Christmas & New Year Art Residency in Goa: Pottery, Yoga and Jungle Life
Spend Christmas and New Year exploring creativity, nature and South Goa with our Indo-Russian family. This residency combines handbuilding pottery, art, yoga and local experiences, and you stay with us at Mud Dauber — a Portuguese heritage house, natural mud cottages and a pottery studio in the jungle above the Talpona river.
The pottery programme is 100% handbuilding: there is no pottery wheel. That makes it open to complete beginners and lets you focus on the creative, sculptural side of working with clay. Your teacher, Alexandra, is a ceramic artist with 8 years of experience.
What you will learn
- The complete pottery cycle — preparing and shaping clay, decorating, glazing and firing in a gas kiln
- The most versatile handbuilding methods: slab building, coil building, pinch pots and sculpting
- Different ways of decorating and finishing your pieces
- How clay behaves, so that you can develop your own ideas — with plenty of time for self-practice and experiments
- How to carry on at home with simple tools: no wheel, expensive equipment or studio of your own required
The whole programme leads to one moment: opening the kiln and holding your finished pieces for the first time. After days of making, decorating and waiting, seeing what came out of the fire is a little bit magical.
Beyond the studio
- Gentle yoga and meditation every morning — time to stretch, breathe and slow down
- A natural building workshop: hands-on work with earth and simple, sustainable techniques
- A boat trip through the backwaters and mangroves of the Talpona river
- A jungle trek to a wild sunset point
- Quiet beaches and our favourite hidden places in South Goa — the kind you would hardly find on your own
- Homemade fusion meals and relaxed movie nights
A typical day
- 8:00 — soft yoga and meditation
- 9:00 — breakfast and free time
- 11:00 — pottery workshop
- 14:00 — lunch
- 15:00–20:00 — self-practice in the studio, extra workshops and activities, exploring South Goa or simply resting
Check-in on 23 December is from 14:00, and check-out on 2 January is at 12:00, so the first and the last day are for arriving and leaving.
Where you will stay
Mud Dauber is our family home on a small hillock overlooking the Talpona river in Canacona: an 80-year-old Portuguese villa, two mud cottages we built ourselves from mud, lime and wood, and the pottery studio. It is not a hotel or a commercial homestay — you become part of our everyday life for a while. On site: Wi-Fi, garden, terrace, kitchen, laundry and free parking.
- Shared room with shared bath in the Heritage House — $1,100 per person. A twin room in the Portuguese villa where our family lives. Simple and homey: come for the experience, not the luxury.
- Shared cottage with attached bath — $1,420 per person. A rustic twin cottage handmade from natural and reclaimed materials, facing the Talpona river, with a private terrace over the jungle.
- Shared bungalow with attached bath — $1,520 per person. A twin cottage handmade with natural building techniques, among tall trees, with air conditioning and hot water.
- Private room with shared bath in the Heritage House — $1,840 per room, single occupancy.
Food
Three meals a day plus snacks, mostly vegetarian, cooked in our kitchen right in front of you from local and seasonal ingredients, without refined products. Tell us in advance about allergies, intolerances and preferences and we will take care of them.
What's included
- 10 nights at Mud Dauber
- Three meals a day; water, tea and coffee through the day; a welcome drink
- Daily yoga and meditation classes
- A 20-hour full-cycle handbuilding pottery course
- Free access to the pottery studio, all materials and tools
- Firing of your pieces in a gas kiln
- Natural building workshop
- Backwater boat trip on the Talpona river
- Beaches and hidden places of South Goa, a nature hike to a secret sunset point, a movie screening
- Transport during the residency, parking and Wi-Fi
- Support from our team before and after the residency
Not included
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Visa fee
- Airport transfer — arranged on request, $30 per person each way
- Extra nights before or after the residency — on request
- Additional treatments and activities outside the programme
Booking and cancellation
A deposit of $550 confirms your place, and the balance is paid on arrival, by card or bank transfer. If you cancel 30 days or more before the start, the deposit is refunded in full; 15 to 29 days before the start, 50% of the deposit is refunded; 14 days or less before the start, the deposit is not refunded.
Getting there
The nearest airport is Dabolim (GOI), about 70 km away. The easiest way is a pre-booked taxi straight to Mud Dauber in Canacona — around 1.5 to 2 hours depending on traffic; we can arrange the transfer for you. For India you need a tourist e-Visa: apply online in advance, with a passport valid for at least 6 months.
Good to know
- Solo travellers are welcome
- Weather at this time of year: around 28–32°C during the day and 20–24°C at night, warm, sunny and mostly dry
- Bring clothes you do not mind getting messy in the studio, comfortable walking shoes and sandals, a swimsuit, a light warm layer for the evenings, sun protection and a reusable water bottle
- Electricity is 230V with Indian-style plugs (types C, D and M); power cuts can occasionally happen, so an adapter and a small power bank are useful
Cancellation policy · Moderate
- Full refund if you cancel 30 or more days before the start
- 50% refund between 30 and 7 days before
- No refund within 7 days of the start
Minimum group
Runs with at least 3 participants. If the group does not fill, the organiser may cancel before the start — you then get a full refund, or can move to another date if one is offered.
If the organiser cancels, you always get a full refund.
Full cancellation and refund policy
No payment now. The organiser confirms your request first.
Cancellation policy · Moderate
- Full refund if you cancel 30 or more days before the start
- 50% refund between 30 and 7 days before
- No refund within 7 days of the start
Minimum group
Runs with at least 3 participants. If the group does not fill, the organiser may cancel before the start — you then get a full refund, or can move to another date if one is offered.
If the organiser cancels, you always get a full refund.
Full cancellation and refund policy