The state's best known craft ambassador Jharcraft on Friday signed an MoU with Asian Heritage Foundation, one of South Asia's best-known outfits in the field of promotion and conservation of culture and design, chaired by Padma Bhushan Rajeev Sethi.
Sethi, counted among international art curators and designers, signed the MoU with Jharcraft managing director A.T. Mishra in Delhi.
Detailing how the tie-up would benefit Jharcraft and traditional weavers of the state, Mishra said: "It will add value to our brand. And, the tie-up will expose us to international standards of perfection and finish while channelling our own tribal heritage and culture."
Asian Heritage Foundation, globally famed for creating contemporary designs inspired from traditional culture and heritage, will help Jharkhand weavers perfect their skills to address sophisticated global markets on a bigger scale.
"The Foundation will undertake capacity and skill building exercises to train weavers in designing products that suit contemporary global markets using tribal artefacts and motifs," Mishra said, adding the Foundation had decided to help the state craft outfit free of cost.
Highlighting another no less important aspect of the MoU, Mishra said: "We will together work to revive and conserve many indigenous expressions of art and culture that are either on the verge of extinction or have already faded out."
A team of experts from the Foundation is likely to tour Jharkhand next week to identify for sectors and start work.
"Initially, they have said their focus will be on tribal music and embroidery and Sohrai painting," Mishra said.
"But, when they do come to Jharkhand, I am sure there will be many more things to amaze and delight them," the Jharcraft MD added.
"The Foundation will also adopt some self-help groups in Jharkhand to equip them with handloom designing skills for global contemporary markets," he added.
Asked how the MoU materialised, Mishra said a few months ago, there was a meeting at chief secretary Rajiv Gauba's office in this regard with the Foundation's representatives, after which the state government gave a go-ahead.
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