On Saturday, 24 June 2023, Dhaka Makers will kick start its inaugural event HSBC presents Dhaka Makers’ Week at Aloki, located in the heart of Dhaka city at Tejgaon. Dhaka Makers is a place for local entrepreneurs to grow and build their brand, develop relationships with fellow creatives, and interact with individuals beyond the art scene. The team comprises creative inspired artists and doers – Fahd Sattar, Istela Imam, Maruful Hoque, Fairose Yasmin, Tahsin N. Choudhury, Maleena Gomez, Mahenaz Chowdhury, Umaila Akhter, Zafir Huq, Taiara Farhana Tareque, and Mariha Q Chowdhury. The event will conclude its four-day run on 27th June 2023.
Through the first-ever Dhaka Makers’ Week, the team aims to serve the ever-evolving creative community of Dhaka, by giving them a platform to showcase their unique talent through thoughtfully-curated spaces to sell their products, exhibit their artwork, and conduct workshops. The art scene of Dhaka encompasses artistic minds, many of whom have taken up entrepreneurship and are actively working to create a sustainable business. Dhaka Makers will establish different avenues for them to ensure that they are getting visibility by displaying their work and making sales.
The line up will consist of innovative individuals and their businesses across different disciplines, such as art, sculpture, handicraft, pottery, metal craft, ceramics, fashion apparel, jewellery, embroidery, wood craft, jute craft, homeware, beauty and wellness, plants, culinary arts, music, and so on. Visitors will have the chance to sign up for workshops hosted by professionals, thereby learning, and hopefully appreciating the crafts of local creators. The skills to be taught in these workshops range from Bangla typography, graffiti and stop-motion animation to yoga, cooking lessons, and more. Additionally, the festivities will be accompanied by live music by renowned musicians, a plethora of different food stalls, and homegrown, organic produce at the farmer’s market. Therefore, visitors can expect to have multiple things to see, try and do throughout the four-day event.
The goal of Dhaka Makers’ Week is to evoke a sense of belonging in people who already value the essence of cultural representation, art, heritage and locally produced goods; and admiration in individuals who are not yet familiar with the variety of talent the creative community of Dhaka has to offer – all while supporting local creators. Experience an interactive, multi-disciplinary festival, curated by Dhaka Makers at Aloki on 24th – 27th June 2023.
Photographs: Courtesy of Dhaka Makers