Swapnam Artist Welfare Foundation

Our foundation, Swapnam Artist Welfare, is based at Geevees Nivas in Kolachery. If you are coming from Thaliparamba in Kannur, you just look for the Kolachery post area. The office is actually part of a house, which makes it feel very welcoming for the artists who visit us. We have all sorts of people coming through—painters, musicians, and folks who do traditional crafts. They often bring their work to show us. The place is usually full of half-finished projects and old books. We don't have a big budget for things, so we make do with what we have. Most of us here have a background in the arts, so we understand the struggles these folks face. It is not an easy life, trying to make art and pay the bills at the same time. We try to provide a bit of a safety net for them. We don't have any corporate polish or fancy receptionists. You just walk in and someone will be there to talk. We spend a lot of time on the phone trying to organize things. It can be a bit chaotic with all the different personalities, but that is just how it is with artists. We are just happy to be able to help our own. It’s a bit noisy when everyone gathers, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We hope to keep the doors open for many years.