Discover Yourself
Selected for the depth and seriousness of proposed work, not for prior credentials alone. No payment is required from fellows at any stage.
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The Fellowships in Creative Exploration have been created because the condition that most consistently produces significant creative work is one that most institutions find hard to provide: unstructured time, with modest material security, in a place with genuine intellectual depth. Six fellowships are offered annually to selected creative individuals — to enable them to spend a year in the spiritual ambience of Puducherry, to conduct free creative explorations in areas of their own choosing.
The objective is to provide a space to work together, discovering one's own inner nature in a spirit of exploration without institutional structures or rules. The presence of other creative individuals, and the spiritual ambience of Puducherry — with the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville, Matri Mandir, and the pristine beauty of nature — will allow the fellows to find their own calling and voice in an atmosphere of complete freedom, much like classical vocalists try to find their own voice (swara), by working alone.
Each fellow would receive a stipend of Rs 50,000 per month for the year — supported through the generosity of individual donors, foundations, and institutions who believe that sustained creative inquiry deserves direct material support.
The only formal expectation from the Fellows is a single Public Presentation at the close of the year — what form that takes: lecture, exhibition, performance, workshop, or publication, is entirely the fellow's decision. The fellowships are cross-disciplinary: emerging Digital and Immersive Media, Interactive Arts, Fine Arts, Music, Dance, and Design research are all equally welcome.
Six fellows selected annually, commencing together on 1 September. The cohort is small by design — SAKS is not a large residency programme but an intimate intellectual community.
Each fellow receives Rs 50,000 per month for the full year — funded through donors and sponsoring institutions who believe that sustained creative freedom requires direct material support. No payment is required from fellows at any stage. Fellows arrange their own accommodation in Puducherry — guidance on options is provided on selection.
Each fellow presents a body of work at the close of the year — as an exhibition or a performance at the SAKS Gallery. There is no evaluation. SAKS will be happy if the fellowship leads to a clarity of one's inner nature.
Graduates in Creative Arts & Design who have completed a Graduate or Post-Graduate Program in Design.
Fellowships are self-guided, with periodic informal discussion sessions and conversations with senior partners and visiting artists. There are no courses, no modules, and no institutional obligations beyond the body of work presented at the close of the year.
Taking up a job immediately after graduation may defeat the whole purpose of studying to be a designer. This fellowship is for those who really enjoy designing and being original in what they do, and want to spend a year discovering themselves in an atmosphere of full freedom — surrounded by equally talented individuals.
Fellowship Themes
Themes are not limited to these — fellows are welcome to suggest their own.
Puducherry is not an incidental choice. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville have made it a centre for contemplative creative practice for decades. It is a place where artists, musicians, dancers, and researchers come to work outside the pressure of a metropolitan art market — and where that independence is normal rather than unusual.
Puducherry has numerous Yoga, Meditation, Dance and Music courses, Craft Workshops and Studios, and a large community of artists to forge friendships for life. The French Quarter, the Ashram neighbourhood, the proximity to Tamil Nadu's craft and temple architecture tradition give the town an unusual density of serious practitioners from many disciplines.
Fellows should expect a quieter pace than Mumbai or Bangalore. That is the point.
Apply for a Fellowship
Six fellowships are offered annually to graduates in Creative Arts & Design who have completed a Graduate or Post-Graduate Program in Design. Fellows are selected on the depth and seriousness of their Statement of Intent, not credentials alone. Each fellow receives a stipend of Rs 50,000 per month for the year. No payment is required from fellows at any stage. Last date for applying is 14 August 2026.
Apply for Fellowship →