Reviving Heritage: Workshop on Traditional Bead Jewellery Making for Tribal Communities in Jamshedpur

Ranchi: A six-day workshop on traditional bead jewellery making began at the Tribal Cultural Centre in Jamshedpur on Friday.Organised jointly by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Ranchi, and Samvaad, a tribal conclave enabled by the Tata Steel Foundation, the workshop is aimed at reviving and promoting the indigenous craft among the tribal communities.Artisans from Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh, representing tribal groups like Bhumij, Ho, Santhal, Wancho and Munda, are participating in the hands-on sessions. Expert craftspersons from Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh are leading the training.“Bead jewellery is not just ornamentation. For many tribal groups, it carries their history, social identity and cultural symbols. Reviving this art means keeping alive a part of our heritage,” said Jiren Topno, head of Tribal Identity run by the Tata Steel Foundation.Participants are learning techniques of bead crafting while also exchanging knowledge about cultural motifs and colour patterns unique to their communities. The organisers said the effort was not only about skill-building but also about reinforcing cultural pride and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for tribal artisans.The workshop will continue till Sept 17 with demonstrations, interactive sessions and community displays.