The School of Designs of the Handicrafts Department that exhibits a sample collection of valuable and antique collection of Kashmir crafts has created as many as 59 new designs during the year 2015-16.This was disclosed by the Director Handicrafts Gazanfar Ali today.The new designs have been created in the craft categories that come in textile (Tapestry, Staple Embroidery, Chain Stitch Embroidery, Kani Shawl, Crewel, Sozni, Zari) as well as non textile crafts (Paper Machie, Wood Carving, Willow wicker, Metal ware).with this addition of the new designs now about 5186 designs in different crafts are available in the institute for the interested groups.During the same period the institute conducted live demonstrations, exhibition and display of the handicrafts products and new designs in different festivals both within and outside the state.
The institute also conducted a training programme of willow wicker craft in village Pakherpora and trained a group of 60 women and provided them the new designs and gave them awareness about the craft and about marketing of the same.As many as 858 new designs were provided to the artisans as per the emerging marketing trends and as many as 1778 craft lovers visited the craft museum of the institute in 2015-16. seventeen orientation camps were organized for the craft instructors of the Kashmir division for their skill up-gradation and introduction of new designs in the Handicraft Training centres.
In order to preserve the heritage, documentation of 1193 artifacts along with their AUTOCAD drawings and their photography was done. In order to facilitate the understanding of different crafts power point presentation of 190 sozni samples and willow wicker samples has been created in the institute.The institute is likely to start a modern scientific conservation lab and training of officials in preservation of textiles.Director Handicrafts appealed to those associated with the Handicrafts to visit School of Designs and its craft museum. (KNS)