The 4th edition of ‘First Fridays’, themed “Discussing the Design Policy,” successfully concluded at Your Story Shack on Benaulim Beach, South Goa. The meet-up organized in partnership with the SITPC, the Department of IT, and Electronics and Communications, and ADI Goa, brought together a diverse group of architects, artists, craftsmen, designers, and other creative professionals to collaborate and discuss the future of Goa’s creative industry.
The event commenced with Darpana Athale and Deepak Pathania providing an overview of the progress made on the design policy. Aimed at addressing Goa’s economic needs, environmental pressures, and infrastructure improvements, the policy seeks to facilitate Goa’s transition to a sustainable knowledge-based economy.
Deepak Pathania, Chief Innovation and Design Officer, said: “We have created a questionnaire to delve into the challenges faced by the creative community in Goa and to identify factors that would attract designers to join this community. The purpose of this questionnaire is to aid in the formulation of a Policy for the Creative Industry of Goa by understanding the composition of the community and the various subsets within the creative industry. The goal is to collaborate with the Government to address these challenges and eliminate obstacles, ultimately fostering a thriving creative ecosystem in Goa.”
Participants actively evaluated the pros and cons of choosing Goa, discussing improvements in infrastructure such as roads and internet, while also noting limitations in resources and talent pools. The evening concluded with a commitment from the Creative Community of Goa (CCG) to create the first draft of the design policy by the following First Friday.
The CCG group aims to develop a policy that benefits not only digital nomads and the creative community but also locals, fostering opportunities for Goa’s growth and prosperity.
Throughout the event, attendees engaged in lively discussions, networking opportunities, and interactive sessions, fostering unity and collaboration among participants. Highlights included updates on community activities, insightful discussions on policy-building processes, and a live demonstration of the CCG website, showcasing its features and functionalities.
