Short Summary
Greetings from the Adivasi Arts Trust!
The planned short film How We Got Fire is an adaptation from the oral narrative traditions of the Andamanese people, and it will be included in a series of short films currently in development.
I am Tara Douglas, Secretary of the Trust and a Trustee of the Trust for Tribal Art Culture and Knowledge. I achieved a Professional Doctorate in Digital Media in 2015 at Bournemouth University for my research titled Tales of the Tribes: Animation as a Tool for Indigenous Representation. It brought extensive practical experience of animation film-making and coordinating projects with indigenous, tribal and Adivasi young people to translate their stories for the medium of animated film, and in 2017 the Adivasi Arts Trust received the ENGO award for promotion of culture. My research is based in India, and we have now produced two series of animated films and a documentary film for national broadcast in India.
The exposure gained in this area of research highlights the dilemmas that are faced by the diverse tribal communities of India: these people are socially and economically marginalized and their art, culture and stories remain widely unknown and unrecognised by society. The most extreme case would be that of the peoples of the Andaman Islands: there are very few survivors, and their fragile languages and cultures are immanently threatened. Prior to this pandemic and the nationwide state of emergency, I had initiated processes to contact local people for their involvement in the project: the region is a highly sensitive area, these communities are classified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups and special permission for research is required from the Tribal Welfare Department.
I plan to visit Port Blair and to coordinate with the Department and the Anthropological Survey of India to organise a series of storytelling workshops so that we can invite participation from local people in the project. In this setting, the objective is also to arrange for young people to create some artwork and animated sequences for the film. In addition, I also plan for young digital media professionals and students of animation in India to assist the production of the short film, and hope to translate and dub it into the local Andamanese language, as well as into English and Hindi.
This will be the first initiative to study the narrative traditions of the region using the medium of animated film. The media project aims to promote wider awareness, interest and understanding of the indigenous values by highlighting the intrinsic reciprocity in relationships of interdependence with the natural and supernatural worlds upheld by these small communities. It is important, timely and appropriate to celebrates the knowledge, culture and artistic practices of these unrepresented peoples to address the unprecidented impact on traditional ways of life that has taken place in tandem with the accelerated destruction of the natural environment. It is hoped that the project will also encourage the few remaining Andamanese people by the appreciation that is shown towards their culture, and the empowerment through their participation.
The film-making activity must be carried forward with great sensitivity and as the project coordinator, I will be seeking to sustain contact with members of the community throughout the process. The film of 6-7 minutes duration will explore the use of mixed media techniques: handmade artwork that can be created with local inputs to enhance a visual aethetic would be appropriate to the organic content of the narrative, and digital technology embeds a high standard of production and post-production so that the film can be viewed by audiences locally, nationally and internationally at festivals and institutions of culture and education.
The avenues that have been explored to support this work are currently unavailable. Therefore your contributions are vital to sustaining the project to its completion.
What We Need & What You Get
Approximately 10,000 images must be designed and recorded for this short film, demanding sustained commitment from the team. It is anticipated that the production will one year to complete: the challenges of engaging with members of the community to make this work as a participatory media project are immense.
This estimated financial requirement for this project is ₤5000 Stirling (UK). This funding is required for:
1) Field research to coordinate a series of workshops and engage local participants including domestic travel and fees to interpreters and translators.
2) Technical costs for equipment (hard drives, back up, internet, audio recording, editing, mastering).
3) Stipends for the artists engagement in the work.
4) Communication costs for maintaining contact with academic institutions, stakeholders and consultants.
5) Dissemination to stakeholders, supporters and viewers.
This is a non-commercial production that represents good value for money. As the project is based in India, the costs are required for domestic travel, which is key to achieving the goal of collaboration with local people. My prior experience is the foundation to adjust to diverse circumstances, the capacity for improvisation and the measured use of our available resources. If, for any reason the film cannot be completed, the funds raised will contribute to the parent project, The Stories of Our Ancestors (towards workshops for tribal participants, planned at the North Eastern Hill University in Shillong, Meghalaya)
The Impact
This media project is an earnest endevour at initiating dialogue about the historical and contemporary culture of the Andamanese peoples: little is known about them, their traditional way of life is rapidly vanishing and suspended as they are between the contentious arguments for isolation and assimilation, their own indigenous cultural traditions and languages remain mysterious, undervalued and unrepresented. By your support, you will become part of a story that promotes the value of sustainable living and protection of nature which at the foundation of these cultures. Your contribution will help to document and share treasures from the fragile diversity of our world and you will be enriched by the exposure to storytelling of a completely original
Our previous media projects have reached audiences extensively across India, the UK and further afield through screening tours, workshops, seminars, conferences, at cultural events and festivals, and my existing links with institutions, government and non-goverment organisations will be instrumental for achieving the delivery of this project and its dissemination. The short film, How We Got Fire will be included in The Stories of Our Ancestors project with associates in North East India which will further promote its proliferation as cultural and educational material.
Risks & Challenges
My commitment and prior experience in this field of research is the pathway to address the risks and challenges to the project. It is expected that visitors will once again be permitted to travel to the Andaman Islands when the temporary closure has been lifted to the region. Permission has been applied for research with the Andamanese and Ongee tribal groups residing in restricted areas. In any case, it would be feasible to organise workshops in Port Blair with local government assistance.
I maintain strong links with indigenous communities in North East India and it is viable to base the production at the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Shillong, where I am associated as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Anthropology, in the event that I am unable to carry out this work at the field research site. Workshops for tribal participants and students can be organised at NEHU to develop the films and students of media and animation would then be invited to lead the media production.
Other Ways You Can Help
Please spread the word about this unique cultural project by sharing this Indigogo campaign with your friends.