Handicrafts - NCC and FC proud to promote Lankan masterpieces
by Lakmal Welabada
 Handicrafts play a key role in the heritage of a nation. Each country
shows its own prints of identity through them. Each such masterpiece
displays the traditions, rituals and customs of a community. Hence,
promoting local handicrafts would be like opening the doors for the
world to acknowledge the deep rooted civilisation of a country and a
nation.
The National Crafts Council (NCC) and the Folkart Centre (FC) of Sri
Lanka at Battaramulla have been the two organisations shouldering the
heavy burden of promoting the Lankan crafts. The NCC has been being
running under Buddhi Keerthisena (Chairman), and the FC by Daya
Dharmasiri (Director).
The NCC mainly supports the craftsman by giving them space and
facilities including electricity in the craft huts at the Battaramulla
crafts village. The skilled selected maestros can produce their own
masterpieces and find a market for them under this roof.
At present there are 14-18 craftsmen occupying the huts. Buddhi
Keerthisena, Chairman NCC hopes to hold a crafts market in which about
30 more craftsmen can stay at the complex, produce and market their
products. A period of one month would be given for each batch of
craftsmen.
Along with that many crafts exhibitions will be held at provincial
and district level and then internationally. "Last month NCC took part
in the Sri Lankan Festival held in Tokyo in collaboration with the Sri
Lankan Embassy of Japan.
Our crafts earned an excellent response from both Sri Lankan
expatriates and Japanese. We hope to do the same with the Export
Development Bank and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export
Promotions.
Apart from that we will be holding a sales exhibition of crafts in
Galle this month, one in Kuliyapitiya next month and then at the Kala
Bhavana, Colombo. Likewise, we hope to hold one such exhibition
monthly," Keerthisena says. He further says that a craft product on sale
at the crafts centre and sales exhibition would be 50 percent less than
other craft outlets in Sri Lanka as NCC is a service organisation and
not a marketing organisation.
"Unlike others we do not expect a profit margin from a product. We
are just providing opportunities for local craftsmen to sell their stuff
so that can get the profit they want."
Keerthisena also says that the drop in the tourism industry has
affected the local crafts trade severely. "However, we get a lot of
Lankan expatriates visiting the Battaramulla centre as well as many
local enthusiasts.
The Folkart Centre conducts courses in handicrafts and aesthetic
subjects including dancing and music. Whoever who wishes to master a
local aesthetic subject or professional handicrafts can get training by
applying for the relevant course which would commence in January and mid
year respectively.
"We provide hostel facilities and pay an allowance of Rs. 500 per
mensem in order to encourage more youth to get into this local crafts
trade," says Daya Dharmasiri, Director, FC.
Under the new ventures and development projects the local crafts
industry could be expected to flourish both in terms of 'beauty and
profit'.
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