Creative Dignity is a movement that has brought together diverse creative producers, practitioners, and professionals to energize the ecosystem that Indian artisans need in this time of COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 impact. Our focus is to provide relief, and rejuvenation to the artisans in a bid to ensure their sustained prosperity.
Our vision is to enable artisans to become equal and active participants in building a thriving ecosystem of the future that brings well-being for the planet and people.
VISION
A world where artisans have agency to thrive with dignity.


MISSION
Enabling knowledge, tools and networks for artisans to be equal stakeholders in creating regenerative economies.
OUTREACH AND NETWORK
INR 1.43+ Cr
was raised in 2020 and 2021 collectively
12400+
Covid relief kits were distributed in 2020 & 2021
350+
digital catalogs got made and shared on the CD website
130+
artisans got on-boarded onto various marketing platforms for online sales
Rs.5 Cr
worth of stocks got liquidated through the platforms, exhibitions and whatsapp sales.
12
online marketplaces collaborated with CD to open out marketing opportunities for artisans
350+
student interns
400+
professionals from the ecosystem
Newsletter
Join the mailing list to receive detailed periodic reports released by Creative Dignity documenting the latest status of the movement
#CreativeDignity
More than 90% of India's craft-based enterprises remain under-funded, under-supported. Are you one of them? We invite enterprises in our amazing CD community to help our good friends at @200millionartisans map funding challenges in India's handmade sector. Lets build new pathways to support each other for the greater good.
FUNDING FOR HANDMADE SURVEY
We understand no one likes doing surveys, but this one is really unique and here’s why it matters.
⚪ This is a first-of-its-kind, pan-India survey to study India’s handmade sector
⚪ Your inputs will help shape future investment and policy decisions
⚪ You can help enterprises like yours find funding for their operating and growth needs
⚪ You can shed light on the challenges plaguing the sector and help co-create solutions.
⚪ India’s artisan communities get much-needed global visibility
Be part of the 500 select businesses whose voice will shape this historical research. Please take the survey and help us spread the word.
TAKE THE SURVEY BY MAY 30TH
bit.ly/FundingforHandmadeSurvey (Link in Bio)
BUSINESS OF HANDMADE 2022
The final results and the analysis will be shared as part of a publicly available, open-source research on businessofhandmade.com later this year.
#200millionartisans #creativedignity #handmadeinindia #makeinindia #vocalforlocal #madeinindia #handcraftedinindia
#fundingforhandmadesurvey
#businessofhandmade2022
Link in bio!
Join us, as we discuss the emerging Artisan Digi-prenuer model tomorrow at 6:30 PM IST during the #CatalysingChangeWeek2022
The event will draw on DEF's experience in digital empowerment of 20 years, along with CD's vision of building agency for artisan communities.
The session will be moderated by Meera Goradia (Network Anchor, Creative Dignity), speakers Moe Chiba (Section Chief and Programme Specialist for Culture at UNESCO Jakarta Office) and Badri Narayanan (Head Trade, Commerce & Strategic Economic Dialogue, NITI Ayog, Govt of India) will build context about the artisan sector, the role it plays in the rural and informal economy and challenges to formalization. Osama Manzar (Founder & Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation) and Nisha Subramaniam (Social Entrepreneur & Volunteer at Creative Dignity) will share their experiences with technology enablement in rural artisan and micro entrepreneur communities.
#BadriNarayananGopalakrishnan
#MoeChiba
#digitalempowerment #creativedignity #CCW2022
#catalyst2030 #changemakers #catalysingchange #AcceleratingAction #letsreenergisethesdgs
#sustainableliving #sustainabledevelopment
#sustainabledevelopmentgoals2030
#culturesustainability #handcrafted
#HandMadeInIndia #handmadeenterprise
#digitalentrepreneur #ruralentrepreneurship
#youthentrepreneurship #youthleadership
#youthempowerment #artisanenterprise
#localbusiness #volcalforlocal #artisansofindia
#artisanlivelihoods #technologyforgood
Link in bio!
Creative Dignity (CD) & Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) are collaborating to develop an Artisan DigiPreneur model for nurturing artisan youth, attuned to digital technologies, as entrepreneurs for their clusters who provide key services to strengthen the supply chain.
Join us, as we discuss this emerging model at 6:30 PM IST, on Thursday, 12th May, 2022 at the Catalysing Change Week and unpack learning, challenges and the possibility of enabling the self-organized artisan sector to integrate with more formal economies as well as creating a digital community of stakeholders in the sector.
