The Heroes Project Phase I by DEL Laboratory

THE

HEROES PROJECT PROJECT REPORT Abhishek Choudhury 1

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This book is dedicated to the people of South Africa without whose support and vision this project would not have been possible.

CONTENTS 1.Acknowledgements...................................... 4 2. Foreword..................................................... 5 3. The Vision.................................................... 7 4. Introduction................................................. 8 5. Timeline. . ................................................... 13 6. Research & Analysis. . ................................. 14 7. Concept Development.............................. 37 8. Design Development. . ............................... 49 9. Product Development............................... 60 10. Implementation....................................... 77 11. Closing Remarks .................................... 85 12. Sources .................................................. 86

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project has been possible because of the support and

with members of the National Khoi-San Council, whose

contribution of several people. I would like to thank Natural

insights and blessings have seen this project flourish. A very

Justice and Srishti LEDlab for opening up artistic possibili-

special thanks to Kurt Orderson and Ferdinand for helping

ties into the field of law. Special thanks to Kabir Bavikatte

me facilitate and document the workshop. Thanks to Emille

and Lesle Jansen who conceived the Heroes Project and

Jansen and Janine â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Blaq Pearlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for their feedback and contri-

offered this opportunity. A huge thanks to Deepta Sateesh

bution. Thanks to everyone who has been part of this jour-

and Arpitha Kodiveri under whose support and guidance

ney over the past few months, supporting and encouraging

this project has taken shape. I would like to thank my advi-

me to take this project to newer dimensions.

sors Pooja Pottenkulam, Priya K. Iyer, Lloyd Roberts and Deepta Sateesh for their constant guidance during the pro-

Abhishek Choudhury

ject. Thanks to the Shuttleworth Foundation for funding The

Art & Design student

Heroes Project, allowing us to exceed our limitations and

Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology

reach out to our audience. I am honoured to have interacted

Bangalore, 2013.

FOREWORD I am honoured to write this foreword for Abhishek, who is a

with Natural Justice, in order to explore ways in which design

talented designer, bold illustrator, energetic performer, and a

thinking and artistic practices can be taken to the ground for

powerhouse of positive energy.

social and environmental justice.

I first began working at the Srishti School of Art, Design and

The Heroes Project, inspired by Joseph Campbellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Technology in February 2009, and, coming from corporate

Journey, is housed at the LEDLAB. Conceptualized by Dr. Ka-

America, it was really my first experience in working in an

bir Bavikatte, it is an important initiative in the move towards

exciting, experimental and dynamic space that has its quick

social reform in South Africa, to enable the youth of the Khoi

cycles of chaos and order, and constant change. Here design-

San, an historically marginalized community, understand their

ers, artists, educators, technologists, and many professionals

rights and capabilities, and help them make informed choices.

from varied disciplines, come together to make change in all

Srishti student Abhishek Choudhury, has dedicated the last 4

possible ways, from new media and art-science to social in-

months to the Heroes Project bringing a rich and critical per-

novation and designing education. Being here has inspired

spective to social issues, linking mythology and storytelling,

me and enabled me to push my own boundaries beyond

through design and performance, to the issues of present day

sustainable development, to create a collaborative space,

Khoi-San youth in Cape Town. Abhishek not only presents new

the Law+Environment+Design Laboratory (LEDLAB), in 2012

ways of addressing cultural loss, but he has also pushed the

boundaries of design, creating a new methodology to cre-

workshop was successful to tap into the talents of the chil-

ate characters, and powerful imagery that can be woven into

dren and extract real stories from these kids. His journey, at

multiple forms of media, and into the fabric of our imagina-

this point, ends with tremendous hope and energy to take

tions.

the project to the next stage, with character designs and

Having known Abhishek over the last few years and men-

feedback from a workshop, and the blessings of the National

tored him through this project, what fascinated me the most

Khoi-San Council and Khoi-San elders across South Africa.

is his own heroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey - although he is an extremely tal-

As I continue to work with Abhishek on this project in the

ented designer, Abhishek was initially skeptical if he would

future, I am excited by the future possibilities this model

do justice to this work for a community that lived in another

presents for all communities across the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x161; to help chil-

country and continent, from another culture seemingly far

dren and young adults make informed decisions about their

removed from his own, filled with violence, drugs and hope-

lives, towards peace and health, and reviving community

lessness. However, he found multiple ways to connect to the

culture for positive growth and resilience of communities in

complexity of the context, through similar stories as that of

our ever-changing complex world.

the Khoi-San, both popular and unique, exploring how mu-

I hope you enjoy going through this book as much as I have

sic, dance, song and performance, can make a difference,

enjoyed working with Abhishek on this project!

particularly if these artistic exercises and the power of creativity are deliberately designed for empowerment.

