Dhaka Makers 2: A celebration of youthful zeal

The second edition of Dhaka Makers, a pop-up marketplace that catered to the thriving creative market of our metro, was a smash hit in all regards. Local products and crafts made by the young artsy community were the heart of the festival. 

The lively event catered to the growing demand for locally crafted art and craft products.

Presented by City Bank, and set against the enchanting backdrop of the Aloki, a large and spacious community centre nestled in the heart of Dhaka on Gulshan-Tejgaon Link Road, Dhaka Makers 2 was a vibrant celebration of creativity and positive growth of the thriving artistic community of this metropolis.

I do not want to go into the details of how the patrons of Dhaka Makers 2, as it was called this time, celebrated and put the spotlight on the much-talented but not very acclaimed, arts and crafts community of the city. Instead, I want to appreciate wholeheartedly, the effervescent atmosphere this unique crafts fair has had.

The four-day Makers' Market was buzzing with young and charged youth of the city; while some were displaying their crafts and others were valuing and owning their effort.  The chic and swanky crowd was what got my attention the most.

What I loved most was the nonchalant atmosphere they created; nobody thought of eyeing the other by quizzing their identity. The youths could be themselves without feeling judged.

This very particular societal shift in a fair-like event was missing in Dhaka. There was a time when teenage girls were targets of harassment at meena bazaars or fairs; the vibrant and lively atmosphere at Dhaka Makers proved that the mentality and temperament of the society have evolved over the years.

It was about time for our uber-chic socialites, who zoom off to neighbouring cities to watch a mere concert, to rise to the process of adopting the affirmative changes of cultural traits. Our mean, narrow outlook to bold youthful preferences should change. Let the young be footloose and happy, let them have a secure, supportive space to be at their carefree best.

We should accept that when a culture is diffused with traits from other cultures and societies on a large scale it is bound to replace traditional cultural acceptance and upgrade their lookout on well-known social movements, and the visitors at the Dhaka Makers proved the change in us.

Such thriving creative economy of Dhaka should be given more such platforms to express their resourcefulness. Events like Zainul Mela, Khadi Festival, Dhaka Makers, and art exhibitions in city galleries consistently provide positivity and support to these ingenious, small, and creative artistic businesses and individuals across Dhaka. But most importantly these events give the youth of the city a safe, prejudice-free environment to express their inner self.

Dhaka Makers did well with both giving the artists an encouraging scene to showcase their talent and the city crowd an upbeat event to enjoy themselves.