J&K: World Craft Council to celebrate diamond jubilee in Srinagar

Srinagar, Oct 30 (IANS) In what could be a major push towards promoting local crafts globally, the World Craft Council (WCC) is scheduled to hold its three-day ‘World Craft Forum’ at SKICC in Srinagar after its first leg at New Delhi.

WCC said that the landmark event is hosted here to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the World Crafts Council. The International body has scheduled the ‘World Crafts Forum’ on this special occasion to be held on November 22-24 in New Delhi to celebrate India’s rich craft and cultural legacy.

Thereafter the celebrations will continue in Srinagar from November 25-27, offering opportunities to showcase local artisanship and craft traditions to an international audience.

The Chief Secretary held a meeting to give shape to the arrangements made for holding this landmark event here successfully.

"During this meeting, the Chief Secretary directed for making this event a huge success which would eventually translate into giving a boost to our local crafts at the global level thereby promoting the handicrafts sector in a big way," an official statement said.

The Chief Secretary further directed the Handicrafts Department to create necessary awareness among the concerned artisans and craftsmen here. He asked to run these campaigns both in mainstream and social media for its far and wide publicity.

The Chief Secretary asked the Divisional Administration to be in close coordination with the I&C Department to hold this event in a befitting manner. He observed that this event would also serve the purpose of promoting tourism here in J&K.

He also took this occasion for taking the assessment of the accommodation of the members of WCC and artisans coming from different countries and directed the Hospitality & Protocol Department to make necessary arrangements besides the transportation facilities to be extended by the Motor Garages Department.

Recently the Council has declared Srinagar a World Craft City thus making it one of the 66 cities recognised by it worldwide.

The WCC has championed the preservation and promotion of craft traditions worldwide for nearly six decades.

It has been given out that the World Crafts Forum will be attended by around 50 international artists from different nations and craft backgrounds.

The event aims to position India at the forefront of shaping the future of crafts while celebrating the past. 

It will also emphasise the restoration, preservation, and modernisation of the industry, crafting a roadmap for the next decade through policy and international cooperation, being announced by WCC on its website about this event.