AHMEDABAD, India  — Anant National University will host Collaborative Studio, a series of 10 interdisciplinary workshops beginning 28 October 2025, bringing together artisans, experts and faculty to help Anant’s design students engage deeply with India’s vast Indigenous Knowledge heritage.

The Studio will feature hands-on workshops on Bastar’s ironwork, papier-mâché of Madhubani, lacquered woodcraft of Madhya Pradesh and leatherwork of Kutch. Students will also explore sustainable fashion, designing resilient villages and reviving Kashmir’s musical heritage, learning how cultural practices can inspire responsible, forward-looking design. As part of the on-field studios, students will travel to Alwar and the Chambal region and work with Dr Rajendra Singh, the Waterman of India and Professor of Practice, Anant National University. There, they will experience first-hand how indigenous ways have revived over 23 rivers, gaining invaluable exposure to the power of community-driven design and environmental stewardship.

Distinguished experts and artisans who will lead the workshops include Shri Mushtak Khan, Nandlal Vishkarma, Makhanlal Sodhi, Shila Devi, Mukesh Bishwakarma, Dungarshi Teja, Saumya Pande, Arundeep Singh Majhtia, Shripal Shah, Manzoor Ul Haq, Mohd Amin Mir, Rajeev Wind and Ravi Raj.

This Collaborative Studio is part of Anant’s commitment to offering holistic and contextual design education and nurturing future-ready designers equipped with the skills and knowledge to design for India and the world. To enable this, Anant integrates Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) into the design pedagogy, empowering students to draw from a sustainable, community-centric and culturally grounded knowledge pool.

This integration enables them to understand the world more deeply, appreciate cultural contexts and develop practical, sustainable solutions that serve communities meaningfully.