The workshop “Next generation of Sri Lankan designers – Developing and innovating Sri Lankan craft for export” took place in Colombo recently. The event was the continuation of the recent 2022 research and mapping of the “Handloom, Batik and Dumbara Fashion Industry in Sri Lanka” prepared by Prof. Robert Meeder, coordinated and facilitated by the Cultural Relations Platform for the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka.
Prof. Meeder said, “Inspiring, supporting and working with the next generation of craft leaders is so important to the industry and youth of Sri Lanka. Artisanal craft is the future, so many European brands and design houses want to collaborate with the crafts sector to reach a global platform. But the key is a shifting mindset from competition to collaboration. We need to work together across the sector - and this initiative and investment from the EU Sri Lanka and Cultural Relations Platform towards training and education is the perfect opportunity to bring the world to Sri Lanka and back again.”
The workshop featured presentations from founders of Europe’s leading craft platform XTANT and high level speakers, namely Andrea Brocca, the world’s youngest couture designer and Gourab Ganguli, talented fashion photographer and documentary film-maker from India. Brocca discussed the need of creating higher quality and higher value products, while Ganguli addressed storytelling, competition and exposition in Europe. Pioneering Indian fashion designer Chinar Farooqui from Injiri also joined the discussion and shared her journey from local craft to global presence and the importance of cross regional collaboration between India and Sri Lanka.
Andrea Brocca said, “It was an absolute pleasure to be here in Sri Lanka as part of this fantastic initiative from the Cultural Relations Platform and the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka. I got to inspire the next generation of designers and creators who will work with their craft which is so rich and has so much to offer! I also got to come for the first time to my homeland and experience first-hand the warmth, beauty and explore how to work with Sri Lankan artisanal craft on an international luxury level.”
Gourab Ganguli said, “Having worked with leading Indian fashion designers, brands and XTANT, a platform for global craft pioneers, I am excited to be here in Sri Lanka as part of the educational workshop from the Cultural Relations Platform and European Delegation in Sri Lanka. I am thrilled at the possibilities of creating connections and collaborating from India to Sri Lanka to the world - it’s all about collaboration, sharing and partnerships.”
Participants at the workshop explored the potential of craft and defined the need for developing the sector for export and identify opportunities and partners to work, support and collaborate with. The event brought together 40 young creators working in the craft sector and was a combination of live digital sharing sessions from EU experts and group discussions. The training aimed to promote understanding of the craft and contemporary design for export, identify skills, design and craft opportunities within own network and explore how to add and create higher value through design intervention.
On the same day, the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka hosted “Threads on Threads”, a conference on textile. “The conference brought together art historians, museum curators, and designers from Sri Lanka, South Asia and Europe to debate and discuss the history of textiles, their preservation, links and influences across borders, contemporary craftsmanship and the challenges of modern entrepreneurship”, said International Relations Officer for the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka Anne Vaugier-Chatterjee.