Bridging Communities, Audiences and Markets
Help Us help authentic creative individuals, businesses, collectives and communities come together from India, Britain and beyond in a world of CREATIVITY.
West Bengal – India
Art/Skill Focus: Repurposing traditional silk and cotton textiles by rural communities using village-sourced saris and woodblock-printed fabrics.
Contribution to SoukUk: Hosting of buyer if they wish to visit communities ensures authenticity and transparency of origin. Buyer selects products required via prearranged WhatsApp appointment. Bespoke making of kantha clothing and accessories ensures buyers design copyright exclusivity.
SoukUk Current Support: offers buyers choice of buy direct from vendor or have SoukUk import products on buyers behalf import on ensures ethical wholesale volume supply chain facilitation. Provision of Showroom, Ecwid store front and checkout and customer care services, enables efficient communications between buyer and seller at all time.
Aspirations with Further Support: Launch a UK-wide outreach campaign targeting designers, recyclers, and young people interested in village craft and communities. Produce rural videography projects teaching Kantha stitching to repurpose textiles. Expand social media outreach on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Partner with UK influencers in sustainable fashion and crafts. Host virtual and in-person events across UK cities. Collaborate with educational institutions on workshops and projects. Develop an online platform for storytelling and live demonstrations. Use media channels to share the community’s impact.
Brisas Fashion, Textiles & Interiors
West Bengal – India
Art/Skill Focus: Handcrafted and Shibori tie-dyed, silkscreen and 3d printing silk, cotton, clothing and accessories +Jute interior product manufacturing.
Contribution to SoukUk: Partnering with SoukUk, importing products into the UK for sale to Uk/EU wholesale trade buyers,
SoukUk Current Support: Providing Brisas warehousing and order consolidation, packing, labelling and dispatch and stock-control administration services. Shop-front and checkout services. Showcase listing advertising, SoukUk blogging, and UK customer support services.
Aspirations with Further Support: Organise pop-up events to increase retail-consumer sales and raise awareness of the brand and community. Curate the production of a series of educational good quality videography on Shibori tie-dye textile colouring techniques, traditional silkscreening, and Kantha-stitch embroidery techniques. Work to keep these crafts alive and grow demand among designers, trade buyers, hobbyists, and UK consumers.
Chris May – Artist, Artisan, Musician
Pembrokeshire – Wales
Art/Skill Focus: Art, crafts, music mentoring, and kids workshops
Contribution to SoukUk: Sharing know-how, gallery pictures, and videography
SoukUk Current Support: Showcase listing, support for crafts, artisanal maker movement, and blogging
Aspirations with Further Support: Increase national awareness of ‘Creative Wales’ online. Produce videography to support creative knowledge exchange and commercial networking. Develop with the British Council a cross-cultural Bikaner/Rajasthan education holiday combining sightseeing and craft experiences. Build partnerships with Maker Movement patrons and support organisations for resource sharing and outreach. Work with rural creatives and local commercial managers on workshops and community chatrooms. Use social media and blogging platforms to highlight creative initiatives, events, and build connections among people, businesses, and support institutions.
Rajasthan Bikaner – India
Art/Skill Focus: Rural artists, artisans, and entertainers
Contribution to SoukUk: Sharing know-how, gallery pictures, and videography
SoukUk Current Support: Showcasing crafts, artisan initiatives, and blogging
Aspirations with Further Support: Increase national awareness of rural craft communities in the East Rajasthan Pakistan border region. Produce videography to support creative knowledge exchange and commercial networking. Develop with the British Council a cross-cultural Bikaner/Rajasthan education holiday package combining sightseeing and craft experiences. Build partnerships with Maker Movement patrons and support organizations for resource sharing and outreach. Work with rural creatives and local craft commercial managers on workshops and community chatrooms. Use social media and blogging platforms to highlight creative initiatives, events, and build connections among people, businesses, and support institutions.
SoukUk digital services
Art/Skill Focus: Visual machine knitting patterns, revisable design-led fashion
Contribution to SoukUk: Easy-to-follow flatbed knitting machine visual patterns and teaching video’s
SoukUk Current Support: Design, digitalisation and visualisation of Anne’s knitwear patterns, creation of working documents and associated training videography free of charge.
Aspirations with Further Support: Raise awareness of this innovative visual pattern approach among UK knitwear enthusiasts, craft clubs, colleges, designers, and fashion influencers. Collaborate with NGOs and fair-trade cooperatives in Nepal and India. Provide downloadable PDF manuals and videography in English, Hindi, and Nepalese to support those starting a small business with affordable secondhand flatbed knitting machines. Expand social media outreach, host online workshops and live demonstrations, and build a supportive online knitwear community. Work with educational institutions on curriculum development, create an online hub for resource sharing and showcasing projects, and use media partnerships to highlight the impact of accessible knitwear entrepreneurship