Blog 4: Guerrilla Projection Mapping, Image Theatre and Group Progress

 

Guerrilla Projection Mapping

Guerrilla projection mapping is an innovative and unorthodox kind of projection mapping that frequently involves the use of projectors to display dynamic graphics or animations on various surfaces in public locations without formal licence or permits. It is often an underground or unofficial art form, and it is sometimes considered a kind of street art or activism.

I find this idea of projection mapping fascinating for several reasons. Some of them are as follows:

·       Flexibility: It can be used anywhere making use of little products to big buildings

·       Interactive: Creates an immersive experience for the audience, fostering emotional connections through magnificent displays and visual narratives.

·       Cheap and Reliable: To deliver our message, we only need one projector. It also takes into account the particular shape and texture of items or building facades to create stunning pictures that blend in perfectly with their environment.

·       Unconventional and Innovative:  It goes beyond traditional advertising strategies by combining creative expression with limitless design and content possibilities.

·       Revolutionary: Effective results with minimum resource investment through collaboration. Helps to spread awareness and make the vision a reality.

 Some of the Guerrilla Projection Mapping I found interesting

                                                image cc: motion mapping

                                                  image cc : motion mapping

                                            Image cc: Amnesty international guerrilla campaign

Image Theatre

Image Theatre, a type of drama and improvisational theatre, was invented by Augusto Boal, a Brazilian theatre practitioner. Boal was a key figure in the development of Theatre of the Oppressed, a broader theatrical and political organisation that attempts to engage audiences in conversations about social and political concerns. Image Theatre is one of the tactics employed in Theatre of the Oppressed.

Image Theatre participants create a series of still pictures or tableaux that reflect a specific idea, concept, or scenario. These visuals are typically physical representations of abstract or concrete ideas. The use of the body, facial emotions, and spatial interactions in the image transmit meaning to the viewer. It heightens awareness of how we all interpret what we see and how we all (as individuals or civilizations) tend to believe our perception is "right" or "objective." Furthermore, working with visuals avoids favouring individuals who are more linguistically skilled or native speakers of the language being utilised. The purpose of Theatre of the Oppressed, unlike traditional theatre, is not to attain equilibrium. The narrative cannot resolve the difficulties; they must be settled in real life (Burns,2007).

 

What I understood from both Guerrilla Projection Mapping and Image Theatre is that they are both unconventional yet powerful tools in conveying strong messages across the community if rightly used. They are a kind of protests that do not use actual voice to voice out their concerns rather use visual mediums to communicate with the audience and spread awareness as most of the times visual images can be captivating and to the point rather than giving an explanation which is sometimes ignored or unheard.

 

Group Work

As a group we worked on projection mapping images brainstorming ideas and inspirations on how we can get our message across our target audience. 

 

                                                     

This image was created with the aim to reach out to our target Altogether it was a worthy and meaningful experience of working in this module with my amazing team having a great rapport, understanding and respect for each other from the beginning till the end.
on the plight of International students and graduates in the UK, who do not have decent job opportunities after their studies, often discriminated due to other factors main reason being foreigners even while having the required skills and qualifications. If this situation continues to extend it could leave them with the only option of returning to their own country with all the debts to deal with and stress of unemployment. 

REFERENCES

Amnesty International Guerrilla Marketing Campaign. (n.d.).

https://altterrain.com/guerilla-marketing-building-projection-advertising-washington-dc-campaign/

Burns, M. A. (2007). Theatre of the Oppressed. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285925110_Theatre_of_the_Oppressed

Farmer, D. (2019, September 18). Image Theatre - drama resource. Drama Resource. https://dramaresource.com/image-theatre/

Photo Gallery | Some of our WOWs | Motion mapping. (2022, August 8). Motion Mapping. https://motionmapping.co.uk/ourwork/gallery/page/2/?gallery_cat=guerilla_projection

Toolbox — beautiful trouble. (n.d.). Beautiful Trouble. https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/guerrilla-projection

 

 

 

Blog 3: On 'Banking -method', Importance of 'Dialogue' and SDG 8

 

In chapter 2 of ‘The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire talks about the ‘banking- method’ of education where the teacher serves as an ultimate source of knowledge and the students are considered as the ‘vessels’ who take in the knowledge from the ultimate source. If we take a deeper look at it, the traditional teaching methods employed in our classrooms is based on the banking method. During my school days we used to take the notes the teacher passed on to us, we used to by heart the notes and write the same in exams, that’s how it always worked till I completed my schooling. When I entered my undergrad classroom, everything seemed very different and frightening because the teacher did not give us any notes rather, we were asked to express our opinions and interpretations on the text which was complete opposite method of the teaching we were used to or rather conditioned to. As Freire calls a ‘dialogue’ was initiated where there were no right or wrong answers rather it was a give and take knowledge which made so much sense and allowed us to think independently and critically.

