ThotPot Collective empowers women artisans to create new products

A quilting workshop with kids

The ThotPot Collective is the brainchild of two architects: Niket Deshpande and Tapan Mittal-Deshpande. A forum that brings together artists and artisans of various disciplines, its vision is to revive age-old practices, and introduce new practices, while working with women artisans.

The Product Range

Two of their biggest achievements have been two art works: Wrapping the Runway was a quilt made from recycled patches of cloth by women who lived in squatter settlements around the T2 airport, where it was eventually displayed; the second was Panchamahabhuta, a godhari quilt made by the women of the Siddi community, which was displayed at the Whitworth Museum, Manchester, last year. They are also constantly working in linking different traditional art forms of storytelling, such as Warli, Gond, Madhubani and Pattachitra and creating contemporary accessories with them.

The co-founders Tapan and Niket Deshpande

Although they have several outposts across the city, such as Andheri, Jogeshwari, Kandivali, Sion and Parel, their main studio is in Versova. From this November, they're also starting their public outreach programmes, in which anyone can sign up for their workshops. Tapan tells us, "The workshops are planned to showcase stories that celebrate us, using the age-old tradition of godhari-making. This will involve image-building, quilting, upcycling and formation of two products using the same." The workshop is open to all, even children as young as 10, with all the materials provided. "Through simple tools of drawing, writing and patchwork, storyboards will be prepared for translation into products. The two products include small hanging lights (kandeels) and buntings (torans)."

When: November 3 and 4; two slots: 10.30 am-1.30 pm and 3.30-6.30 pm
Where: G-2, Balkrishna CHS, JP Road, Andheri (West)
Entry: Rs 400
For more details: info@thotpot.in

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