ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP
"Each flower begins as a bud, blossoms, and wilts one day. But the fragrance always remains"
- From the Santhal tribal song Baha Bagan
This workshop will enable you to learn the delightful art of botanical printing. All of nature is full of gifts to share and we will learn how to identify specific plants whose leaves and flowers can be imprinted on natural fabrics and then go through the process of printing in a step-by-step fashion.
THIS WORKSHOP IS MEANT FOR YOU IF…
YOU LOVE TO CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FROM NATURE
YOU ENJOY HANDS-ON LEARNING
You want to learn the art of botanical printing to create absolutely unique and beautiful prints on natural cloth. You love to collect flowers, leaves and stems, and observe how they transform during the printing process
You enjoy learning-by-doing in a group, while being guided by self-taught artists who have dedicated themselves to the art of botanical printing, have learnt by experimentation, and are keen to pass on their knowledge to you.
YOU LOVE IMMERSING IN NATURE AND WITH AN INDIGENOUS TRIBAL CULTURE
You thrive in the midst of nature, on a regenerative farm with natural buildings, and you would love to immerse in a nature-connected tribal culture, their food and ways of living.
MEET YOUR TEACHERS
Swati and Boot are Santiniketan-based artisans who are self-made and self-taught. They are lovers of nature and it's rhythms and do their work as a labour of love. From wood- and stone-carving to sketching, art direction for films, nature-based tourism, they have been fascinated with the art of botanical printing for the last six years. They have learnt through meticulous experimentation with various types of leaves, flowers, roots, and barks. Preparation of one piece of cloth takes up to fifteen days of careful and patient work, and each cloth is distinct and impossible to replicate. They are now keen to transfer their knowledge through workshops like this one.
COMPONENTS OF OUR WORKSHOP
You will be taught the process of botanical printing in a systematic, stepwise fashion, and will also receive a written manual that you can take back home as a resource.
PREPARING THE FABRIC
We'll learn to scoure the fabric to remove impurities that may prevent the print from emerging. Following that, we will mordant the fabric using metal ionic solutions that will enable the pigment from the leaves to bond with the fabric
FINAL WASH BEFORE USE
We'll teach you how to wash the cloth and starch it in an appropriate manner so that the print remains and doesn't fade.
COLLECTING LEAVES AND BUNDLING
We'll explore the Dularia plot and nearby areas to identify trees and collect the foliage. We will then learn how to bundle the cloth and steam it with the leaves to obtain the print
This workshop was a wonderful, creative, and immersive experience! I enjoyed each moment of it.
Parvathy Baul, Baul Musician
Dularia was a beautiful setting for hands-on learning of this beautiful craft. I went home and started my botanical printing journey right away!
Kisty Milward, Founder of non-profit Suchana
Food & Accommodation
We have three options for accommodation:
- in our gorgeous Earthhome (limited to four people on a first-come, first serve basis)
- in your own tent with own bedding pitched in the middle of our food forest. Shared showers and toilets are available on the premises.
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In any of the surrounding guest-houses. Two options are Panchabati Resort ( 850 m away from Dularia) or Khoai Village Resort (2.7 km away from Dularia).
Meals consist of simple yet wholesome vegetarian food containing fresh vegetables and greens harvested from our farm, and often cooked on our wood-fired stove in the Santal tribal tradition. We serve two big meals plus fruit, tea and snacks to keep you well-fed and energized for the tasks of the day.
DETAILS
DATES
Feb 7- 9, 2025
Arrival is suggested on Feb 7, 2025 by 9 am latest, and departure is at 5 pm on Feb 9, 2025.
Last date for registration: Jan 31, 2025
PARTICIPANTS
Min 6 - Max 10
Book your spot soon as limited places are available! This is an intimate workshop where you'll meet like-minded people and get plenty of one-on-one attention from the instructors.
FEES
Tuition fees: INR 15,000/-
Includes taxes, excludes food & accommodation, to book your spot, a non-refundable deposit of INR 5,000/- will be required.
Food: INR 2,700/-
Includes all meals. Vegetarian meals using local tribal and Bengali recipes will be prepared using organic ingredients from the farm.
Accommodation:
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In your own tent with own bedding: 600/-
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In our Earthhome (only 4 spots available, first-come, first serve basis): 3,000/-
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In guesthouses near Dularia: please enquire with them directly.
All inclusive prices, including food and accommodation:
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In your own tent: 16,800/-
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In our Earthhome: 19,200/-
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In guesthouses: do your own math based on accomodation price!
DAILY SCHEDULE
8:00 - 8:30: Breakfast with tea/coffee.
8:30 - 12:30: Morning session. These sessions will cover the core content of the course. All content will be hands-on. Tea/coffee plus a snack will be served.
12:30 - 14:30: Lunch and personal time
14:30 - 17:00: Afternoon session. These sessions will cover the core content of the course. All content will be hands-on. Afternoon tea & snacks will be served.
18:00 - 19: 00: Dinner
19:00 - 21:00: Bon-fire, songs, sharing, relaxation. Participation is completely optional.
WHERE WE'RE LOCATED
Dularia is located in a rural setting, just ten kilometers away from Shantiniketan, which has been recently recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site for its historical and cultural value. This makes it all the more attractive to visit Dularia and to take a few days extra to visit the surroundings.
HOW TO REACH US
The closest train stations to Dularia are Prantik and Bolpur stations, and the closest airport is Durgapur.
If you want to come by flight, you could fly into Kolkata airport, followed by either a train journey from Howrah/ Sealdah stations to Bolpur/Prantik stations, or take a 4-hour taxi ride directly to Dularia. Alternately, you could fly into Durgapur airport, followed by a 2-hour taxi ride to Dularia. Kolkata has several more flight options than Durgapur does, so both airports have their advantages/disadvantages.
If you want to arrive by train, you can come to Bolpur/Prantik stations, and then take an electric rickshaw (Toto) to Dularia. There are better and faster train connections to Durgapur train
Have questions? Contact Us
Contact Sharmishtha Dattagupta (WhatsApp): +91-9831404006, email: dulariatrust@gmail.com