This also makes me think of how there are hierarchies everywhere in family, educational institutions, religious institutions, and society. There is always an oppressor who controls the oppressed, the weakness of the oppressed gives the oppressor the power to force his principles and values on the oppressed. It is not always a conscious process but it’s how we as a society are conditioned from our birth that makes us not to question the existing hierarchies.

About our group work

As a group we will be working on the 8^th SDG, which is Decent work and Economic growth, which aims on promoting ‘sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’. Our focus group will be the international students in UK, who often face many challenges while applying for jobs, most of the times facing rejection due to many factors. One of the main reasons is because they are foreigners in the UK due to which they do not get the first preference most of the times though they have the necessary skills and qualifications required for the work. Additionally, the housing and accommodation situation for the international students is also a major challenge due to high rent and living costs, some of them have come with their families and finding a decent accommodation with reasonable rent is a big deal as there are more and more international intake coming into the UK every year which makes the situation more difficult.   As international students we have heard stories and news of the hardships faced by graduates, many of them having to return to their country with loans to be paid which was the main reason to take up the community and investigate deeper by engaging with the wider community and work towards betterment in relation to the sustainable development goals.

 

REFERENCES

Freire, P. (2018). Pedagogy of the oppressed: 50th Anniversary Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

 

Blog 2: Reduced Inequality and Dalit Community - Sustainable Development Goals

 

“The ideal is to be men, but to be men is to be oppressors”. – Pedagogy of the Oppressed

As I was reading Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”, I came across a lot of concepts some of which I wanted to analyse in regard to the Dalit Community I was focusing on my last blog. When thinking about the difference between the oppressor and the oppressed, the oppressor is always someone who has some kind of power and control over the oppressed who are the subjects of exploitation, injustice, and violence. According to its etymology, "Dalit" comes from the Sanskrit term "Dalita," which meaning "oppressed." It does not just represent the lower caste people, but includes all the people who are poor, exploited, are subject to violence and are marginalised from the society due to various reasons out of which caste is one of the important factors.

 The oppressed as oppressors or sub- oppressors

As Freire mentions that instead of working towards their own emancipation in the early stages of the fight, the oppressed frequently wind-up becoming oppressors themselves, or "sub-oppressors.” The Dalit community is split up into numerous subcastes. Leather workers, street sweepers, cobblers, agricultural workers, and manual "scavengers" are some of the Dalits' subgroups. The latter group, officially estimated at one million people, is tasked with clearing human waste from the streets, digging village cemeteries, and disposing of dead animals (Hans,2016). Additionally, the Dalit women are the most vulnerable as they are dominated and oppressed by the patriarchy outside in the society as well as the patriarchy that exists within their own community, they are doubly- oppressed and marginalised beings in the society.  

“Fear of Freedom”, Prescription and Internalization

Freedom is not an ideal that exists outside of humanity, nor is it a concept that develops into a myth. Instead, it is a prerequisite for the search for human fulfilment (Freire, 1968). For so many centuries the Dalit community has been discriminated, that over time they have internalized the rules forced upon them by the oppressors. The situation of the community in the earlier times could be compared to Apartheid in South Africa as the community was segregated, denied their basic human rights, and dehumanized for belonging to a certain community. They were denied education, work, access to healthcare services, housing etc, they were known and called as the ‘untouchables’ which in itself explains the ill treatment they were subject to. They were pushed into a liminal space where they voice, and plea was unheard and ignored by the oppressors who held the power for many years.

True Solidarity

One of the major figures that fought for the Dalit rights was Dr. B.R Ambedkar. There was little hope for the Dalits’ situation to improve because they had no place in politics. They continued to drudge through their dismal lives. Dr. Ambedkar served as a symbol for the Dalits and their issue. He came from a class that was oppressed and rebelled against a long-standing social structure. Hindu imperialism, in Ambedkar's opinion, was to the untouchables what British imperialism was to India. He opposed injustice and imperialism in all its manifestations and across human society (Kumari, P., 2019). Ambedkar could be called the symbol of true solidarity according to Freire as he resonated and stood up for his people to improve their situation by bringing in various amendments in regard to Dalit community in the Indian Constitution.

Today the situation of the Dalit community has improved in many ways but still there are many injustices taking place against the community, especially the women who are prone to abuse and violence which must be eliminated at all costs. The community is still fighting for their rights to blur the line which kept them separated from the society for so many years. Every human has the right to autonomy, individuality, dignity and civility thus caste based inequality in India has to eradicated in order to evolve as a society.

 

REFERENCES

Cherechés, B. (2023). Unveiling the Oppressed Body: Female Dalit Body Politics in India through Baburao Bagul and Yashica Dutt. Humanities, 12(4), 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/h12040063

Freire, P. (2018). Pedagogy of the oppressed: 50th Anniversary Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Hans, V. B. (2013). Dalits in India: From marginalisation to inclusion. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2323268

Kumari,P. (2019). A study of Dalit consciousness of Dr. B.R. Ambadkar. IJAR, 5(7).