Endangered Craft Mela
The Endangered Craft Mela is a week long educational program that aims to highlight the dignity of craftsmanship by learning alongside artisans from a variety of trades. The week takes place at The Learning Community (TLC) in Auroville every February, where over 20 different crafts are taught. Children from Auroville, surrounding outreach schools and children from the bioregion belonging to low-income backgrounds come together to create a unique learning space.
FILMS
In our contemporary world, we have lost much in the name of progress; not only animal and plant biodiversity, but also highly crafted knowledge and traditional skills. Many Indian crafts are endangered by industrial development and consumption patterns. More and more traditional tools and artifacts are being replaced by cheaper, fast throw-away products. Art forms are losing ground to more generic, globalised forms of entertainment. With these shifts, we are losing knowledge, skills and tools that express and celebrate local voices, resourcefulness and identity.
Crafts people are not the only ones disappearing from the streets. Our children are also increasingly disempowered as less importance is given to creating with their own hands. The concept of making and repairing is disappearing with tremendous speed.
Fertile community in Auroville has been working to empower children and adults in many diverse fields, not least of all, working with their hands, for over 40 years. We wish to broaden this opportunity to all children; therefore we started the Endangered Craft Mela in 2019 with over 200 children attending.
How You Can Help
Every donation, big or small, makes a difference.
Donate now and help us towards our next mela!
