India | Sandarbh residency call - rural Rajasthan

Open call to artists to apply for a 3 week residency in Partapur, in a rural area of Rajasthan, India. Eight artists will be selected. Sandarbh is looking to host artists who have an interest in public art and community art practices, as well as being open to new ideas and reflections.

Residency dates: January 5 to January 25, 2015
Number of artists to be selected: 8

Deadline: October 15, 2014

We invite proposals from artists for a 3-week residency in Partapur. Partapur is a town located in the district of Banswara in Rajasthan. It falls in the largely tribal region of Vagad, and the Bhil tribe forms the largest section of the population. About 4 hours drive from Udaipur – the world-renowned ‘tourist city’ of India, Partapur has very little stake in the tourism industry of Rajasthan. It has very recently been recognized as a Nagar Parishad or City Council, though agriculture still forms the mainstay of the economy. A large number of people, travel for work to neighbouring villages and towns. Local schools, NGOs, marble quarries, a cement factory and a textile mill are key employers. People are also involved in other craft-based occupations like pottery and jewelry making, stone carving, and tailoring. Migration is on the rise, especially among the young. They find employment as construction and factory labour, and cooks and cleaners in restaurants in larger cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Surat.

Partapur has a fairly rich tradition in folk arts, and there exists a context of conversation and cultural exchange between the local art community, and artists from other places via Sandarbh. Partapur has been hosting Sandarbh’s Artist in Residence programme since 2003. The main aim for artists in Sandarbh, a few of whom belong to Partapur, was to initiate dialogue between local artists/ artisans, with artists from other cities and geographies. Partapur is like any other town in India that is living through a massive socio-cultural-economic transformation. Its relationship with ‘urbanity’ is not new and its negotiation with ‘modernity’ is reflected in the cultural landscape of the place. We hope artists from other places find resonance for their ideas and experiences, with life and arts in Partapur.

Sandarbh provides a vibrant, informal atmosphere of living and working. We are looking to host artists who have an interest in public art and community art practices, but at the same time we are open to ideas and new reflections.

WE OFFER:
1. Accommodation: Shared rooms and dormitories, to be chosen on first come, first serve basis. Living area is close to the studio space.
2. Three simple vegetarian Indian meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) will be provided. There is a functional kitchen area for the use of the artists. Non-vegetarian food maybe cooked there. Artists will have to procure their own grocery for this.
3. The studio space is equipped with basic tools for stitching, welding, grinding, and we provide simple carpentry tools like hammer, saw, drill etc

Sandarbh is a low support residency. We do not cover travel, insurance, and art-material expenses. We encourage the artists to apply for other grants. Please apply only if you are sure that you will be able to raise money to cover all expenses.

Eligibility

Preference will be given to individual artists. We can only invite one member of an artist collective
- The applicant should be over the age of 25 years on 01.01.2015
- A working knowledge of Hindi or English is mandatory

Sandarbh is a project leader of the EQUILIBRIUM project, organised in the framework of the Asia-Europe Foundation's programme: Creative Encounters: Cultural Partnerships between Asia and Europe