Craft Shaala

Geniekids in association with Craft Studio announces an unique experiential workshop for children 6 to adults.
Interested Adults can also participate (but as children - not as parents :)

To promote Traditional Art and Craftsmanship, to celebrate working with hands, to instill a love for creating we will be hosting a "*Craft Shaala*" ina house near marathalli (Fern City on outer ring road) from May 11th to 15th, 2009. (five full days morning 10 to 4pm).

Children will directly interact with artisan and work on

• Senses of texture, colour, movement, sound.
• Drawing from nature
• Learning skills - jewellery making ( wire work, earrings, necklaces, native patterns, working with strings), mobile installations with natural and other materials.
• making beads out of clay, paper, other materials, a little bit about the history and evolution of beads.
• Discovering patterns. creating our own, being inspired by folk native forms.
• Painting work painting shards, on the theme of patterns.
• Building a kiln, firing.
• Small exhibition if possible.

About Craft Studio: The crafts studio is a little unit based in my house in Kengeri. 7 women are involved in hand work processes. basically with clay  and ceramic beads. the beads are fired in a primitive kiln with wood and the assembly work continued at the studio.
our work is love and labor oriented. the terracotta beads are hand made, without the use of any molds or presses. some of our products include, necklaces, earrings, keychains, hangers and danglers, grassy dolls, hand bound stationery.
our artisans are involved in all aspects of work. from cleaning, clearing, bead assembly, firing and also maintaining records, accounts in a simple way.of course, there is still room for improvement!

About Vishaka, The artisan - i have been in the field of art education since more than 25 years. the crafts studio started in my premises and has moved house every time with me. kengeri is 'permanent' - as permanent as permanent could be!
my interests in art work both with children and teachers have led my often to question our approaches to the subject in school and educational settings. of course, there are no black and white approaches, but one thing for sure...we do need educators to sit up and make the arts as inclusive as any other subjects thereby bringing in new dimensions to learning,  learning without abc's is learning which often is immeasurable and thereby also lesS accepted or understood.
the workshop to be conducted at your place is about skill, and handwork as much as it is about processes, going astray only to make the realizations that eventually it is all connected... it is about art as much about craft. about color, appreciation of our environments, fun in creating things, learning about materials, etc.

Dates - 11th May - 15th May, 2009
Time - 10 to 4pm (children bring lunch from home)
Age - 6 to adults
Cost - Rs 2,800 per child. Including all the material (and there would be a lot of material used / explored), cost of Artisans stay and their professional fee.
Venue  - at residence of Aditi & Ratnesh at 245, Fern City, Outer ring road, Near Marathalli - click here for a map
Call - 98867 24518, 98450 45833 or 2520 2510