RESTING ACADEMY

SEASON iV

2026 -2027
[India & Bangladesh]


In the fourth iteration of the Resting Academy hosted in Kolkata and Dhaka, we have listened to our past participants and fine tuned our course to what we would like to call a delicate balance. There isn’t much rest at the Resting Academy and we would like to keep it that way but still offer a programme that allows you to reflect and breathe. Guiding direction and breath.

Anandi Foundation in Kolkata, hosting the first part of the programme is a secluded refuge, away from the bustle of the city, ideal for the contemplation and reflection required at this stage of the journey. Here, for two months the Resting Academy will host artists, curators and musicians from the subcontinent to share the knowledge and experiences derived from their respective practices. This will be a collaborative effort, aimed to fuel critical thinking and enable residents to break down and rebuild their knowledge of various modes of photography and lens-based media, as well as initiate personal research as a creative practice.

The informal nature of the residency, as well as its idyllic surroundings, has always created free-flowing dialogues between residents and faculty, fostering a self-didactic attitude and ensuring the recalibration and articulation of individual voices..

This period will be followed by seven weeks in which the residents travel to research and execute their chosen project under careful and delicate mentorship and guidance through this period.

For the final leg of the programme residents will be  reconvening at Pathshala in Dhaka to assemble, edit their final work before its presentation - the culmination of a journey, as personal as it is professional.


Application Deadline:

12 June, 2026

*Seats are limited.

About Anandi Bari

Anandi, meaning joyous, is the ancestral home of Biren Mukherji. Situated in village of ‘Makardah’ on the outskirts of Kolkata. Its history is over 150 years old. This haven of nature serves as a welcoming retreat from the hustle of city life which is an hours drive away. 
 
Serenity surrounds you when at Anandi. Its name comes his granddaughter who died tragically young. She was a historian and aspiring writer, a beautiful human being. Before departing himself, he named the property after her. As this is the place that brought him a sense of peace and grounding. 

Today Anandi sprawls across ponds, lawns, fruit trees and bamboo groves. Langurs, water monitors and a host of birds visit to feed, nest and they feel at home.