Heiwa Zou Resha {Peace Elephant Train}
Director; John Devaraj
Set in the beginning of the Second World War, it is about the plight of the zoo animals that have no way of protesting against an unnecessary war. When bombs are falling on Japan and there is no food for people. The Curator of the Nagoya Zoo is pleading for food for his animals in the Zoo. Instead of getting supplies, he is asked to shoot down the animals. He is questioned ‘Who is more important, human beings or animals? Indeed this is such a diabolical question. The lion, bears and cheetah are shot dead, two elephants die of starvation; and the curator is struggling to save the last two elephants. In 1945, two atomic bombs were thrown on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Japan was completely destroyed.
During the democratization process, thousands of children from Tokyo and all over Japan are asking for the elephants to be brought to their cities; which is impossible. The railway authorities respond by introducing a special train, from Tokyo to Nagoya called the Elephant train.
From India with love
Jawaharlal Nehru the then prime minister of India heard about this story and made a magnanimous gift to the children of Japan. He gave a baby Elephant, Indira as a present who walked the earth on the side of Japan for many years. Children of Asia will walk with India to Japan with the Heiwa Zou Resha………
Highlights of the Show;
1. Wars and Children; Children are the first victims of war followed by women. There are 134 million working children in India. Every tenth Indian is a working child. Everything we use in our daily lives are products of child labour. India will surge forward only when we can spend all the money spent on defense towards education.
The narrative will also follow a chronology of events before, during and after the war bringing it to the contemporary world of nuclear wars and offer the Kempo Kyujo as the solution.
2. Mother Nature; the story has a direct link to zoos and the protection of wild life in the wild and zoological gardens. It is very compelling and seeks the urgent sensitization of the world on the very delicate balance of life and the saving of endangered species The Tiger foremost now reduced to 1114 in India!
3. Fantasy~Dance-theater in the fusion styles; this fantastic musical~ballet~ mime, and puppet theater about animals, mother earth war, peace, and need to protect our children will be performed in a circus~dance form with high energy. HZR encompasses high fantasy images, vibrant music, giant puppets, and a whole lot of fun involving the audiences. It will be put into lyrics and use every contemporary musical style combining modern rap, jazz, blues and heady reggae, using African, Indian drums, Zamponia, Andean flutes. The dance form will be contemporary, ballet, jazz, using elements of Kalaripayattu, Indian traditional martial art form, samba, native American dance forms.
Produced by the Bornfree Art School
The Bornfree Art School is a special school for working, street and bonded labour children. It aims to bring children of the streets back to the main stream of education and society through learning dance, music, theater, sculpting, painting, and film-making. The Bornfree is a social movement and has been producing a culture of liberation of children since 2005. 15 children has documented photographic proof of child labour rampant in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa in 2006. Photographs were submitted and discussed suo moto case to the United Nations and the Minister of Labour, Government of India in the parliament. The Bornfree also has been wokring on peace issues in order to bring out peace and friendship between India and Pakistan. The World Largest Love Letter ( as huge as the Chinaswamy Cricket stadium) written and painted by John Devaraj and children of the Bornfree had travelled all over India and crossed the Wagha Border. 100 million children of both countries had signed. In 2008, 35 members have achieved the Peacebycycle, 3000km-historic peace rally from Bangalore to the Wagha Border. We have collected 7000 peace and friendship letters from children of India to children of Pakistan. The school has been performing theatrical pieces about the issue of working children, peace, gender discrimination etc. Please look at www.bornfreeart.org and bornfreeart.blogspot.com
We want to raise the question of peace through fun and fantasy without even words. It will become a popular show as it involves animals and critical questions are raised through animals and fun.
Performance
by former working, street and bonded labour children
We are training children who come from the streets and working backgrounds, orphanage children and they are the main actors and dancers in the show.
Call for Artists and Organizers
Heiwa Zou Resha has to be supported, organized and performed by artists, students, and well-wishers. For the production, we need
1. Actors
2. Dancers; can dance in any style
3. Choreographers; can choreograph dance pieces
4. Musicians; who can perform lively at the show
5. Costumers; costume design and manage costumes during the show
6. Properteers; manage properties of the performance during the show
7. Mask-Makers / Puppeteers
8. Photographers; who can document the process and the show
9. Backstage Supporters
10. Coordinators; who can coordinate with artists and various children’s organizations
11. Technicians ( Sound and Lights)
12. Fundraisers; who can approach cooperates and individuals
Heiwa Zou Resha Tentative Schedule
Ø October 2010~January 2011; Creation of Music / Recording
Ø Rehearsal;
Monday to Sunday; At National College, Jayangar 6:30~8:30 pm ( Adults’ and Children’s sections)
Tuesday and Saturday; At Diviya Shanthi, Lingalargipuram 4:30~6:00 pm ( Children’s sections only)
Ø Puppet-Making; at the Bornfree Studio, Narayan Nagar, off Kanakapura Rd
Ø April; Intensive Trainings for artists
Ø May; the 1st Show in Bangalore, Chennai and other cities
Ø August; Performance at Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and other 5 cities of Japan
Budget
| | Particular | Details | Rs. |
1 | Production Cost | music recording | music studio rental (3 days ) | 50000 |
2 | Editing Charge; 10 days | 30000 |
3 | music CD making ( incl. labeling, printing ) | 1000 copies | 30000 |
4 | Video DVD with the cover and printing | 1000 copies | 50000 |
5 | Costumes | materials, stitching, designing charges, costumes guard robes, boxes ; 73 kinds of costumes ( approx.Rs.1000 per costume ) | 50000 |
6 | Masks | rubber masks; Nos.50 X 2000 | 100000 |
7 | property making | material cost, design and making cost etc | 80000 |
8 | music system | speaker, DVD player | 7000 |
9 | Rehearsal | rental charge | place rental charge Rs.100 X 100 days | 10000 |
10 | refreshments | 30 people X 90 days X Rs.20 | 54000 |
11 | Publicity | Book making | 1000 copies, color, laminated | 50000 |
12 | poster printing | 1000 copies, color | 20000 |
13 | flier printing | 2000 copies | 15000 |
14 | Banner | | 10000 |
15 | Logistics | transportation | bus pass / petrol ; Rs.50 X 30 X 100 days | 150000 |
16 | communication | Rs. 7000 X 3 months | 21000 |
17 | Coordinator | Rs.10,000 X 5 months | 50000 |
18 | Miscellaneous | | 3000 |
| TOTAL | | | 780000 |
We request you to support the Heiwa Zou Resha, which will result in liberating children from toil. We request you to bring like-mind friends and families to make this production successful.
John Devaraj
Artistic Director
Bornfree Art School
Ph; 9886306366, 9886011830
www.bornfreeart.org
bornfreeart.blogspot.com
