Workshop at SABALA – updating the artisans with latest color trends and enhancing their craft skills

(August 2010)

SETU organized a technical workshop at one of our artisan groups `SABALA’ in the arid villages of Bijapur, Karnataka. It is an all women’s organization dedicated to the empowerment of Women and Children.
With a view to improve the skills of artisans and to update them with the latest colour trends a workshop was organized at SABALA.


Highlights of the workshop:

  1. Updating the artisans with Trend Forecasts for spring summer 2011
  2. Quiz on colors
  3. Rangoli competition
  4. Embroidery competition
  5. Discussion on
  6. Women empowerment
  7. Girl child education
  8. Nutrition, health and hygiene

The women artisans produce beautiful designs, their only weakness being that they are not aware of the latest trends in the market place and therefore sometimes make products not in line with the taste of foreign consumers. Keeping in view this fact; a workshop was organized to make the artisans aware about the latest color trends. The basic components of color & design were discussed at length in the workshop. Artisans were given basic knowledge on trend forecasts, how the forecasts are made, who decides the trends for a particular year and how, which are the famous fashion houses and similar such stuff.


Artisans were given a questionnaire consisting of simple questions on colors. This was just to assess their knowledge about colors; more specifically their interpretation of colors and how they make use of it while designing a product.

Another fun-filled activity was the rangoli competition where the artisans were asked to make beautiful rangoli designs by deciding the colors on their own. Artisans made a variety of designs, each one different from the other. Those who made the best ones were given prizes at the end.
As a feedback to the workshop, an embroidery task was given to the artisans to know that to what an extent they have gained from the session. Results were positive as all artisans made beautiful designs and with proper color combinations.


owards the end, artisans were asked to share their views on social issues related to women and child development. The following topics were discussed:

  • Women empowerment
  • Girl child education
  • Nutrition, health and hygiene

Some women artisans really surprised us with their protagonist views on such sensitive issues. One of the women speaking on the topic of women empowerment, when asked the real meaning of it replied “main aaj bahar kaam kar rahi hoon yahi women empowerment hai” (I am able to work out of my home that’s women empowerment). Listening to this, the entire house filled with applause.

To motivate the artisans a large number of prizes were distributed at the end of workshop.