Balla RV

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA will engage eighth grade students at the Government Girls Pre-University College, High School Section, in Guledgudda village, Bagalkot district in a project titled Maggada Maatu (Voices of the Loom). It will document the process of making and issues related to Ilkal sarees from the region, by connecting them to their curriculum in language and science. Balla RV is the Coordinator for this project. 

Balla RV is an Assistant Teacher from Guledgudda in Bagalkot district. He has a Masters in Science from Karnataka University. With a rich experience in teaching for the past 15 years he has persistently involved himself in many co-curricular activities like science quiz, creative writing and botany workshops for primary and higher primary students. Given his experience he is best placed to be the Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA. 

The Indian handloom industry is one of the oldest and largest cottage industries in India with a long tradition of excellent creativity and craftsmanship, representing and preserving diverse and vibrant cultures that are appreciated globally. The operations of this industry are primarily household based and involves large number of artisans from rural and semi-urban areas, most of whom are women and people from economically disadvantaged groups. In recent years the handloom industry is undergoing changes to adapt to the new requirements of the market with changing preferences and tastes of consumers. Also, e-commerce platforms are playing an important role in providing new markets and customers to handloom weavers.

Ilkal is a city in Bagalkot district where there is a thriving industry of making sarees that is named after the city, providing livelihood for many. It is an integral part of the traditional weaving culture of Northern Karnataka. In Ilkal, weaving started around the 8th century AD. The growth of Ilkal sarees is attributed to the patronage provided by the local chieftains in and around the town of Bellary. The sarees are either made from a mixture of cotton and silk or in pure silk. The colours traditionally used are pomegranate red, peacock green and parrot green. With the advent of power looms and mass produced textiles more recently this craft form is threatened. As a result, many weavers’ clusters across the Bagalkot district started dwindling, and the craft began to diminish. Through this project students will become community researchers recording the legacy of this local handloom industry of the Ilkal sarees and enrich their study of arts, aesthetics and social science curriculum. 

Keeping in mind the context, environment and the potential of the school, this project will have a series of intense engagements for students introducing them to a variety of activities including field trips to the homes of the craftpeople, interviews and workshops with them, and learning to draw and weave. These engagements will enable the students to understand the various factors involved in the production of the Ilkal sarees. The project hopes to instill a sense of pride in their legacy. 

One significant aspect of this project is to invite community weavers as facilitators’ for workshops in the school. The attempt will be to help students expand their understanding of the arts as experiences that shape the way we view and interact with the world rather than a set of tools to use or skills to create objects. This process of engagement with the weavers’ community will enable the students to delve into the depths of layered histories of Ilkal Sarees.  

For the students the year-long project will cover exploring the basics of cotton production and silk making, basics of dyeing and pre-process techniques, advanced weaving techniques, social marketing etc. In the observatory visits to handloom centres, students will learn simple weaving, design, making graphs and punch cards, and the patterns of Ilakal sarees. The project will also explore, to some extent, ways in which weavers navigate between individual recognition within a global market, the traditional community politics, social dynamics and expectations they face, and the role and status of women weavers.

The outcomes of the project will be an exhibition in the presence of school staff and a publication with the writings of the children. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will be the publication, and photographs and video documentation of the entire project including the exhibition. 

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Education programme in the manner in which it attempts to connect students and schools to the cultural knowledge of the local communities they live in. 

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees.