of craft process images, craftspeople data, tools and techniques, final product details etc.The mapping stage gave a deeper insight on the number of active craft practices and also helped to understand the community better.