Some ideas for a proposal for a study centre and retreat for people working in sacred arts, at Deenabandupuram, Andhra Pradesh

Artists sometimes need the time and space for reflection, solitude and study, in a sup-portive atmosphere of natural beauty and isolation from the stresses of the city, and the obligations of other aspects of daily life, to renew their spirit, invite inspiration and to do the work of creation.  

There is an idea to found a school of sacred arts in Deenabandupuram, which would engage working creative artists in various fields and from various of the sacred tradi-tions of India, to enliven the minds of students to the beauty of art-music, dance, painting, sculpture, writing, from whatever their tradition, be it Christian, Moslem, Sikh, Jain, or Hindu.  

Such an endeavour will take many minds working together over a lengthy period of preparation to formulate and implement such a place and course of study.  

Towards such a goal, there is a proposal is to institute a retreat for artists in various dis-ciplines, specifically music, painting, sculpture, dance and literature, enabling them to do creative work of limited duration.  Applicants for residency at this retreat would be chosen for achieved excellence or evident potential, by a panel of respected artists in these respective fields, charged with the mandate to invite artists for a period of not less than two weeks and not more than six months, to work on specific projects as defined by the applicants.  

The physical needs for such a retreat would be studios fitted for the specific needs of each field.  A painter's studio needs, for example, sufficient space for canvasses in progress and northern light exposure.  A dancer/choreographer's studio would need room to move, and a wooden floor.  For the musician, electric connections for key-boards computers, etc, plus perhaps an acoustic piano to assist in musical composi-tion.  Sculptors would need a flexible space for working in a variety of media, from wood and stone to steel fibre glass or mixed media, Writer may need significantly fewer material fittings other than a reliable power supply for a laptop computer.  It would be understood that the invited artists would bring any needed supplies for their work to the centre, and that the centre would not be responsible for furnishing artist's materials, computers or other material needs any specific project would demand.

The idea would be to form, over time, a working community of visiting residents who may or may not interact with each other while in the creative process, but whose work would reflect the idea of spiritual awakening and political awareness offered by the tranquillity of the place, the proximity of Deenabandu's other facilities (A mandapam (which is a CSI church), an elementary school, the Women in Development Trust compound), to promote and facilitate the production of serious work in the arts.  

It can be argued that all art is spiritual in intent.  One of its principal aims is to express the inner life and times of the individual artist to the larger community.  This centre is proposed, first for generating individual creativity, and then (at such a time when an actual school of the arts is deemed appropriate and possible) for the passing on of learning to succeeding generations with the crucial aim of enlivening the soul for spiritual awakening, beauty in worship, and in daily living for all.  

Money for such an enterprise would need to be raised to build the necessary facilities at Deenabandupuram, and an endowment created to insure the stability of such a centre.  The Deenabandu Trust has identified a site of approximately 15.5 acres, on its own property, for the building of such a centre.  Artist's studios/cottages would need to be separated from each other sufficiently to give a sense of undisturbed privacy while not loosing some feeling of community.  Five artist's studios would be needed, suited to the various artistic disciplines involved, and all with clean water, sleeping, and eco-friendly sanitary facilities.  Kitchen facilities may or may not be needed as residents could take their food in the community dining hall already there (but at some distance from the proposed site), their food could be sent from the existing dining hall at the Women in Development Trust, or a separate communal facility could be built on the proposed site.  Food also could be brought to their studios from a central kitchen if their work could not be interrupted by the social situation of communal eating.  

The buildings on this site would preferably be designed by a sympathetic architect to reflect the character of the rugged landscape in which they are to be situated; of local construction and materials; but, notwithstanding their modest dimensions and specific purpose, of some significant architectural interest.

Money raised would be needed specifically for the initial building of five studios and a central space for gathering; minor landscaping; the digging of a well and piping of water to the studios; and the hiring of a suitable maintenance staff and the hiring of a person, preferably someone with an active interest in one or more of the five metiers, to manage and administer the work of the retreat on site, including fund raising.  

The ideal situation would be for artists to be invited solely on the basis of their work and their proposal for creative activity at the centre, and not on their financial ability to pay.  Artists may want to use the facility to fulfil a commission, in which case, there could be the possibility of a donation to the centre for their keep.  Otherwise, it would be best if the fundraising activities for the centre could, after the facilities are built, focus on the creation of a trust fund for the running of the centre so that no artist would be turned away because of the lack of ability to pay.  It should go without saying that religion; gender, sexual orientation, caste, or community would not be taken into any account in the selection process of potential residents.  

Some work, done at the centre, especially in the visual arts, could beautify the build-ings and surroundings, if the artists involved were inspired to create site-specific work, and were willing and able to donate such work.  

The panel formed to judge the applications would need to be drawn from the most respected people in their various fields.  A musician such as Iliyaraja, a novelist such as Timmore Murare, a painter such as K. Prebhakeran or A. Husain, an essayist such as Arundhati Roy, come to mind as the calibre of artists needed to be asked to evaluate applicants' work.  Such people may even be interested, if the occasion presented itself, to come to work at the centre if they could benefit from such surroundings.  Such illustrious names, it might be added, would possibly attract donors to the centre.  

While the idea stated above is to foster the sacred in the arts, it should be made clear that no specific church or temple sponsorship would be involved in the es-tablishment or running of the centre, but that anyone sympathetic with the aims and physical situation of the centre, and whose work is of sufficient artistic merit, is welcomed to apply for residency, to interpret the aims of the centre as he or she, as an artist, sees fit.    

Randall Giles, Bensontown, Bangalore
26 May, revised 10 October 2005