On 1st February, the Student Life Office (SLO) held the Ashoka Haat centered around Women and Queer Entrepreneurs. Various artists displayed their handicrafts, arts, and delicious goods.
The haat was curated by the SLO to provide holistic cultural exposure to the Ashokan community. This year, women and queer entrepreneurs and artists were invited in groups and as individuals, to showcase their talents and hobbies. To attract such stall-keepers, Ashoka reached out to different offices and teams for leads, and in accordance with the theme, researched artists. They were then contacted and vetted on two things: the affordability of their products (to make the pricing relatively inclusive) and diversity in stall products (so that each stall artist would benefit).
In 4 hours, several stalls were completely sold out. One of the stall owners, Bani from Eclaypse, said, “The stall was definitely a success. I remember I wasn’t able to even sit for a second, as there was so much crowd near my stall”. Speaking of their Ashoka experience, the representative from Chhakchuak Gifts said “The hosts were super helpful,” and “everyone was very supportive and encouraging” said Anahita from Aztas.
Looking back, many of the stall owners said that, given the chance to showcase their work, they would definitely choose Ashoka again due to its “great reputation and valuable audience interaction”.
The SLO did not charge a commission or even a deposit to put up the stalls, in-turn they reimbursed the entrepreneurs and artists for food and travel expenditures. As they mentioned to the Edict, “Success for each and every one of us is very different. For the Office for example, if we were able to create opportunities for engagement that make even a small section happy, we consider it a success.”