WORKSHOP DETAILS
This workshop is a form building exercise held over a period of fifteen days. During this time, we
journey from a set of images towards a zine. Any form of engagement with the visual arts is
welcome - you may be a photographer, an illustrator, a mixed-media artist or even a collector. The
idea is to explore different ways in which the images can function together and possible visual
narratives that may emerge.
The workshop will happen in two phases. Please keep in mind that both the parts are equally
important. It is only with material acquired over the first ten days, that we can embark on this
journey of trying to discover new windows and sharing our perspectives amongst the peer group.
It is not so much about producing the best work, but to share our honest feelings and looking at the probabilities the zine form offers.
Phase One: Visualising the idea and gathering material :
1. The first ten days of the workshop (2nd - 11th March) will be conducted online.
2. During this time participants will be working on a personal story. It could be stories from family,their favourite tree in the forest, an experience, a dream or perhaps to just look at oneself. Onecould choose to photograph, use family archives, collectedimages/objects/documents,newspaper/magazine clippings, screenshots from films/music videos/advertisements, illustrations,collage, text or any other visual material of their desire.
3. Participants may also choose to continue working on old projects which they would want to edit and explore in the zine form.
4. We would like to work around the idea of a personal story - something informal, intimate -
almost like a self-portrait while trying to bring visual variety, and juxtaposing different kinds of
material.
5. There will be one introduction session, followed by two online review sessions.
Phase Two: Making a zine with the collected material :
1. The second part of the workshop will be held physically for a period of 5 days (12th - 16th
March) in Kalimpong.
2. Participants must bring prints/other physical material with them. They should have a set of at least 30 visuals. Prints should be sized at 6X4 inches and will be useful in making the zine.
Workshop fee :₹ 5000/-
*If selected fee should be paid before the start of the workshop.
Application deadline :
Submissions will be accepted till 17th February, 2021 midnight.
Results will be announced on 22nd February, 2021.
Eligibility criteria :
*This workshop is only open to participants from the Darjeeling hills, Sikkim and other North-
eastern states.
*There is no age limit.
*We will only select 12 participants for the workshop.
For any queries and information :
Ashwin Sharma : Call/Whatsapp +91 7407727785
ABOUT MENTORS:
Rohit Saha
Rohit Saha (born 1990, India) is a visual artist from Calcutta. His practice involves photography,
illustration, and animation to narrate stories. He has been working with communities, landscapes,and socio-political phenomena in various parts of India. Saha’s graduation project about extra-judicial killings in Manipur titled “1528” won the Alkazi Photobook Award in 2017. Saha was awarded the Magnum Foundation Social Justice Fellowship in 2018 and was a part of Joop SwartMasterclass 2020. Saha is currently based in Bombay, India.
rohitsaha.com
Swastik Pal
Born in 1991, Swastik Pal is a photographer based in Calcutta. After completing his post graduatediploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University, he received full scholarship to pursueDiploma in Photojournalism, at the Asian Center for Journalism, a World Press Photo partnerorganisation at Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. He completed his Masters in FilmStudies from Jadavpur University in 2019. Swastik was nominated for the Joop Swart World PressMasterclass in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He received the Alexia Student Award of Excellence in 2018and the NFI National Media Fellowship in 2015. His work has been both exhibited and publishedextensively. He was a guest curator for Angkor Photo Festival, 2020.
Riti Sengupta
Riti Sengupta (b.1993) is a visual artist based out of Calcutta. She graduated from the NationalInstitute of Design, with a Master’s Degree in Photography. She was awarded a scholarship fromthe Goethe - Institute to attend a semester at the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig, Germany in 2016.In 2018, Riti received the Stanley Greene NOOR Scholarship and was a finalist in the InvisiblePhotographer Asia Awards. Her work revolves around cultural narratives, identity, belonging andmemory, often experimenting with photography, text, illustration and collage.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZER:
The Confluence Collective are a collective of photographers and researchers working with our respective interests to create a common platform to bring together visual and oral stories of theDarjeeling-Sikkim Himalayas. We endeavour to strengthen this platform by bringing together art practices and research from and of the region. We believe that in doing so we can offer an alternative space to understand the Hills and its history beyond the homogenised, colonial discourses that continue to dominate the understanding of the place. Through close engagements with the local community, we hope to build a strong creative and collaborative platform fostering a culture of knowledge production and sharing from the margins.