The event will draw on DEF's experience in digital empowerment of 20 years, along with CD's vision of building agencies for artisan communities. Apart from CD and DEF, we have panelists from NITI Ayog, Govt of India and UNESCO! Given that 90% of artisans are self-organized micro entrepreneurs, this model could be "the new formal". Stay tuned to know more :)
#CatalysingChangeWeek
#catalysingchangeweek2022 #changemakers #catalyst2030 #creativedignity #digitalempowermentfoundation #digitalempowerment #sustainabledevelopment #sustainabledevelopmentgoals #SDGs #sdgs2030 #ruralindia #ruraldevelopment #technologyforgood #technologyforall #artisanlivelihoods #artisansofindia #artisanenterprise #youthentrepreneurship #youthleadership #ruralentrepreneurship #vocalForLocal #makeinindia #HandMadeInIndia #handmade #culturesustainability #AcceleratingAction #ACTnow #accelerating #ccw2022
Eid Mubarak!
We hope that the year gives us all joyful opportunities to create and do things from our souls and touch the souls of others...
#creativedignity #eidmubarak #eid #eid2022 #handmade #handmadeinindia #soulmade #dilsehandloom #islamicpattern #geometry #stars #artisansofindia #artisan #community #hope #joy #ajrakh #culture #culturalheritage #culturalsustainability #love #madewithlove #supportartisans #supportlocal #celebratelocal #vocalforlocal #handblock #blockdesign #peace
Around these dates last year, as we all faced the challenging second wave of Covid-19, #CovidActionCollab became a crucial partner for CD and helped us identify critical ways of reaching out to communities.
Together we were able to reach 8210 individuals, through 1642 women artisans, across 7 states, and ensure food, nutrition and good hygiene. And were able to reach many more families with the right awareness material, ensuring safety and good care.
We are thankful to CAC for their support and to all our regional partners, members, volunteers and artisan champions who sailed over the second wave with us.
#creativedignity #COVIDActionCollab #covid_19 #covidindia #relief #covidrelief #communityresilience #community #artisansofIndia #artisans #womenartisans #hadmadeinIndia #forwardtogether #ruralindia #covidindia #groundwork #grassroot #supportartisans #inthistogether #hope #resilience #communities #supportlocal #standforcommunities #VolunteerMovement #OurVolunteers #Thankful #Donate #JointheMovement #supportinglivelihoods #gratitude
Join us, on Tuesday, 12 April 2022 || 5 PM IST
As @archana.bandhej shares some interesting experiences and stories she collected while writing 'Crafting a Future', in a session moderated by @aa.nchal
This book is about craftspeople, a celebration of their vocational skills. It is a rich tapestry of inspiring stories of artisans, designers and NGOs who have made a difference, improved systems, offered regular work and created markets for their products. It demonstrates the diversity of our textile processes and suggests how to re-purpose this diverse range of ancestral skills, to produce textiles for fashion conscious markets today. @archana.bandhej has also written her enriching experiences and the journey of the land of Kutch in her book - Shifting Sands, Kutch, Textile, Traditions, Transformation.
Find the session link in our bio.
#creativedignity #dilseHandloom #handcrafted #handloomsofindia #handspun #handprinted #HandMadeInIndia #handmade #craftsofindia #vocalForLocal #artisanlivelihoods #traditionalcraft #traditionalknowledge #sustainableliving #sustainableproduction #sustainablefashion #consciousfashion #conciousconsumer #planetandpeople #naturalfibre #naturaldye #craftbooks #womenwhowrite #womenwhoinspire #womenempowerment #communities #culturesustainability #culturalfashion #culture #indegenous
In our recent reel, Varalakshmi ji or as she is lovingly called Varalakka from @kishkindatrust, takes us through her childhood memories with craft, playing and weaving with wires, threads, and how she developed the love of making things with her own two hands!
Varlakka has been the pioneer of social change for 25 years and continues to do so with The Kishkinda Trust in Anegundi, UNESCO World Heritage Site Hampi. Along with being skilled at crochet, macrame and embroidery, she has been a source of inspiration for the women to take up the craft and paved the way for a sustainable livelihood for the community. Her passion for the craft, love for her community and her absolutely vibrant personality bring happiness to anyone who meets her!
