Daara Programme Book

1 programme book daara the training collective2 34 5 Empowering Women Preserving Craft Designing Futures6 Contents Page Founder’s Letter Introduction Programme Framework Training Programme Journey at Daara Beginner’s School Weaver’s School Digital Alumni Portfolio Platform Teaching and Learning Approach Teaching Staff Infrastructure of Care Pathways after Graduation Unique Features of the Model The First Authors Where She Stands Campaign What Daara Creates Looking Forward Value Creation Credits 09 10 14 15 16 18 26 34 35 35 36 38 38 40 42 57 57 58 617 8 THE FIRST THREE MEMBERS OF DAARA (L TO R): ANITA BHETA, SHANKRAMMA VAGGA, AND AKHILA VAGGA 9 FOUNDER’S LETTER Daara is for the women who have always carried Indian handloom forward. Across India’s handloom weaving clusters, women sustain textile traditions through skill that is both technical and deeply lived. Yet, while their work moves through markets and systems, their presence within them often remains limited. This initiative is built on the belief that women handloom weavers are already creatives. Daara does not seek to redefine who they are, but to create the conditions in which they can expand their role: from skilled workers within a system to visible authors of what they make. The programme brings together handloom, design, and entrepreneurship to support this shift, connecting learning to realworld application and opportunity. Structured as a 12-month, practice-based model, Daara moves from material and process to product, storytelling, and market engagement. At every stage, the intention is to ensure that the value created through craft is understood, articulated, and retained by the women themselves. This book is in honour of the first cohort of Daara, the 12 women who chose to step into this initiative at its beginning. Their trust, commitment, and willingness to imagine something beyond what was given have shaped Daara in ways no framework alone could. They are the very foundation of what Daara is. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues, who have become my closest friends through the process of forming Daara, and to you, for choosing to engage with and support Daara. In doing so, you have become part of a system that seeks to actively shape the future of handloom in India. Yours truly, Diya Aratti Founder and Creative Lead10