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An occasional update from Sangam - the Australia India Design Platform

The Australia India Design Platform

The first phase of the Australia India Design

Platform concluded in October with a series of

productive meetings. The question was how

designers can draw on craft traditions in a way that

is both fair and creative.

Thanks to Vik Kanwar and academic staff at the

Jindal Global Law School for providing important research into the comparative use of

codes in Australia and India. The reception hosted by the Australian High Commission

was much appreciated, especially to newly arrived Australian visitors.

The roundtable at the India Habitat Centre proved particularly important in building

standards for creative collaborations. Thanks to the local Indians for their forthright views,

particularly the venerable Jasleen Dhamija who gave a wonderful oration to warm up the

day. The willingness of the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts S.S. Gupta to

inaugurate the day was much appreciated. Academic representatives from the NationalInstitute for Fashion and Technology well and truly put themselves into the fray. And to

provide an artisans point of view, we were very grateful that the Delhi potters gave up

their time to be heard. It was also good to welcome fresh voices into the discussion, such

as the Indian jeweller Sutopa Parrab, textile historian Swati Jain, designers Shipra Bose

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and Bakula Narak.

The Australians too made a great contribution, both at the Roundtable and the public

forum at NIFT. These included the designer in residence, Trent Jansen, Zaishu creator

Matthew Butler, weaver and academic Liz Williamson, textile designer Julie Lantry,

ceramicist Sandra Bowkett and designers Lauren Bennett and Genevieve Fennel.

Along the way, we managed to extend the conversation to Jaipur, thanks to the faculty at

the India Institute of Craft and Design, and Goa, facilitated by the inspiring Rahul Barua of

the South Asia Foundation.

Special thanks to our team on the ground, Ishan Khosla Design, who showed how the

spirit of Indian craft can find expression today in ways that are both attractive and

meaningful.

Well be posting reports on the Delhi discussions on the website in due course, and a

digest in the newsletter. Of course, we now start planning for 2012, including the Sydney

Design Festival and a conference at NID in Ahmedabad during October. We have

uncovered important issues in making pathways for collaboration, particularly ways to

carry the story of how objects are designed and made. Next, we turn to innovation,

particularly in how traditions can be adapted to find a place in modern urban life. You are

welcome to share the journey.