The idea behind this pottery/creative retreat is simple: It‘s a natural setting where you may discover inspiration and embrace your creative side while getting away from the daily grind. The creative process of pottery–making slows down the pace of life, giving you time to recharge and replenish your creative spirit.
There could be no other medium better than the clay for such a retreat wherein clay itself and the whole process of making pottery teaches you patience, empathy, accepting changes, exploring and experimenting.
It’s also an opportunity to befriend another art enthusiast like you to connect with a community, learn a new skill, stay at a gorgeous location and experience local/mountain culture.
The retreat is put together by a skilled group of artists and facilitators. Starting on Friday afternoon and lasting until Wednesday morning, all of the retreat schedules are similar. We have room for 8 to 10 participants in each batch, depending on the studio‘s space availability.
Day 1 (Friday) – Take your time to settle in, visit the studio, meet other people and attend your first pottery session from 4 PM – 7 PM.
Day 2,3,4,5 – These days of the retreat include group pottery sessions between 11 AM – 5:30 PM, where you will learn pottery basics (wheel throwing, hand building and surface decoration, firing and glazing) while creating your own art pieces. Apart from the pottery sessions, there will be nature walks, yoga/meditation sessions and local sightseeing as a part of the retreat program.
Day 6 (Wednesday) – It‘s time to pack up and gaze at the Dhauladhar ranges for one last time until we see you again.
The retreat is put together by a skilled group of artists and facilitators. Starting on Friday afternoon and lasting until Wednesday morning, all of the retreat schedules are similar. We have room for 8 to 10 participants in each batch, depending on the studio‘s space availability.
You can join this retreat to learn basic pottery, give yourself a breather or just to pamper your creative self.
At an elevation of 2100 m, Dharamkot is a small village in Kangra district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. Famous for yoga, meditation and Hippies since the 1970s, Dharamkot is also known as a second home for Israeli tourists coming to India. We are 2 km above McLeodGanj, which is home to the Dalai lama and the Capital of the Tibetan government–in–exile.
The Retreat Centre is located amidst the pine and cedar forest, completely secluded from the hustle–bustle of everyday life, yet easily approachable by road with a 5-minute walk to the village. Dharamkot offers wide views of the Kangra Valley and the Dhauladhar ranges. It has the world–famous Vipassana meditation centres– Dhamma Shikara and Tushita Meditation Centre.
The name Dharamkot Studio comes from the village of Dharamkot where it is located.
Mar–Jun:The summer season in the mountains can be an absolutely stunning time of year. With the snow melted away and the sun shining, the mountains come alive with an array of colours, scents, and sounds. The temperature during the day can range from pleasantly cool to warm, making it an ideal time for outdoor activities. The air is crisp and fresh, with a sweet scent of pine and other mountain flora.
Bring–Sunglasses, hiking shoes and light clothes with a jacket for cooler evenings.
Team/Studio
The retreat is curated and conducted by a team of facilitators, resident artists and guides. In Dharamkot village we run 2 studio spaces, Studio-1 is for non-residential workshops while studio-2 is for the retreats and longer courses. Studio functions like an artist community, 20-30 resident artists, students and other staff members work and live here around the year in both studio spaces. So you will be a part of this community of artists fiddling with pottery wheels or bringing their imagination to life in this idyllic sanctuary.
We’re an art studio using clay / ceramics / pottery as a medium, nestled in a quaint village in Himachal Pradesh, India. We started in 2019 in Dharamkot village with one pottery wheel, a few kgs of clay and a simple dream of making a community art space. We’re self taught artists from different backgrounds and with different stories; the Studio and art connect all of us together.
On an elevation of 2100 m, Dharamkot is a small hill station in Kangra district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. On the crest of a hill above McLeodGanj, (Dalai lama stays here and also place of Tibetan government in exile ), Dharamkot is a spot with wide views of the Kangra Valley and the Dhauladhar ranges. Dharamkot also has the world famous Vipassana meditation centre, Dhamma Shikara and Tushita Meditation Centre which is a centre for the study and practice of Buddhism in the Tibetan Mahayana tradition. Famous for yoga, meditation and Hippies Since 1970s, Dharamkot is also known as second home for Israeli tourists coming to India. Most of the restaurants here serve Israeli dishes.
The accommodation and studio lie amidst the pine and cedar forest, completely secluded from the hustle-bustle of the town yet easily approachable by road and just a 5-minute walk away from the village. We have single and double-occupancy rooms. We don’t put up strangers together- so you will either have the whole room or share it with someone you bring along.
All the rooms are with attached washrooms, high–speed WiFi, power backup, hot water, electric kettle, heaters/Fan private balcony and modernist aesthetics. You will have a view of the Dhauladhar mountain range from your room!
The accommodation and studio lie amidst the pine and cedar forest, completely secluded from the hustle-bustle of the town yet easily approachable by road and just a 5-minute walk away from the village. We have single and double-occupancy rooms. We don’t put up strangers together- so you will either have the whole room or share it with someone you bring along.
All the rooms are with attached washrooms, high–speed WiFi, power backup, hot water, electric kettle, heaters/Fan private balcony and modernist aesthetics. You will have a view of the Dhauladhar mountain range from your room!
An in–house cafeteria provides delicious and healthy vegetarian food. Vegan or gluten-free food is also available on request.
All meals (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) are included in the price.
Apart from our in–house cafe there are many other cafes to explore, just a 7-10 minutes walk away from the retreat centre.
Meals Provided
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
Diets Catered
Dairy-free
Egg-free
Gluten Free
Vegan
Vegetarian
By Air – Kangra Airport (DHM) is the nearest airport which is around 20 km (50 minutes) from the studio, direct taxi (Rs. 1200/-) to the studio will be available.
By Bus – Overnight journey from Delhi by semi-sleeper bus. The nearest bus station is Dharamshala (8 km), and from the bus station, you can take a taxi (Rs. 600/-) to the studio.
By Train – Pathankot (85km) is the nearest railway station. From Pathankot, you can take public transport to Dharamshala and then a taxi to the Studio. Or you can take a taxi from Pathankot to the studio.
