A field journey across Odisha!

Over the past weeks, we travelled across 14 districts of Odisha to understand the living landscape of appliqué—not from reports, but from people, places, and everyday practices. This phase was about listening before building.

From meeting artisans in their own spaces and observing tools, materials, and workflows, to tracing local histories and documenting lived realities beyond the craft object—each encounter shaped our understanding on the ground.

This recce has been foundational. It helped shape fellowship focus areas, community-led learning directions, and the questions that truly matter—moving beyond assumptions to shared inquiry.

With these field insights now guiding programme design, we step into the next phase with clarity, care, and purpose.