- To ignite an intellectual awareness of the rich and varied heritage of Indian arts and crafts;
- To fuel the actual creation of products based on traditional crafts and influenced by modern design.
Morarka Cultural Centre
The Morarka Cultural Centre was established at the NCPA in 1995, founded with a grant from Shri Kamal Morarka, a pioneering philanthropist involved in organic farming, computer education and projects related to Indian heritage and traditions.
The Morarka Cultural Centre’s work focuses on the applied arts, including design and craft, and regularly funds research projects in this field. The Centre organises symposia, exhibitions and film screenings, and publishes periodicals. It also conducts workshops that bring together rural craftspeople and urban designers.
The Founders:
Housed in the prestigious National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, Morcrafts is funded by a Rs. 3.5 million grant from Kamal Morarka.
We are honoured to have Jamshed Bhabha of the NCPA, as our chairperson.
Sangita Kathiwada, proprietor of the fashion store Mélange, is the director of Morcrafts. Her vision and direction steer the activities of this non-profit.
Indian culture today continues to draw heavily upon its heritage of crafts. Whether we speak of traditional musical instruments that are still handmade, or admire the skilled embroidery that embellishes clothes and accessories the world over, we are constantly reminded of what we owe our artisans. It is this sense of indebtedness that led to the founding of Morcrafts, whose aims are two fold:
We regularly fund research projects, organize symposia, exhibitions, and film screenings, and publish periodicals to fulfil the former. We also conduct workshops that bring together rural craftspersons and urban designers to achieve the latter.
To learn more about our many initiatives, click here.
