This is an prospect to work with an Ashoka Fellow

Ashoka Fellows are leading social entrepreneurs that have been taken through a rigorous selection process, testing the quality of their ideas and character, to become part of the Ashoka Fellowship and Network.

Ashoka

Fellows take on the challenges of building innovative system change ideas to make and spread social impact in a world wrought with challenges. They refuse to let the ‘impossible’ stand in their way to creating a better world.

This is an unpaid, volunteer opportunity

About The Affiliated Organization

We were founded to protect India's traditional crafts and the artisan communities that carry them forward. Many of these crafts are "languishing" — fading from everyday use and slipping out of documented memory — so our work grew out of a need to research, record, and keep them alive through a circular, economically sustainable model. Who does it help?

We work with artisan groups across India, particularly those practicing traditional and languishing crafts whose skills and market presence are at risk of disappearing. We conduct digital research and documentation of crafts and craft communities, connect artisans to markets and each other, and support circular economy practices that make their work economically viable — helping ensure both the craft and the livelihood around it survive.



Traditional crafts carry centuries of history, skill, and identity.

Without active documentation and support, these crafts — and the economic opportunity they represent for artisan families — will simply disappear.

For more information, please visit http://www.conserveindia.org

What is the specific project? Artisan 2.0 is a digital research initiative to document India's traditional crafts, with special focus on languishing crafts at risk of dying out. Our goal is to research and document every craft we can reach, prioritizing those that are fading fastest, before their knowledge is lost.

You will help by researching each craft in depth: trace pattern origins, identify the artisans and communities behind them, and document the historical background of each craft and its designs. If this documentation isn't done now, these crafts — and the history behind them — will disappear permanently. Please let us know today if you can help!

Volunteer Logistics

Estimated hours required per week: 6-8

The estimated duration of the project is: 3-6 months

This position is Virtual (Remote)

Language Requirements

English

Desired Skills And Experience

- Research skills;
- Experience with communities and artisans;
- Background in history; familiarity with museums and art/craft history.

📌 Volunteer Researcher to Document and Protect Traditional Crafts and the Artisan Communities that Make Them with Conserve (India)
🏢 Conserve India
📍 India