Deepta Sateesh

Abhishekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work, for Phase I of the Heroes Project, culmi-

Director, Law+Environment+Design Laboratory

nated in facilitating a theatre games workshop he designed

Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology

for high school children in the Cape Flats, Cape Town. The

Bangalore, 2013. 7

THE VISION Revival and creation of Khoi-San heroes through the lens of their myths can heal the historical trauma of the community and inspire them to strive for their collective rights. Through community participation and artistic collaboration a healing process can be initiated. The Heroes Project was conceived to inspire and generate

I received The Heroes Project as an initiative to launch a

a sense of possibility against all odds. The premise of the

graphic narrative inspired by the lives of community and

Heroes Project begins with a community called the Khoi-San,

mythical heroes to spark the imagination of the Khoi-San

a community ravaged by the forces of colonisation and ra-

youth. My skills as an illustrator and interest in mythology is

cial discrimination for over four hundred years. The project

what drew me to this project but over the course of these

explores the potential that mythology and stories of Heroes

three months the project and my outlook have changed

holds in unlocking the spiritual energy of the masses. Heroes

manifold. This book describes this journey of mine into the

can be present in many forms, as mythical figures, members

Khoi-San story and my pursuit to deliver the best of my abili-

of a community or within oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self. A heroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story has the

ties to this community.

ability of reviving the imagination of the masses to push the

The Project is a much bigger initiative and this Diploma pro-

boundaries posed before them.

ject is just the first step towards realising it.

INTRODUCTION The Khoi-San are an ethnic group residing in parts of South

THE KHOI-SAN The Khoi-San people suffered from harsh racial discrimination

Africa and Namibia. They are the first nations people of South and cultural annihilation first by the colonists and then by the Africa going back to about 60,000 years. They were dispos-

apartheid policies. In 1688, on the arrival of the Dutch in the

sessed of their lands as the colonists moved inwards from the

Cape of South Africa, the Khoi-San tribes were reported to be

Cape and the Bantus from the North, the Khoi-San eventually

a culturally and materialistically rich community with 100,000

settled in the interiors of the harsh and unforgiving Kalahari

cattle and 2,000 sheep. But by the time the British had ar-

Desert. The Khoi-San people suffered from harsh racial dis-

rived (around 1795) the Khoi-San tribes had sunk to level of

crimination and cultural annihilation first by the colonists and

landless proletariat. Today the Khoi-San people, having been

then by the apartheid policies.

driven off their land, live in ghetto-like settlements outside

In this cultural and spiritual annihilation the Khoi-San lost

major cities of South Africa.

memories of their own heroic struggles leaving the commu-

The years of assault on the Khoi-San destroyed their com-

nity’s youth disillusioned and demoralized. The loss of the

munities and deprived them of the cultural and spiritual

community’s culture and mythology made them vulnerable

resources needed to launch a successful struggle to secure

to exploitation and discrimination as they lacked the spiritual

their rights as indigenous people. The material impoverish-

resources to fight back and reserve their community’s rights.

ment, lack of inspirational heroes and erasure of the cultural

and spiritual traditions of the Khoi-San has had devastat-

The Khoi San are the one of the first inhabitants of Africa

ing consequences on the community. In the Western Cape,

and a few centuries long exploitation can endanger a 3000

gangsterism is endemic amongst the Khoi-San youth (also

year old culture. There are very few left in the community

labelled as Coloured) and they account for 60-80% of the

who still have memories of their rich heritage and history or

prison population. There are several cases of HIV/AIDS and

believe in the Khoi San way. The cultural and spiritual an-

TB outbreaks in the Khoi San settlements. To make matters

nihilation of the Khoi-San has erased the memory of their

worse, heroin abuse and foetal alcohol syndrome is preva-

heroes, sapping the youth of pride in their own identity and

lent in most of the Khoi-San communities.

denying them the inspiration needed for legal and political

The Cape Flats: Majority of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;colouredâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; urban population of Cape Town resides in the Cape Flats

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

THE HEROES PROJECT

The Heroes Project aims to revive and rebuild the myths of

stages in his journey: Initiation, Separation and Return.

the Khoi San people and the stories of their ancestors to pro-

Using this universal framework and the myths of the Khoi San,

vide spiritual and cultural relief to face their present day socio

we aim to give back the Khoi San their heroes; rooted in their

political struggles. The Heroes Project was conceived from

own culture, tradition and history. The heroic stories of Khoi

the works of mythologist Joseph Campbell who in his classic

San ancestors will instil pride, courage and hope in the minds

work ‘the Hero with a Thousand Faces’ articulated the mono-

of the Khoi San to challenge the hurdles earlier deemed im-

myth (a common myth) of a hero’s journey.