Stay tuned for the part 2 of our conversation with her!
#creativedignity #kishkindatrust #Hampi #unescoworldheritage #heritage #inidia #bananafiber #waterhyacinth #handcrafted #handwoven #handicraft #childhoodmemories #childhoodlearning #HandMadeInIndia #handmade #vocalForLocal #changemakers #womenempowerment #womenwhoinspire #womenleaders #womenwhomake #womenehoweave #passionforcraft #communities #loveyourwork #localartisans #artisansofindia #madewithlove #sustainability #sustainablecraft
We speak with Manju Ji of @bun.karbihar as she smiles and embellishes a desi Tasar shirt for a handloom patron, the design of which celebrates womanhood - the tree of life with women and girls gathered around it, singing, dancing and rejoicing.
We wished to know a little about what keeps her going despite the incomparable challenges she faces in her personal life, and we clearly see how it is her work that brings her true joy!
Her love and commitment for embroidery, working with and teaching other women artisans at @bun.karbihar and the life she has single-handedly built for herself and her family truly inspire us to follow the beats of our hearts and to never give up!
#womenthatinspire #creativedignity #embroidery #handmade #womenartisans #handmadeinIndia #artisansofIndia #makersofIndia #lovingwhatyoudo #joyofmaking #craftsofIndia #Bihar #Sujjani #applique #kanthaofBihar #twinofKantha #threadsofLove #lovethreads #storiesofmakers #womenthatmake #womenthatcreate #womenthatembroider #nevergiveup #followyourheart #lovewhatyoumake #sheroes #supprtartisans #culturalsustainability #shemakes #sheinspires
Reposted from @artspeaksindiaheritage
The exhibition, curated by Lina Vincent, will be open for online preview at _4:30 pm on Thursday, 24th February 2022_ in the viewing room at www.artspeaksindia.com.
Stay tuned for more updates!
.
#ArtSpeaksIndiaHeritage #EnduringLegacy #Navarasa #Contemporary #HeritageArt #TraditionalArt #Gond #Phad #Miniatures #Warli #Kalamkari #KeralaMural #Madhubani
Enduring Legacy: Navarasa in Contemporary Indigenous Practices
@artspeaksindiaheritage presents an exhibition based on the ancient treatise of the _Navarasa_, reiterating our commitment towards cultural expression. The artists brought together for this show belong to various vernacular traditions and lineages of artistic practice and their oeuvres showcase both technical expertise and the ability to visualize and communicate vast amounts of ancestral knowledge through distinct styles.
Contemporary Miniature, Gond, Kaavi, Kalamkari, Kalighat, Kathakali (Photography), Kerala Mural, Madhubani, Pattachitra, Phad, Warli, Yakshagana (Photography) will be the various art forms on show in this seminal exhibition. Bhaskar Chitrakar, Chirag Kumavat, Dilip Bahotha, Dulari Devi, Gopi Chevayur, Janardhan Havanje, Kalam Patua, Kalyan Joshi, Mahesh Bhat, Naresh S. Bhoye, J. Niranjan, Pratik Prabhakar, Saroj Venkat Shyam, Shaji N Jaleel, Suresh Muthukulam and Venkat Shyam will present their works showcasing various aspects of _Navarasa_ and ancient Indian history.
The exhibition, curated by Lina Vincent, will be open for online preview at _4:30 pm on Thursday, 24th February 2022_ in the viewing room at www.artspeaksindia.com.
Stay tuned for more updates!
Reposted from @artspeaksindiaheritage
The exhibition, curated by Lina Vincent, will be open for online preview at _4:30 pm on Thursday, 24th February 2022_ in the viewing room at www.artspeaksindia.com.
Stay tuned for more updates!
.
#ArtSpeaksIndiaHeritage #EnduringLegacy #Navarasa #Contemporary #HeritageArt #TraditionalArt #Gond #Phad #Miniatures #Warli #Kalamkari #KeralaMural #Madhubani
Reposted from @lakmefashionwk.
Label @roukabysreejithjeevan works with weaver societies in Kerala that weave kasavu sarees with aim to increase their sales by co-developing the textiles for a larger market
The textiles will be made with masterweaver P.Chandrasekharan and 14 weavers of Kuthampully weavers society. He has also been included in training programmes as Design master.
All About India is an initiative that aims to bring to light, localisation & sustainability while actively supporting homegrown businesses that work collaboratively with craftsmen to bring their designs to life.
