Starter Kit. Idea 74 of 500. Cluster 4
Costume and photography experiences
The mechanism, from the book
An app that tells people what is happening tonight converts a day visit into a 2-night stay.
The first step
Borrow two traditional costumes from a dance school or a family, find a photographer with a good camera, and set up near a heritage site entrance for one weekend. Charge per session and deliver the photographs within a day. Sessions sold, and the price visitors paid without hesitation, are the proof.
- Who pays first
- Couples and families who want a photograph in traditional dress at a famous site, delivered the same day.
- What leaves today
- Every visitor takes photographs for free; a costumed session sells the same moment as a paid, local service.
Ask first
- Department of Cultural Affairs. Ask who could advise on making costumes that respect traditional dress.
- Central Cultural Fund. Ask whether photography in costume is allowed at their sites.
Check before you spend
That costumes are made and used respectfully, that photography at the site is allowed, and that guests agree to how their photos are used.
Find out these three numbers
- What will visitors pay for costume and a photo session?
- What do costumes and a good camera cost to start?
- How many visitors a day pass the spot?
A comparison from the book
Sigiriya. Chapter Five
"At the ticket office, a photographer you can hire for an hour."
Photographs of the visitor at the site are a product the book already names.
The test
Does it keep value that now leaves the island, or build the proof that lets somebody else do so?
From the appendix of Why Not Sri Lanka? by Dr Maheshika Halbeisen. The idea and the mechanism are the book's; this kit was written for the site.