About

‘LEAD From the Heart’ presents a collection of hand-knotted rugs co-designed by 24 women artisans from Jaipur Rugs Foundation and 24 Central Saint Martins BA Textile Design students. The project was supported by the British Council Crafting Futures India programme.

Through online workshops, students and artisans learnt together, exchanging design insights, technical expertise, personal stories and leadership aspirations. The broad focus was to make a positive impact on economic opportunities for Jaipur’s rural carpet weavers, who suffered financial losses in the pandemic.

This project brought a programme of practical development for the artisans, focused on making a living from weaving. They trained in design development and in digital skills and technologies that can support their work in new ways and turn their creative capabilities into earning potential. For students, the project was a chance to develop the range of skills and techniques they will use as part of their practice.

The collaboration led to a collection of co-designed hand-knotted rugs which encapsulate the journey of this project, bringing together a mix of traditional and contemporary design and production processes in this unique collaboration.