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THE EXQUISITE CRAFTS
OF ODISHA
AESTHETICS OF AN ANCIENT CULTURE:
What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?
We have used 6 computers, 4 laptops, and smartphones for communicating, compiling, processing, and transferring required information for designing the website. The internet has extensively helped to come across vast resources from which we gathered relevant information for our concerned project. Digital video camera - Nikon D7500 was used to capture the visual data required for our project. Telephones and mobile phones were used to contact associates and gather information. Apps such as Adobe Photoshop was used to edit photos. Social media (especially Whatsapp) acted as a common point for our team members to communicate, share their ideas and work collaboratively from their own homes.
In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person?
Our students acted as ambassadors and spokespersons to protect the identity of our traditional Handicrafts. We visited different local artisans to collect information for the project. We explained to them about the International Cyberfair Project. They were overwhelmed and praised us for our efforts. The popularity of some of our local handicrafts is declining. So, they were pleased that we are representing our local artforms on a global level. They appreciated Global School Net for providing a platform that represents local cultures on an international level to protect their identity and unite the global community for this purpose. They were amazed to know that a competition like Cyberfair exists. One of the artisans who works for a news agency promised us that he would draft an article about our project and the International Cyberfair Competition, encouraging more schools in our local community to participate. Our team members belong to various parts of the state. They contacted their relatives to gather more data. Many of them admired our project and gave their valuable feedback. Moreover, in our school, many students did not have any idea about our local art forms. They got to know many facts and were astonished. We conducted Essay Writing, Quiz and Painting Competitions based on our project topic. Our journey of being the ambassadors for this project on this international platform enriched us to propagate this passion and dedication for our rich culture throughout the times to come. We hope that this research will let the world know and recollect the importance of Local Culture and Art forms.
What has been the impact of your project on your community?
Odisha is home to a large number of handicrafts; however, many people in our community are unaware of them. Our project will play an essential role in promoting the artistic heritage before a larger audience by highlighting the significance of local art forms. In addition, several artisans in our locality who are not getting due recognition will be benefitted significantly from this project. Our website will be publicly hosted and will be an open platform for people from any corner of the world to cherish the legacy of the handicrafts of Odisha and unfurl their creative minds. We have interviewed many artisans for this project and received exemplary feedback about it. They were quite impressed by our efforts to protect the culture and shared our website within their community. They were happy that despite the growth of industries, some people from the young generation are still enthusiastic about their traditional handmade crafts. One of the artists even sought our help in designing their portfolio website. Our project is not just limited to the Cyberfair competition, but we have a much bigger goal of helping people understand that art and culture are integral parts of their own identity. We hope in the near future many people will join hands with us to help us accomplish our objectives.
How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?
The assistance provided by our experienced and committed teachers was invaluable in helping get everything done in a very timely manner. They guided the team at every step and encouraged each and every team member individually. We are grateful to our teacher Mr Ajayananda Beborta, who visited his native place to collect information for our project. We are highly indebted to Mr Dwitichandra Sahu. He is a writer who writes about rural aesthetics in his own words and provides them with a scripted beauty. We were quite inspired by his work and used many of his articles as a source of data for our website. We also interviewed him to get ideas and information for our project. We would like to thank Mr Sahu for his humbleness, patience and cooperation. We contacted a number of artisans. They provided us with valuable information for the project and helped us explore the topic in greater depth. We became more aware of the role played by art in shaping our cultural identity. The artisan Mr Himanshu Shekhar Pandia served to be an abode of knowledge and information and guided us throughout this project. We are very grateful to all of them for their support of this project.
Our parents stood as the pillars of strength with us whenever we needed their help, opinions, and support. We are thankful to our relatives who patiently devoted their time and efforts to helping us in collecting the data. We are grateful to our friends who motivated us throughout this enlightening journey and provided help and feedback whenever necessary. We are thankful to each and every person who contributed to our project in some or the other way. Our team is obliged and would definitely look forward to such support and aid in the coming future.
Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises
An active exploration of any topic fills one with knowledge. In a world that seems too big to comprehend, this project has offered a remarkable opportunity to conduct research on the home ground about the exquisite crafts of Odisha. As a part of the learning experience, we came to discover so much about Handicrafts. Apart from all these, this project has provided a dynamic approach in acknowledging us with the immense power of collaborative work. We came to realize that “Unity is strength' where there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.