possible. The myths and stories of a Hero’s journey give peo-

According to Campbell the Hero’s journey begins with one

ple a figure to believe in, something which acts a projection

responding to an inner voice, ‘a call to adventure’ that de-

of a resolution to their struggles. The revival of the Khoi San

mands sacrifice and a journey to the unknown. The Hero em-

myths won’t be a mere product of imagination but a reflec-

braces this adventure and embarks on a journey of self-reali-

tion of their own stories of struggle. The pursuit here is not to

zation, which once endured s/he returns to narrate the tale to

preach resilience but to provide a lens to look at their glori-

others with the idea to communicate his/her lessons from the

ous past and rich mythology with pride.

journey that can be useful to others to negotiate their present day reality. Campbell says a Hero passes through three typical

It must be noted at this point that the Heroes Project is a movement with a broader vision spread over an extended pe-

riod of time with long term social goals. The Diploma project

The power of a hero’s struggles and his journeys is that they

is a precursor to the events that are to happen as part of the

inspire hope and possibility in times of crisis. It revives the

greater movement that is the Heroes Project. The Project

imagination of an individual to push beyond the boundaries

aims at achieving real world goals and social responsibility

earlier deemed impossible. Joseph Campbell once said ‘the

for securing the future of the Khoi San.

adventure of the hero is the adventure of being alive’. It is

Myths are mankind’s creation to help them align their con-

this spirit of being alive despite all obstacles is what the pro-

sciousness to the cosmic order of being. They act as pillars

ject hopes to instil in the Khoi San youth. The Hero’s Project

of support for the growth and well-being of a community and

aims to bring out the idea that the ‘hero’ exists not anywhere

eventually the whole civilization at large. According to Jung

else but within oneself and it is the quest for this hero that

‘humans need myths to bring them in order to the greater

the project wants to achieve in the long run.

realities of nature’. Myths rather than being moral stories act

My role as an artist and designer comes here, in bringing

as guiding points to assess one’s progress and also ways to

back the age old myths and tales of heroism back to the

overcome hurdles in the course of life. For example; in India,

modern Khoi San youth in a form they would find interesting

myths from the Vedic period act as our guiding light in times

and also that they can relate with. It will have to be a fusion

of darkness and also as a moral foundation in the build-

of traditional myths with the myths of the modern world,

ing of a nation. It is the need of the hour that the Khoi-San

which exist in the form of popular culture. The use of popu-

youth are reminded of their rich mythology and the stories of

lar media amplifies the influence among the youth making it

their community’s heroes to empower them for their future.

more approachable and acceptable. This is inspired by the

historical events that eventually led to the creation of Su-

gaging. My task here will not only be to document their story

perheroes in the early 20th century in United States. This is

but also to try and decipher the myths and the symbolism

one real life example of how humans unconsciously tend to

occurring in them. Art is a very important part of the Khoi

invent myths and mythical figures in times of crisis and need.

San rituals and often plays a spiritual role in the community.

Superheroes, a product of the modern day mythology, were

It is what builds a form of collective conscious in the com-

responsible for uplifting the spirits and spawning nationalist

munity, a public myth. My attempt will be here to understand

feelings during the dire times of the Great Depression (1929)

the meaning of such motifs and symbols and the role they

and the World Wars. A similar strategy can be employed in

play in building of the collective spiritual consciousness.

the context of the Khoi San as well, a fusion of the richness

Research in this stage will also be on which medium best

of ancient myths with the adaptability and accessibility of

communicates the message and at the same time is the most

modern myths.

accessible medium to the target audience, the Khoi-San

As a project process, I plan to adopt a multidisciplinary ap-

youth. The form of the narrative will be decided in this phase

proach to create a graphic meta-narrative combining the

based on contextual relevance to the situation there. The

myths of the Khoi San people and the hero stories narrated

main aim of this project is to initiate to a greater instrument

by community elders. For the project I aim to look beyond

for social change to empower communities against socio-

the scope of just a graphic novel and explore possibilities of

political barriers.

taking the stories beyond the pages of a book. I wish to find a story telling medium that is interactive, inclusive and en-

TIMELINE 8th

19th

Research

8th

23rd

Analysis

13th

27th

Design development

Final touches

Concept

July 14

8th 10th

August

September

October

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS 15

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

THE POWER OF MYTH

We often come across myths as something that’s a misconception, something that is untrue. One is considered ignorant if they believe in myths. So, are myths obsolete in today’s modern world? As a child I was brought up with stories from our mythology; stories about Gods, ancient kings and tales talking animals and other magical elements. So what role do these stories play in my life today? As I began research into understanding mythology I tried to find answers to these questions. My research drew me to the works of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. Carl Jung says a man is incomplete without his myths. Myths are what he calls the ‘ biological’ truth as opposed to the statistical truth provided to us by science. Myths are mankind’s creation to help them align their conscious16

Joseph Campbell

ness to the cosmic order of being. They act as pillars of support for the growth and well-being of a community

