September 1, 2023: With rapid urbanisation and modernisation, it is easy to see how traditional art forms are slowly dying. The time-consuming process of producing artwork is less appreciated and compensated in this day and age. With the gradual descent of these artforms into oblivion, India’s diverse traditions are sadly lost.
In an attempt to promote some of these artforms by imparting the skills to the youth, Women’s Christian College conducted a series of ‘Indian Skill Development Courses’ for a duration of 16 days. The Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) and Extension Activities of WCC made coordinated efforts for the successful conduct of these courses. They were conducted in collaboration with the Pidilite group, by art & craft professionals certified by Fevicryl. Final year students from all departments were expected to attend these courses and learn at least one artform for two days, following which there was an exhibition of their work and a valedictory programme.
When asked why these courses were offered to the third-year students specifically, Ms. Cordelia Hannah, Extension Activities’ faculty coordinator, replied, “As they are going out, they need that passion. Who knows, they might also become entrepreneurs in these artforms.” “The Principal felt that this could be a great addition to the students’ skill sets gained from WCC. That’s why it has been made mandatory for the final year students,” she continued.
This skill development programme, however, is not new to WCC. Ms. Jayashree Narayan, a key contributor and a certified art & craft Fevicryl specialist, noted that this initiative was launched in 2010. An event conducted by the History Department on traditional art skills eventually led to the formation of an after-college paid course under the name ‘Tradicraft’, where the students were taught various traditional art forms. After many years, there has been a ‘revival’ of this course in a modified form. “It’s not easy for a college to provide kits and promote traditional art forms among their students. WCC’s efforts are really commendable,” remarked Ms. Narayan. “Students will go out with a knowledge of something unique and different,” she added. Ms. Narayan has been in this industry for nearly forty years, sustaining herself with her flair and passion for traditional arts and crafts. She has helped many schools create records using traditional crafts on big platforms like the Limca Book of records. Apart from this, she has also published a book on traditional crafts called Kaithozhilum Seiymurayum. In addition to her work as a Fevicryl certified specialist, she is also the founder of Hasthashri Art & Crafts. In her address during the valedictory programme, Ms. Narayan appreciated the disciplined conduct of the students, which she claimed was unlike any other college.
The programme was a grand success. The ten courses – Tanjore Painting, Madhubani, Clay Jewellery, Athangudi Tiles, Clay crafts, Usta Kaam, Kalamkari, Cleopatra on fabric, Hand Embroidery and Tholu Bommalata - yielded miniature masterpieces which were displayed during the exhibition. Mandatory or not, countless students benefitted from the courses. The students’ child-like joy on receiving the craft kits was enough to melt the stress of assignments and seminars. This sentiment echoed in the feedback given by the Senate President, Matilda. “It was a stress-busting session, which was relaxing but required a lot of patience. It was a very good opportunity for us to learn about our tradition”. This positive response leads to the question – will the programme become a WCC tradition?
Starting from top left: Tholu Bommalata workshop, Madhubani workshop, Kalamkari exhibits, Usta Kaam sample work, Tanjore painting workshop, Tanjore painting and embroidery exhibits