Modern Science and Natural Indigo: Uncovering Marginalized Craft Practices and Resisting Colonial Histories

The project squarely addresses the grand challenges
of the pathway through its focus on the intersection of poverty, social
exclusion and environmental degradation in relation to indigo and the
dyeing industry. The environmental and social impact of the fashion
industry has been an urgent concern in recent years, particularly in regions
- such as South India - that have historically supplied both raw materials
and labour for the garment industry. Through its innovative combination of
social scientific and historical methods, the project will trace the emergence
and evolution of dyeing infrastructures and how these infrastructures are
entangled with colonial histories, social inequalities, and toxic
environmental impacts. Still more importantly - and pertinently to the
pathway - the project offers insights into creating more liveable futures for
those working in the dyeing history, by asking what can be learned from
craft traditions that have proven resilient despite the pressure of
industrialization. Through its ethnographic and historical exploration of
whether regional craft traditions offer sustainable alternatives to
industrially-produced indigo, the project combines interdisciplinary
innovation with real impact potential.