The usual hero’s adventure begins with someone from whom something has been taken, or who feels there’s something lacking in the normal experiences available or permitted to the members of his society. This person then takes off on a series of adventures beyond the ordinary, either to recover what has been lost or to discover some lifegiving elixir. It’s usually a cycle, a going and a returning. -Joseph Campbell

and eventually the whole civilization at large. According to Jung ‘ humans need myths to bring them in order to the greater realities of nature’. Myths rather than being moral stories act as guiding points to assess one’s progress and also ways to overcome hurdles in the course of life. Joseph Campbell says, myths are like a patterned mirror to map your progress in the journey of life. Campbell’s work, ‘The Power of Myth’ and ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces’ illustrates the relevance and the role that myths play in the modern world. It was in The Hero with a Thousand Faces where Joseph Campbell articulate the idea of a Monomyth, the common myth seen across mythologies across the world. The Monomyth is a powerful structure that supports some of the greatest stories of the world. The work of Joseph Campbell talk about the healing nature of myths and traditions for us as individuals and also for communities at large. 17

Joseph Campbell’s articulates the Monomyth as a Hero’s Journey. The hero’s journey is often a life changing adventure that an erstwhile ordinary person from an ordinary world undertakes, and returns back a hero back to heal his world. This common structure can be seen in classical mythologies across the world and even in modern day mythologies. The Hero’s journey comprises of mainly three stages: Initiation, Separation and Return. The journey begins with an ‘Initiation’ to an unknown and unfamiliar realm and a ‘call to adventure’, which the hero willingly or unwillingly accepts. Next comes is a stage of ‘Separation’ from his familiar world into the dangerous and unknown world, this involves his conscious decision to undergo metamorphosis and face the challenges as they come. The final stage is that when the hero ‘Returns’ back to his world with a healing elixir.

The Hero’s Journey

A short two page comic on the Heroes Journey of the Khoi-San people

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS The story of the present day Khoi-San is a collective consequence of the racial oppression committed on them in the past 500 years. Most of the present day problems among the ‘coloured’ communities, namely-Gangsterism, loss of language and traditions, land claims etc. Can be directly or indirectly traced back to the colonial and Apartheid era oppression. In this stage, it was vital to understand the complexity of the problems faced by the Khoi-San communities. The problem existed as a loss of cultural and spiritual identity of the Khoi-San people. I had to further question the problem to understand it’s causes better.

BRAINSTORMING

How did the problem arise? What caused the loss of identity? How is it connected to high crime rate among the Khoi-san people? Why do the youth go into crime?

Initial mindmapping exercise to analyse the Khoi-San struggle.

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

DESIGN TOOLS

Mindmaps are great tools and one of my favourite methods to initiate a research exercise. It helped me put down all the information that I have received in a tangible and visible form. There was a bulk of information that I received through my research into Khoi-San history and their present sociopolitical state. I decided to organise the information that I had with the use of certain design tools. I started with using the SWOT (Strength Weakness Opportunity Threats) tool to analyse the Khoi-San community. To make the analysis more effective I analysed the SWOT of the Khoi-San people grouped under the following three categories: Culture, Lifestyle and Personal & Social Wellbeing. The SWOT made the research information concise and easy to access for future reference.

S.W.O.T analysis, first draft

Strength Weakness Opportunity Threats (S.W.O.T) analysis 23

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

KHOI-SAN TIMELINE

Timeline illustrating some of the major historical events in Khoi-san history.

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

KHOI-SAN JOURNEY

Another tool that I decided to use was Timeline, it was something I devised for the purpose of this project and is inspired from other existing design tools. I used the timeline to first lay out the information about Khoi-San history in a legible and concise chronological format. Then to added another layer to the timeline, I added to it the Heroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Journey map. This was an attempt to understand if the Khoi-San history can be traced along the lines of the Monomyth as prescribed by Campbell. Can the oppression and suffering of the Khoi-San people until now be analysed through the lens of the Heroes Journey? What stages would the major historical events of the Khoi-San people fall under in the Heroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Journey? What stage are they in Now?

The initial draft of the Khoi-San Heroes Journey Timeline

The Khoi-San Journey 26

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

KHOI-SAN JOURNEY

One of my attempts here was to analyse if I can see the his-

Campbell we realised the struggles and the oppression of

tory of a community through the lens of the Hero’s Journey.

the Khoi-San does not accurately fit under the Road of Tri-

The Hero’s Journey by tradition is an individual’s journey,

als. The challenges and struggles that a Hero faces during

it traces one man/ woman’s journey for the benefit of his/

his Road of Trials often serve the purpose of building his

her entire community. My aim here was to see if the oppres-

character and his capability for the final battle. It serves a

sion and sufferings of the Khoi-San could be seen as a Road

creative purpose for a greater positive outcome. The oppres-

of Trials and the current point being that of Aposteosis, a

sion of the Khoi-San was solely for the purpose of destroying

point of death and resurrection (like death and resurrection

the community, at times even to the point of extinction. As

of Jesus). This stage can be a point for the community to

we have seen the 500 years of colonialism have not had any

reclaim what was lost and lead to a spiritual regeneration of

positive changes on the community yet.

the community.

