Women entrepreneurs may seem to be everywhere now, with buzzwords like ‘girl boss’ and ‘hustle culture’ entering the business lexicon, but the reality, of course, is that women-run businesses have existed for a long time, minus the hashtags.
This is what The Creative Skill Fair 2022 (CSF) acknowledged and celebrated recently in Al-anwar Towers in Tangra. Sponsored by Hi-5 Innovation, many women entrepreneurs hosted workshops and taught in-demand skills at the event, which was attended by some 150-odd people.
There were several workshops conducted at the event, with small, concentrated classes and hands-on teaching. Canvas painting, make-up tutorials, gift-box and envelope assembling, baking and cooking for parties, gardening and waste management were some of the many skills taught at the fair.
A canvas painting demonstration by Fatema Currim
For anyone looking to start a career in photography or boost their presence online, the ‘Photography and Styling’ workshop by Ruqkish was just what they needed. The 50-minute workshop taught beginners the basics of DSLR cameras, stop-motion animation and more. The ‘Decoupage Art’ workshop focussed on upcycling, a creative process that supports sustainable living.
Several entrepreneurs, who have been creating for a living for decades, like Zubaida Vana, who has been arranging pilgrimage tours to countries like Syria, Israel, Iraq and Egypt for 25 years, were also felicitated at the event.
Several entrepreneurs were felicitated at the event
A rep from Craftations, the event-planning company that hosted the decoupage workshop, said, “We, as women, often have so many things we hoard thinking ‘we’ll use it someday’. Things like a bottle or a small box. After learning this process, we have upcycled many bottles, boxes and other small objects using different techniques. What the attendees liked was that they did not need an arts background to upcycle or create a piece of art. We’re very happy that we got this opportunity from CSF.”
A gift bag counter by Zainab Calcuttawala
The fair also had an interactive story-telling session for children, hosted by Sakina Jowar.
Farida Mama conducted the ‘Gardening and Waste Management’ workshop. With the world facing an environmental crisis and considering the number of people who have taken up gardening during the pandemic, this is an in-demand skill. She went the extra mile and also taught the attendees how to make their own laundry, tile and grease cleaners and grow their own organic produce.
“We wanted a basic outlet to connect, bond and create. This is how the idea of a creative skill fair came about,” said Nafisa, also an organiser.
A cooking workshop