Kosal Discussion and Development Forum

Centre of handicraft training-cum-design, Sambalpur

February 7, 2011 at 10:20 am sanjibkarmee Leave a comment

Earlier it was reported that Sambalpur will get an Apparel Training and Design Centres (ATDC). Is Centre of handicraft training-cum-design is another name of centre of handicraft training-cum-design or a different institute?

Following is from TOI:

SAMBALPUR: There’s good news for the artisans of western Orissa. The directorate of handicraft and cottage industries finally set up a centre of handicraft training-cum-design in Sambalpur on Wednesday for the benefit of local artisans. The centre will provide design development skills to artisans in order to help them produce articles in keeping with the market demand.

“The main aim of the centre is to provide design skills to artisans. There are many artisans who are engaged in traditional art and crafts, but they often face difficulties in making their products suitable to the changing market demand. The centre will equip them with design development skills in order to help them craft their products to cater to the new trends in the market,” the director of handicraft and cottage industries, Nityananda Palei, said. While inaugurating the centre at Kuluthkani area in Sambalpur town, Palei said they have recruited designers from Rajasthan to provide training to artisans keeping in mind current demand trends.

Sources said the Sambalpur training school would be the second such venture in the state. A similar centre is already functional in Bhubaneswar. The State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC), an independent body under the directorate of handicraft department, will look after the centre. Twenty artisans from Bolangir, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Bargarh have been selected for the training programme that will begin from this month.

“This time we have decided to provide design development skills to artisans who are already in the field. We have decided to cover others arts and crafts in future,” the executive director of SIDAC, B K Dash, said. According to him, the duration of training will be one year and lodging will be provided to the trainees free of cost with a stipend of Rs 1,000 per month to meet their food expenses.

On the other hand, artisans are elated at the opening of such a training centre in Sambalpur. They hope that through the centre they would able to develop their existing design skills.

“The setting up of the training centre at Sambalpur is a welcome step. Design development skill training will definitely give a new look to traditional arts and crafts industry,” said Paramanada Rana of Bolangir and Promaod Maharana of Bargarh, two artisans who have joined the centre to improve their skills in terracotta art.

Entry filed under: Apparel Training and Design Centres, Arts and Crafts, Bomakai of Sonepur, Habbas of Kalahandi, Ikat and Sambalpuri Saree, Pasapali of Bargarh.