Taking off from this feedback I created another timeline map

However there were a few criticisms to that model. There

of how The Heroes Project would impact the community. A

were very few events that were listed under the Khoi-San

projection of the role and aims of the project in the form of a

history that appeared to have impacted their present. Also

timeline. The map depicts the Hero’s journey of the Khoi-San

after discussion with my mentor and an expert on Joseph

from the present day and the Project as the supernatural aid.

The Heroes Project through the lens of the Heroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Journey 28

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

THE MANTIS & HIS FRIENDS

‘The Mantis and His Friends - Bushman Folklore’ was my first introduction to the folklore and the beliefs of the Khoi-San people. The Mantis is a recurring and a very prominent character in these stories, often playing the role of an amoral trickster in these stories. I find him very similar to the character Ananse from West African folklore. Reading into the folklore of the KhoiSan allowed me to get a very unique look at their lifestyle and their attitude towards life and nature. ‘The Mantis and His Friends - of Bushman folklore’ is a rich anthology of stories collected by anthropologists the (Late) Dr. W.H.I. Bleek and the (Late) Dr. Lucy C. Lloyd is one such example. It is not new to hear about animals behave like humans in ancient folklore, right from Aesop’s fables to the Jataka tales animals have played a significant role in the folktales of the world. However what I found extremely intriguing is the way the

Khoi-San Bushmen address the animals in their stories. In

divides humans from the other members of the animal

several cases they are referred to as ‘persons’. In the be-

kingdom.

ginning I ignored it as a grammatical error, but as I read

The Bushmen believe that all their folktales and mytholo-

on I saw that a much deeper and spiritual role at play in

gies came from an earlier time, a time when their ances-

the lives of the Khoi-San.

tor’s lived together with the animals. A time when they could talk to them and live with them like other humans.

“Ah, a person is here! Kwamang-

In several bushman narratives there are stories about the

a’s shoe’s piece!” says the Mantis”

shamans and the other members of the tribe with super-

-(Excerpt from The Mantis makes an Eland).

natural prowess assume the form of an animal. Studies

“The young Ichneumon said: “Hi, stand, hi stand, stand!”

on the San rock paintings suggest that often during the

And the Mantis said: “What does my brother think he has

trance dance the shaman assumes or mimics an Eland,

seen yonder?” And the young Ichneumon said:”A person

the rain animal, to extract the animal’s potency. In other

is yonder, standing yonder.”

stories they say the man who hunts an eland, believes

-(Excerpt from The Mantis makes an Eland).

that their souls become one from that point on. Hence he behaves like he would if he were shot so that the eland

In both instances, the characters refer to an Eland, which

falls down dead. It is a beautiful relationship between man

is an antelope found in the African savannas, as a person.

and nature that these folktales talk of, one of respect and

I was really fascinated by this idea blurring the lines that

mutual dependence.

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

THE MANTIS & HIS FRIENDS ANALYSIS

It is often debated if African folktale and myths can be seen through a universal motif. Africa in itself is so full of diversity that even looking at folktales through a ethnic or geographical perspective might sometimes seem generalist. However for my personal understanding and experiment I decided to use the ‘Hero’s Journey’ motif to understand Khoi-San folklore. It was definitely not easy to analyse African folklore through a universal motif like the Hero’s Journey. African stories are packed with several underlying metaphors and symbols which are specific to Africa, and one has to be acquainted with such symbols to adequately draw inference from the stories. Here is a short analysis of the story ‘The Mantis makes an Eland’ from the book ‘Mantis and His Friends’ based on my understanding of the Hero’s journey. It is an entirely personal interpretation.

The Mantis makes an Eland.

-Creates an Eland out of the shoe.

Synopsis: The Moon is created from Kwamang-a’s shoe.

Shows the magical creative powers that water has.

After |kaggen (the Mantis) breaks the eland’s gall and it blinds him, he crawls, feeling his way to the bush. He

-Eland grows up in hiding.

throws Kwamang-a’s shoe with the dust into the sky so that

Almost like the story of the Minotaur, where Minotaur

it may become the Moon and light the ground for him to

grows up hidden from public view.

see in the darkness. (Version 1) The Moon is created from a long white wing-feather of the

-Ichneumon spies on |kaggen and discovers the Eland.

Ostrich. After |kaggen (the Mantis) breaks the eland’s gall

-Kwamang-a finds out and hatches a plan.

and it blinds him, he crawls, feeling his way to the place of

-Kwamang-a kills the eland.

the Ostrich, where he finds a feather. He throws it into the

-Mantis weeps for the dead eland (who was almost like his

sky so that it may become the Moon and light the ground

child).

for him to see in the darkness. (Version 2)

Call to Adventure: “The usual hero’s adventure begins with someone from whom something has been taken…”

Hero: |kaggen, the mantis.

