Digital Artisans of India Award
2023-2024
Recognising artisans and organisations using digital technology to enhance traditional skills
Digital Empowerment Foundation and Digikargha, in collaboration with Creative Dignity announce an open call for application for Digital Artisans of India award. The vibrancy in the traditional Indian textiles has always been attributed to diversity with each region bringing their own colours, patterns and techniques. A further extension of this can be seen in modern times as many are finding contemporary and sustainable means to contribute to the handloom and handicraft industry. Each expansive and diverse aspect, be it old or new, durable or innovative, experimentative or perfection of traditional techniques, brings in its own beauty and makes it more exuberant, inclusive and relevant to changing times. Handlooms and handicrafts provide an access to a rich lineage which taps into the heritage and culture of different regions across India, while digital intervention helps it stay relevant and visible in the modern fast paced world. Using digital tools to help enrich designing, presenting and preservation of time-tested techniques has proved to be a wonderful contemporary addition to traditional arts and crafts.

Since the beginning of this millennium there has been growing recognition around the world that information and communication Technologies (ICT) can play a big role in socio-economic development. Most of the success stories go unheralded as these ICT interventions often operate in areas and sectors blind to mainstream media. Consequently, there is little knowledge-sharing among the progenitors of these initiatives which in turn hinders the emergence of an ecosystem that feeds on this knowledge and enables scaling up of these initiatives and coordination among them for much larger impact.

The Digital Artisans of India Award is designed to bridge this gap, especially in the field of handlooms and handicrafts across India which is slowly fading in the distance and requires attention for revival in a more contemporary way.
Vision: To preserve and help flourish the rich Indian heritage in arts and crafts, using digital means.
Mission: To recognise, reward, train and support the efforts of artisans and organisations which have worked with deep passion, using digital technology, in the field of handloom and handicrafts in India.

Read more and apply here