In an effort to foster a robust creative capital in Goa, an informal meet-up was convened recently at Benaulim by the Creative Community of Goa (CCG), where the gathering aimed to initiate discussions on the Design Policy of Goa (DPoG). A large focus was on leveraging Goa's creative potential as opposed to conventional industrial economies, given the state's environmental sensitivities.
CCG, established late last year in partnership with the SITPC (Start-up Information Technology Promotion Cell), is becoming the platform for the government and the creative industry to meet and work together.
This CCG meet-up was managed by Sumukh Kamat and Deepak Pathania, and it is part of a series of meet-ups that have taken place in North Goa. Attendees for the South Goa meeting at Benaulim included a mix from the creative community: Avik Sarkar, Mukund Athale, Ana Esteves, Sandra D’Souza, Sumita Sarkar, Vinesh Iyer, Vinod Sewlani, Vivek Talwar, Darryl Noronha, Joanne Fernandes, and Hannah Abreo, representing SITPC.
The discussions centred around crafting a long-term vision for Goa that harnesses the transformative potential of design to address societal challenges and foster sustainable development. Despite previous dialogues on the policy, the pivotal question raised by the government remains unanswered. Deepak, advocating the inside-out approach, emphasised, "The question that the government is asking is: what does the creative community need in order to thrive in Goa? We're answering it with: Let us discuss what design can do for the community, for the government, and for the planet. Agreed, all that is important, but for once, let's also answer the question. What are our needs for us to function better? That itself isn't a simple answer, because then, first, we need to know who 'we' are.”
To this, Vivek added, "There is a National Design Policy that has already been up for a few years. Why ignore that? Why not study that policy closely, adapt it, and edit it specifically for Goa? Since there is a national agenda for design, there's really no point for the state design agenda to ignore that and do something totally different."
A landmark key consensus was reached at this meeting: a need for two distinct policies: one elucidating the overarching vision and goals of the Design Policy of Goa, and the other specifically addressing the needs of CCG as a policy for the creative industry of Goa.
Ana Esteves, an artist from Portugal with a startup in Goa, added, “There are 3 stakeholders: the creative community, the government, and there are Goans, who are clear about what they want. The culture, identity, and local ways of living are appealing about Goa, 'sossegado' surrounded by natural beauty. All three need to be considered while looking into the future.”
CCG proposes a Google form to reach out to a wide spectrum of creative professionals in Goa, from industrial designers, communication designers, architects, musicians, performance artists, and more. The questionnaire aimed to delineate pain points, infrastructure requirements, regulatory reforms, and individual contributions towards Goa's creative ecosystem.
In a broader context, CCG has evolved into a pivotal conduit for collaborative endeavours between the creative industry and the government. Monthly meet-ups on the first Friday of every month have emerged as platforms for constructive dialogue and community engagement, while also working on the draft policy and the CCG website.
At the end, Sumukh said passionately, "I am Goan, and right from an early age, I have loved living in this paradise. I have a passion for design. Its importance to Goa is immense, and this initiative will help our kids and have an impact on the whole ecosystem. Concepts like design thinking will help strengthen the education system in Goa, all the way from schools to higher studies. I'm happy to actively be part of this movement, making this change happen."