The mantis considered the eland his child and the eland’s

Stages: |kaggen (mantis) steals the shoe.

death pushes the mantis to take on an adventure to

This act validates the ‘trickster’ reputation of the Mantis.

avenge his child’s death.

Why would he steal the shoe otherwise?

-Meerkats cut up the eland. Crossing the first threshold: The Mantis encounters the

Meerkats who are busy cutting up the eland, the Meerkats

-Mantis springs into darkness released by the gall...gets

in this stage act like the threshold Guardians.

into the bushes. Darkness might be a metaphor here, but not sure of what

-Mantis shoots at Meerkats but arrows backfire.

exactly. In the story it signifies the night. It might also sig-

He has to overcome the challenges posed by the Guard-

nify a brief moment of the road of trials as he blindly strug-

ians to cross into the spiritual realm.

gles to find his way through the bushes.

-|kaggen spots the gall, pricks it.

-Throws his shoe/feather in the air. It becomes the moon.

The gall with magical powers reminded me of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Belly of

The Return: The Mantis overcomes the Darkness by throw-

the Whaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. It does not completely resonate with the Mon-

ing the stolen shoe into the air which turns into the moon.

omyth stage, but in the folktale it does occur in a stage

He turns into a hero at this point as he rids not just himself

when the mantis has to make a call whether to release the

but the whole world of Darkness of the night.

darkness or go back to collecting firewood for the meat. The Gall might also act like a supernatural aid at this moment, as it hints the Mantis to release the darkness by pricking its surface.

Mantis and the Will-o’-the-wisp

Analysis:

Synopsis: The Mantis beats the Will-o’-the-wisp in a fight

It’s just a simple shor t story. I don’t think it fits into any

as he finds out the real location of the latter’s eyes.

stage of the Monomyth exactly. It is a typical trickster story where the Willo tricks the Mantis and he tricks him back.

Hero: Mantis, /Kaggen

Almost like a tit for tat story from the Fables. The Willo in itself is a mythical character in many cultures and even to-

Stages: Mantis encounters the Will-o’-the-wisp.

day has a mystery around it.

-Notices the absence of eyes. -Severe interrogation and tricks to find out the Willo’s eyes.

The Mantis’ encounter with it is similar to the Road of Tri-

-The Fight.

als, as he has to overcome the Willo with his strength and

-Mantis loses. His skull breaks.

cleverness. Kwammang’a inherently becomes a (supernatu-

-Meeting with Kwammanga.

ral) aid in this story by providing vital information about the

-Reveal’s secret about the Willo’s eyes and tricks to defeat

Willo-the-wisp, which ultimately leads the Mantis to defeat

him in a fight.

him. The Mantis second fight is very similar to the Resur-

-The Mantis returns.

rection/Apostasis stage of the Hero’s journey. Similarly

-The Fight II.

in this story the Mantis loses the fight, is severely injured

-Mantis wins.

(Willo breaks his head) but he returns to face the Willo

-Willo questions Mantis’ strength and cunningness, credits

again with renewed strength and knowledge.

Kwammanga for the Win and not the Mantis. 34

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

THE MANTIS ANALYSIS

/Kaggen or the Mantis is a recurring character in the folklore

from Midsummer Nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dream) while some may be im-

of the various Khoi-San tribes of Southern Africa but for my

moral mischief makers (Loki from Norse mythology). Many

research I had access only to the beliefs and rituals of the

scholars debate if a character from Khoi-San folklore can be

/Xam tribe. Unfortunately none of the /Xam speaking people

clubbed under an universal banner that easily. However to

are alive today and it is being regarded an extinct language.

me he seemed similar to an ammoral trickster deity with a

However the efforts of anthropologists Dr. W.H.I Bleek and

mischeivous yet compassionate side to him. /Kaggen is said

Dr. Lucy C. Lloyd have managed to retain an invaluable part

to be a shapeshifting shaman with creative powers (powers

of the /Xam people which serves as a great resource to un-

to give life). He is said to be the father and protector of the

derstand their beliefs. My understanding of /Kaggen is hence

antelopes like the Eland, the Hartebeest, the Boks etc. His

based on the work done by Bleek and Lloyd on the /Xam

mischievous quality makes him a very popular folktale char-

people.

acter.

