Crafted Imagination: Poetry and the Art of Making by Hand | Spring 2026

Sun 3 May - Thu 14 May' 26

Poetry is not only the language of words — it dwells in the way we live, in everything we imagine and create. There is a poem hidden inside every act of making, every gesture, every form. This workshop brings together poetry, handmade art, and craft as intertwined forms of creative expression. Participants explore how the act of making by hand — through material, texture, and process — carries its own poetic language, one that speaks beyond words. Guided by Chandra Shekhar Shaha, the workshop invites a slow, deliberate engagement with craft elements as a medium for imagination, creativity, and meaning-making. At its heart, it is a search centered around the possibility of yet another beginning.

Faculty: Chandra Shekhar Shaha (designer and artist)

Goals and Objectives

The workshop aims to help participants explore poetry as a lived experience beyond written language, engage with handmade art and craft as forms of creative expression, develop a slow and deliberate practice of making by hand, discover the poetic dimension embedded in material, texture, and process, and cultivate creative imagination through the interplay of art, craft, and poetry. Through a combination of guided discussions, readings, and hands-on making sessions, participants will develop a personal creative practice rooted in the poetic possibilities of the handmade.

Activities will include poetry readings, craft demonstrations, hands-on making sessions, group reflections, and presentations of participants’ work.

Important Information

1. Date: May 3 – May 14, 2026
Total: Six sessions

2. Venue: Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements, Dhaka

3. Workshop Fee:
Regular participants: 10,000 BDT
Students: 7,000 BDT (Valid student ID required)

4. Important Dates:
Application starts: April 13, 2026
Application and payment deadline: April 28, 2026

The application will be on a rolling basis. After submitting the application, we will send the decision in a day or two from the date of submission. If selected, you must pay by the due date mentioned above.

5. Application Requirements:
Graduates from any discipline with an interest in art, poetry, or creative practice
Final-year students of architecture, fine arts, literature, or any related discipline
Professionals and practitioners interested in creative and artistic expression

How to Apply

To apply for the workshop, please fill out the application form: https://forms.gle/66anKDBo21TvfMQG9

Payment Information

If selected, applicants must complete their payment. We will send the application decision soon after you submit it.

Payment Link: bengal.portwallet.com/subscription/

For any queries, please contact:

[email protected]

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Image Release Waiver

By participating in this workshop, participants consent to allow the Bengal Institute to use photographs and videos taken during the event for publicity purposes, including print materials, the Bengal Institute’s website, and its social media platforms. Photographs and videos remain the property of the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements.

Release of Liability

By participating in the “Crafted Imagination: Poetry and the Art of Making by Hand” workshop by the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements, participants release the Institute, its elected officials, officers, directors, employees, agents, volunteers, affiliates and all others acting on its behalf from any claims, actions, causes of action, and complaints of any kind which they have or may in the future have, whether known or unknown, arising out of or relating to their participation in the “Crafted Imagination: Poetry and the Art of Making by Hand” workshop on May 3 – May 14, 2026.

Additional Information

Terms and Conditions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WpCl9gGotbHMLOb7gdVPjvAnz2oGVfplPIbVlLSGW_Y/edit?usp=sharing

IP Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12wZhRByvRpQKNgZ2ShqzR1c8leKJeiTmOqoohSDw-0M/edit?usp=sharing