Give wings to your creative calling

Get creative in the hills

The Piramal Art Residence in Thane

Mumbai connect
Where: Piramal Vaikunth, Thane
What's cool: Eager to experiment with your ideas in a secluded space that's not too far from the city? Sign up for an art residency programme that was launched last week by the Piramal Art Foundation. Nestled in a lush green residential plot, the space helps visual artists from different disciplines to experiment with their ideas. With six theme-based residencies, varying from 20 to 40 days each, spanning through the year, the programmes are currently open only to emerging and established Indian artists and will later be available for international resource persons. Hosting six artists at a time, applications will be selected by an advisory panel.
Log on to: www.piramalartfoundation.com

The well-equipped studio at Chhaap residency

Calling printmakers
Where: Chhaap, Vadodra
What's cool: If you're working on a printmaking project but don't have adequate tools at hand, seek refuge at Chhaap residency in Gujarat. Accommodating two artists at a time - who can opt for private room or an apartment - the residency, started in 2005, gives you access to a library and a studio equipped with two etching presses, hotplate, aquabox and light box. With stay varying from one to three months, the space is open to visual artists from all disciplines. The applications are open to trained artists and a selection panel of Chhaap affiliates will review your proposed project.

An artist working on a clay installation at a D.I.S.C The Art residency programme in Odisha

Learn local crafts
Where: D.I.S.C The Art, Odisha
What's cool: Started in 2014, the residency offers seasonal programmes that help Indian and international artists discover indigenous art and crafts of Odisha and ancient techniques of India while travelling through the rural heartland and connecting with locals. Sign up for a 45-day summer programme where you will learn paper mache craft, bamboo comb making and leaf plate making at workshops in places like Fakirpur and Dhakotha. Also, get a chance to install your work at Bhubaneswar's Lalit Kala Art Gallery for an exhibition. Each programme accommodates six applications selected by an artists' panel.
From: August 1 to September 14 (application deadline: May 1)
Log on to: www.disctheart.com
Email: ausrakleizaite@hotmail.com
Cost: $2,250 (approx Rs 1.4 lakh)

A bird's eye view of the residency nestled in Vagamon hill station

Get creative in the hills
Where: Palette People Artists Residency, Vagamon
What's cool: Perched in a picturesque hill station of Kerala, Palette People (a non-profit organisation) has been hosting residency programmes since 2007. While previously restricted to Indian painters and sculptors, the beautiful space, surrounded by rolling meadows, is now also open to Indian and international photographers, writers, poets and film and television professionals. Operating through the year, artists are offered either a week or 15-day residency via a selection process or they can pay to enjoy accommodation on twin-sharing basis and studio access. The residency hosts upto 14 artists at a time.
Email: palettepeople@gmail.com
Log on to: www.greenmeadowsvagamon.com
Cost: Rs 750 (per day for double occupancy), Rs 1,100 (per day for single occupancy)