@creativedignity @lakmeindia @nexaexperience @fdciofficial @r1seworldwide
#FDCIxLakmeFashionWeek #LakmeFashionWeek #LFW #5DaysOfFashion #FDCIxLFW #SustainableFashionDay #MakeFashionGood
Reposted from @lakmefashionwk.
Label @jayatigoenka.clothing works with Jamdani textile artisans in Bengal to develop textiles for their upcoming collection
All About India is an initiative that aims to bring to light, localisation & sustainability while actively supporting homegrown businesses that work collaboratively with craftsmen to bring their designs to life.
@creativedignity @lakmeindia @nexaexperience @fdciofficial @r1seworldwide
#FDCIxLakmeFashionWeek #LakmeFashionWeek #LFW #5DaysOfFashion #FDCIxLFW #SustainableFashionDay #MakeFashionGood
Reposted from @lakmefashionwk.
@umahaimavati of @upasana.in along with @anshu73 of @jasonanshu have launched a joint project called “WE” to create product lines with Gandhigram, The Colours of Nature, @Tcon_admin & Lambadi community called @porgaiartisans. Porgai is a registered society of 60 women with a rich tradition of hand embroidery
The project showcases their skill set with a spirit of co-creation.
WE was launched under the aegis of All About India project, which is an initiative that aims to bring to light, localisation & sustainability while actively supporting homegrown businesses that work collaboratively with craftsmen to bring their designs to life.
@creativedignity @lakmeindia @nexaexperience @fdciofficial @r1seworldwide
#FDCIxLakmeFashionWeek #LakmeFashionWeek #LFW #5DaysOfFashion #FDCIxLFW #SustainableFashionDay #MakeFashionGood
Reposted from @lakmefashionwk.
Label @jajaabor2017 is collaborating with artisans in Chanderi district to co-develop handwoven chanderi textiles with zari for their collection
Jajaabor will be working with Musafir Ansari from Chanderi who creates beautiful textiles along with 25 other weavers in the region
All About India is an initiative that aims to bring to light, localisation & sustainability while actively supporting homegrown businesses that work collaboratively with craftsmen to bring their designs to life.
@creativedignity @lakmeindia @nexaexperience @fdciofficial @r1seworldwide
#FDCIxLakmeFashionWeek #LakmeFashionWeek #LFW #5DaysOfFashion #FDCIxLFW #SustainableFashionDay #MakeFashionGood
Reposted from @lakmefashionwk.
@anujsharmanid of @buttonmasala is working with Rogan art from Nirona Village in Kutch. Along with developing textiles, Anuj is also conducting workshops to teach artisans button masala technique.
The tradition of Rogan art is a form of textile painting which uses a rich, brightly coloured paint made from castor oil and natural colors. It is sustained by the last and original Abdul Gafur family in Nirona. Jabbar Khatri, who comes from the family, is a skilled Rogan artist. He also takes keen interest in story-telling and marketing on social media.
All About India is an initiative that aims to bring to light, localisation & sustainability while actively supporting homegrown businesses that work collaboratively with craftsmen to bring their designs to life.
@creativedignity @lakmeindia @nexaexperience @fdciofficial @r1seworldwide @jabbar_rogan @roganart_official
#FDCIxLakmeFashionWeek #LakmeFashionWeek #LFW #5DaysOfFashion #FDCIxLFW #SustainableFashionDay #MakeFashionGood
Reposted from @lakmefashionwk.
All About India is an initiative by @r1seworldwide & @creativedignity to bring about deeper collaborations between clusters & designers that would aid the artisans affected by the pandemic, with sustainable livelihoods.
With All About India, we have set out to redefine the collaborations with clusters by finding long term solutions for both the designers and the artisans.
Designers and artisans came together not just to develop collections but to build relationships that truly empower.
Stay tuned for more!
@creativedignity @lakmeindia @nexaexperience @fdciofficial @r1seworldwide
#FDCIxLakmeFashionWeek #LakmeFashionWeek #LFW #5DaysOfFashion #FDCIxLFW #SustainableFashionDay #MakeFashionGood
Swipe to read...
Exploring and decoding NFTs and their potential for connection artisans with new age audiences!
While NFTs is a new world for us, we would like to thank @wazirxnft
and @lakmefashionwk for helping us realise the possibilitiesand learn this new medium hands-on. Hope it takes Artisanal stories far and wide while maintaining the bond with the roots.