As already mentioned, the role of the Mantis has been com-

The Khoi-San folktales are very different from the folktales

pared to that of a trickster in world mythology. Tricksters are

of the rest of the world. They are infused with underlying

prominent characters in folktales and literature around the

meanings and subtle references which were very hard for me

world. Some may bring about comic relief to a tale (Puck

to grasp as a beginner. Hence I felt it was necessary on my

An analysis map of the Mantis 36

to explore these stories more to understand the cultural ref-

for him to be dubbed a ‘Shape Shifter’. Also the decpetive

erences and meanings specific to the Khoi-San people. So I

nature of the mantis fits the trickster attribute. A Mantis

began with decoding the character if the Mantis as he is the

‘tricks’ its victims into becoming it’s prey and it clearly the

most prominent and there already had been a lot of study on

attribute of a trickster.

him. I started with understanding the Mantis as an animal.

For the purpose of the project, The Mantis character really

What makes the animal unique? What characteristics does

struck out as he possesses the attributes to be the ‘Super-

the mantis possess? How did he become the most loved folk

natural aid’ or the Guardian in the Hero’s Journey. The Man-

character?

tis can easily be a symbol of change or transformation for the

It was very interesting for me to draw parallels of the gen-

Khoi-San people. The foolish and comical character of the

eral perception of the mantis to the folklore. Praying Mantis,

Mantis also makes him more acceptable as he is not preachy

Mantis Religiosa, is known to hunt by the power of decep-

and an all knowing character. His teachings are often from

tion. The Mantis mimicks the environment around him to

his own mistakes and foolishness which makes him more like-

trick it’s victims. The swaying motion of a praying mantis

able as a character. He is not immoral but an ammoral char-

mimics the motion of a swaying blade of grass or a leaf. May-

acter. He is seldom the victor in a story but he surely is the

be this camouflaging quality of the Mantis can be the reason

character that everyone remembers by the end of the tale.

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT 38

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT The Khoi-San cave paintings are one of humankind’s first acts

Dowson’ had been my primary source of information in this

of creation and they have been my biggest source of inspira-

regard taking me step by step through the many layers un-

tion in this endeavour.

derlying in the works of ancient Khoi-San.

What fascinates me the most about the Khoi-San Rock art

Most of the ancient cave paintings are believed to have

are the subtleties of Khoi-San religion and mythology that’s

been painted by the shamans of the communities, illustrat-

infused in these paintings. Earlier derided as works of a com-

ing their experiences during their trance dance. The cave

munity “once despised and considered by many Westerners

walls were not just seen as blank canvases but as a portal

to be on the lowest rungs of human evolution” Khoi-San

into the spiritual realm. It is seen as a window into a world

rock art has been found to have been more complex and ad-

that exists behind the face of the rock.

vanced than the Upper Palaeolithic art found in French and

The Khoi-San often refer to their trance experiences as

Spanish caves. Contrary to earlier notions, Khoi-San cave

‘dying’, just like how in western colloquial terms it is referred

painting are more than mere decoration and hunting scenes,

to as a ‘trip’. The shamans use several metaphors to describe

recent rock art research has found them to have a deeper

their trance experiences, one of them being ‘drowning’. The

and a more spiritual role to play in bushman culture. The

shamans relate their trance to the feeling of being underwa-

book ‘Images of Power-David Lewis Williams and Thomas

ter; blurry vision, difficulty to breathe, weightlessness etc.

We already saw how in Khoi-San folklore there is very little distinction between human and animals (they are both referred to as persons). Another example of this can be seen in Khoi-San paintings. Khoi-San paintings feature a lot of animals and Therianthropes, which are characters with features of both man and animal. The Khoi-San believe a shaman in trance can embody and harness an animalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potency. Many shamans talk about transforming into animals like the lion and the eland during their trance dances. To the Khoi-San the Eland is the most potent animal, often referred to as the Rain Animal. During their trance dances the shamanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s try extract the potency of the Eland. Eland blood is supposed to be the rich in potency and it is used in several of the Khoi-San rituals

An analysis of the Rock Art 41

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

ANIMAL SYMBOLOGY

Khoi-San cave paintings are full of animal metaphors and therianthrope characters. However among the various animals that do feature in their paintings there are certain which hold special position in Khoi-San culture. Following is a list of some of the most significant animals in Khoi-San culture

Eland: The eland, the biggest antelope of Southern Africa, is the chief of all animals according to bushman culture. It was also /Kaggen, the mantisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, first creation (see: Mantis makes an Eland) and was itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most dearest creation. The bushmen hold the eland in the highest regard and claim it is the most potent of all the animals. The eland is significant for all the important rituals of the bushmen; Initiation, Puberty rites, first menstruation, marriage etc. It is also called the rain animal. Shamans often try to harness the potency of the land in their rainmaking rituals.

Eland

Often a shaman’s trance experience (dying) is paralleled to the death of an eland. The behaviour of a shaman in trance is very similar to moments after an eland is shot. The shaman like a dying eland bleeds form the nose, staggers and lowers his head and eventually falls down unconscious. All these features simply put the eland on top of the list and makes it the chief of all the animals in Bushman culture.

