Established in 2021, the AVACreations Handloom Experience Centre was envisioned as a platform where craft, community, and knowledge converge through continuous interaction. With artisans working in a shared space and engaging with diverse stakeholders, the centre functions not just as a production site but as a hub for knowledge exchange and capacity building.

Over time, it has become a dynamic ecosystem of artisans, students, institutions, and visitors. Training, awareness sessions, exposure visits, and internships extend learning beyond technical skills to financial literacy, social security, well-being, and market understanding. Artisans gain confidence, visibility, and opportunities to share knowledge, while students and institutions develop a deeper perspective of the sector. This ongoing exchange embodies the centre’s symbiotic core, where knowledge flows both ways.

Growth Beyond the Craft

“Here I get to meet people, learn new things, and show my work to visitors. It makes me feel proud that people come to see what we create.”

For most artisans at Garbhanga Forest Range, weaving was once confined to the home. limiting both exposure and opportunity. The centre shifted this by creating a shared workspace where production becomes collective rather than isolated.

Working alongside one another, artisans exchange ideas, build confidence, and engage directly with visitors, students, and institutions. These interactions become a source of encouragement to experiment with new ideas for some, and a sense of validation beyond their immediate community, for others.

Recognizing that empowerment is as much about knowledge as it is about skill, the centre hosts sessions on topics that directly or indirectly affect artisans’ lives. A recent awareness session conducted by a group of interns from NERIM Group of Institutions on ESI (Employees’ State Insurance), PF (Provident Fund), and mental health created space for discussions on financial security, rights, and well-being. Artisans actively participated, shared their experiences, and engaged in conversations that connected these concepts to their everyday realities.

“We used to hear about these schemes but never paid attention. After this session, we feel it is important for us and our future.”

In 2025–26, the centre went beyond skill-building to strengthen the overall resilience of artisan communities by facilitating structured training and sessions on digital media awareness,evolving market demands, financial awareness, holistic well-being etc. Among these, the latest session on “Social Security for Artisans” focused on building awareness around rights, access to government schemes, and options for long-term financial and social protection.

Understanding Ground Realities through Internships

The centre also facilitates long-term artisan-intern interactions as part of their academic or field exposure. One notable example is Kanak Kullu’s internship, where she began by engaging closely with artisans at the Centre, understanding their daily practices and techniques, which later expanded into field interactions with weavers in Kaziranga.

“My biggest learning was the importance of co-creation,” — Kanak Kullu,  Masters in Space Design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kangra

A key outcome was a product approach that balanced traditional identity with evolving market needs, shaping the Kaziranga Threads strategy. Central to this process were skill mapping, participatory discussions and workshops, ensuring all ideas were developed collaboratively with artisans and remained practical, relevant, and rooted in their existing knowledge.

During 2025–26, the Knowledge Centre facilitated the completion of 12 internships by students from diverse academic institutions, involving both on-site and field-based learning experiences.”       

Visits that facilitate Knowledge Exchange

Beyond internships, the centre hosts a wide range of exposure visits, from academic institutions. In many ways, these interactions reflect the idea of #AVAforYoungMinds The centre also brings together government representatives, social sector organizations, ecosystem partners, and artisan peers.

In 2025–26, the AVACreations Handloom Experience Centre hosted 35 exposure visits, engaging over 600 students and faculty members from programs including BSW, MSW, and design courses from NEF College, Assam Down Town University, NERIM and more. The centre also welcomed 10 visits from government officials and sector experts,  including representatives from the Ministry of Textiles, innovation and incubation ecosystems, and livelihood missions such as the Manipur State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MSRLM), along with delegations from NGOs and partner organisations such as SELCO Foundation, Women on Wings, and Project Implementation Support Agency (PISA). Artisans had the unique opportunity to host peers from other weaving/artisan clusters across Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur, creating spaces for dialogue, exchange of techniques, and shared learning. Encounters with individuals such as Lovlina Borgohain further add to this environment.

Thus the Handloom Experience Centre, also functioning as a Knowledge Centre, thrives on shared growth and development. Students and visitors gain a grounded understanding of handloom and the processes,  while artisans share their work, voice their experiences, and gain knowledge beyond their immediate context. Together, this symbiotic ecosystem demonstrates how learning, livelihood, and evolving aspirations and cultural preservation grow hand in hand.