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The Best of Both Worlds: International Collaborations in Craft & Design

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Saturday 22 October 2011 5-7pm
National Institute of Fashion Technology amphitheatre Green Park, New Delhi, India (see map)

Trent Jansen 'Sign stool' from reused road signs (limited edition)‘The Best of Both Worlds’ considers the increasing number of transnational partnerships being forged between craft and design. How can we combine the free-wheeling possibilities of modern capitalist world with the grounded meaning of cultural traditions?

Typically, a designer from a wealthy Western country seeks to produce something handmade using skills of a traditional artisan. While this does seem to reinforce global inequalities, it is often the best alternative for those seeking to sustain their craft. So how can designers and artisans work together in product development as a fair partnership? How can designers work with artisans in a way that respects their unique contribution? What is the role for Indian designers in these new transnational supply chains?

This forum is part of Sangam: The Australia India Design Platform, which is a three year program of events designed to promote creative design partnerships between Australia and India. It includes roundtables, forums and workshops in Melbourne and Delhi, Sydney and Ahmedabad, and Brisbane and Bangalore. To support partnerships, a code of practice for creative collaborations is being developed.

Come join in a public forum to consider the opportunities for craft and design through international partnerships. Hear from leading innovative designers and craftspersons in Australia and India, including Trent Jansen, Ishan Khosla, Matthew Butler and Sandra Bowkett. Consider the role of ethical consumerism in generating opportunities in craft, fashion, design and social justice.

Moe Chiba to speak at forum

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Moe Chibe will be joining the upcoming discussion about designers working in India. Moe Chiba has extensive experience working throughout the South Asia region. She heads up the Culture Unit of UNESCO in New Delhi and has been working with the Craft Revival Trust on the second edition of their Designers Meet Artisans publication. She is currently on leave from UNESCO in order to spend more time with grass-roots organisations and learn what’s happening in the field.

Moe Chiba will be part of the forum The Visible Hand: What Made in India Means Today, where she’ll be reflecting on the current state of crafts in India and the potential for collaboration with designers. She’ll be joined by Melbourne designer Sara Thorn, who has been producing textiles handmade in India for the World Weave label. Chris Godsell from Peddle Thorp will have the opportunity to look back to the experience of constructing the main stadium for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and Soumitri Varadarajan from Industrial Design at RMIT will have the chance to provide a broader historical and cultural perspective.

This forum is the opening event of Sangam – the Australia India Design Platform, which is a three year program of forums, workshops, roundtables, residencies and exchanges. Its aim is to develop an understanding between the contemporary trajectories of Australia and India. In particular, it builds a pathway that enables designers to build ethical and viable partnerships with traditional artisans.

This is also the first event of the Ethical Design Laboratory, which is a newly established research area at RMIT Centre for Design.