.
.
.
.
.
#craftnfts #DefinetoRedefine #FDCIxLFW #FDCIxLakmeFashionWeek #LakmeFashionWeek #5DaysofFashion #LFW #WazirXNFT #NFTCommunity #NFTCreators #DigitalArt #CryptoArt #Artworks #NFTs #CryptoArtist #NFTArtist #NFTCollector #NFTCollectibles #NFTDrop #NFTArt #FNFT #CollectTheFuture
'Goonj' NFT live now @wazirxnft marketplace!
This Gond piece done by Choti, of a lush and bountiful tree, alive with birds and bird chatter, is a classic representation of mother nature in its full glory. Farhat's concept was to create the effect of a 'close up' of the Gond piece, while still adhering to the form and colours of the bird, leaves, and the tree form. On viewing the two pieces side by side, one is presented with a unique perspective of seeing the same scene from afar and up-close at the same time. It is called, 'Goonj' where the nature of the traditional art form is is echoed in the contemporary piece.
About the Makers
Choti Tekam is a Gond artist from Mandala district in Madhya Pradesh. Being in harmony with nature, green pastures, forest trees, animals and village life, Choti used nature to inspire her art. Her love for Gond art, the forms-figures-dots and dashes reflect her close connection with natural surroundings.
Farhat Datta is an artist based in Mumbai, with a background in graphic design. Her art education spans from Sophia polytechnic (Mumbai), to Pratt (New York) and ESAM Design Ecole Superieure des Arts Modernes (Paris). This has provided her with extensive exposure to various design ideologies and is instrumental in her choice of design esthetics. Her body of work also ventures into charcoal abstracts and flowers in charcoal.
About Gond Art
The Gond tribal community is one of the largest indigenous communities from central India. The word “Gond'' comes from the Dravidian expression kond, meaning “the green mountain.” The recorded history of the Gond people goes back 1400 years.
Every artist today has a personal style and has developed a specific language within these narratives creating a richness of aesthetic forms and styles.Gond art comes with the belief that a good image brings good luck. This inherent belief led the Gonds to decorate their houses
#craftnft #DefinetoRedefine #FDCIxLFW #FDCIxLakmeFashionWeek #LakmeFashionWeek #5DaysofFashion #LFW #WazirXNFT #NFTCommunity #NFTCreators #Digi
Lockdown Dreams NFT live on @wazirxnft marketplace!
Ayesha’s Madamjis relaxing in the quiet surroundings illustrated by Dulari Deviji's Madhubani jungle. Earlier Madhubani paintings were based on scenes from the royal courts and social events. Taking the theme forward the relaxing outdoors is what people wished for during the lockdown.
About the Makers
Dulari Devi is an Indian artist and illustrator, working in the Mithila art tradition. She learned to draw and illustrate in the Madhubani style while she was working as a domestic servant in the home of Madhubani artist Mahasundari Devi. Mahasundari Devi introduced her to another artist, Karpoori Devi, who also taught Dulari Devi Madhubani art and techniques. In 2021, she was a recipient of the Padmashri, a civilian honor granted by the Government of India, for her contributions to art.
Ayesha Brocha, is a photographer, illustrator, and artist from Mumbai. Having worked as a photographer she loves capturing people in their most candid moments which is also reflected in her artworks. Her illustrations of daily, mundane routines look fresh and lively in the bright colour palette she uses.
About Madhubani Paintings
Also known as Mithila painting due to its origins in the Mithila region of India and Nepal, Madhubani is a traditional Indian folk art made on canvas, cloth, or cow dung-washed hand paper. Natural dye and colors are used in the creation of artworks with geometrical figures and vibrant colors being key elements.
The Madhubani style of painting can be traced to the Madhubani district in Bihar, literally meaning 'a forest of honey', where women spent a lot of time making these paintings on the walls of their homes. Mainly attributed to the upper caste in the beginning, this was later taken up by women across all castes. The women used their keen sense of beauty to create evocative paintings of gods and goddesses, animals and characters from mythology, using natural dyes and pigments and painted with the help of twigs, fingers, and matchsticks.
#craftnft #DefinetoRedefine #FDCIxLFW #FDCIxLakmeFashionWeek #LakmeFashionWeek #5DaysofFashion #LFW #WazirXNFT #NFTCommunity #NFTCreators #DigitalArt #Crypto