Dr. Navina Jafa, a renowned cultural technocrat, consultant in cultural heritage skills, and classical Kathak dancer, recently graced the Second International Craft Summit in Jajpur, Odisha (January 12th-14th) as a distinguished speaker.
Her participation was at the behest of the Government of Odisha, led by the visionary Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, and UN-Habitat. Dr Jafa primarily focused on synergising traditional crafts with local folk performing arts, fostering an innovative and immersive heritage tourism experience. This initiative aimed to inclusively integrate various creative communities into the Jajpur district’s cultural fabric.
During her time in Jajpur, Navina Jafa undertook a comprehensive skill mapping exercise, highlighting the importance of integrating local crafts like Tussar Silk weaving and terracotta with indigenous musical traditions such as the Pala genre and performances by Nath mystics with their Kendara string instruments.
Dr. Jafa, drawing from her extensive experience working with Khurja potters and developing Pottery tours, shared insightful perspectives. She noted, “Terracotta potters celebrate unique rituals and festivals, and there is a rich opportunity for performers to develop acts that embody these vibrant facets of the potters’ cultural life.”
In her impactful address at the Summit, Jafa emphasised the critical need for statistical data on cultural heritage skills and effective methodologies for mapping these skills. She argued that without these tools, strategising the skill application for different sectors, such as development communication for local markets, tourism, and diplomacy, particularly in performing arts, remains challenging.
Concluding her presentation, Navina Jafa expressed her gratitude to the Odisha Government and the UN agencies for their exceptional initiative. In her closing remarks, she introduced an innovative concept, ‘skill corridor and network diplomacy.’ Navina Jafa said this concept is “aimed at strategically positioning heritage creative skills as pivotal contributors to Odisha’s economy, marking a new chapter in cultural preservation and economic development.”