Hartebeest: The Hartebeest is one of the most painted animals in the cave paintings. It is another of /Kaggen’s creations and bears a strong resemblance to a mantis. Bushman talk of /Kaggen sitting atop a Hartebeest, between it’s antlers, while moving about in the wild.

“He made his heart of the eland and the hartebeest. The hartebeest and the eland are things of the Mantis; therefore they have magic power.”

Hartebeest

Rhebuck: Rhebucks often appear in cave paintings as animals in their true form or as therianthropes. There are several depictions of shamans with rhebuck heads and hooves for legs. Rhebucks are said to have powers like that of a shaman. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Men with rhebuck heads...tame elands and snakesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; said one bushman informant.

Elephant: Apart from antelopes, elephants and other pachyderms like rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses do appear in bushman cave paintings. Sometimes therianthropes with elephantine features may appear instead of whole elephants. Therianthropes with protruding tusks and trunks are often appear in the cave paintings, as seen in the illustration below. Elephant drawings are usually seen surrounded by entoptic dots which prove it may have been a shamanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision during the trance dance.

Elephant rock painting

Baboon: The baboon is revered sacred as it bears the closest resemblance to humans. The baboons are said to have powers like that of a shaman: predicting danger, protection from sickness etc. The baboons were said to derive their powers from the stick of a sho:/천a plant. The plant cannot be identified but it is described as a plant with a red top and long roots.

Apart from these animals there are several other animals that appear in San rock paintings: snakes, fish, jackals/ foxes, crabs, birds, lions etc. Every animal plays a unique

Baboon

role in the paintings they appear. For instance, fish and birds act as metaphors to illustrate the underwater/ flying trance experience. Snakes are one of the forms that the Mantis assumes to scare hunters during game hunts. Foxes, contrary to their cunning reputation in other cultures play a very protective guardian figure role in bushman mythology. Many times shamans are believed to assume the form of a lion and go on out-of-body journeys. Jackal

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

I am using the rock art paintings and Khoi-San myths as inspirations for my character designs. I am using the inferences made from the rock art studies and the animal metaphors to create characters for my final product. From among the important animals in Khoi-San culture, I chose four animals for the main character designs, the Lion, the Eland, the Jackal and the Baboon.

The Lion: The lion, the king of the jungle and of all beasts, hold a very different position in Khoi-San culture. Fables around the world depict the lion as the strong and mighty master of the wild. However in Khoi-San folklore, the lion is of a rather naive and foolish character. The lion is seldom the one that triumphs at the end of the story. In one Khoi-San folktale, a pack of jackals triumph over a lion through their wits. 46

Lions are also frequently represented in the rock paintings. Knowing the bushman belief of shamanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transforming into various animals during trance, it is not surprising that it was believed that shamans could turn into lions. Lions were â&#x20AC;&#x153;be-

lieved to have some of the shamans’ accomplishments: they

The reason for their prominence in Bushman culture can be

knew things that ordinary people could not possibly know,

their close resemblance to humans. Anthropologist Dorothea

they could become invisible, and they could cause things to

Bleek even found that the Naron do not even hunt a baboon

happen by supernatural means.” (Source: Images of Power,

as they are so much like ‘people’.

D.L Williams and T.Dowson.) According to Khoi-San sources, sometimes evil shamans would come prowling in their feline forms. Invisible to ordinary eyes, these evils spirits can only be warded of by another shaman. It is very fascinating to compare the two striking ways the bushman depict the lion. A powerful animal, ferocious and strong yet foolish and naive in behaviour. It has strong shamanic powers yet not as powerful as an eland. The Khoi-San understanding of the lion poses a very beautiful juxtaposition that values mind over might.

The Baboon: The baboon plays a prominent role in the Khoi-San rock art. There is visibly marked difference in the perception of the

Baboon in Khoi-San rock art

Baboon as opposed to other animals in Bushman tradition. 47

The Jackal The jackal was another frequently represented in the KhoiSan rock art. The Jackal was another that the shamans were believed could transform into. What was the most fascinating fact about the significance of the jackal in Khoi-San culture

At night, while are encamped on the way home, he barks, and they know that ‘he is asking us whether we are still as well as we were when we left him’. They shout out to him,’There is nothing the matter with me, for I am still feeling as I did when I left you.’ - Passage from Images of Power, D.L Williams/ T.Dowson

was the contrasting position the jackal held in Khoi-San culture. The jackal or the fox is notorious is cultures around the world as the sly and cunning mischief makers. They are seldom the heroes of a story, often playing the antagonist role. For instance the famous story of the Blue Fox/Jackal or the character Tabaqui from the Jungle Book, the mad-cowardly jackal who eats the remains of Sher Khan’s food. The Jackal has often played the antagonist or the negative sidekick in popular fables, but not in bushman folklore. According to a /Xam person, ‘the jackal is a sorcerer’ who follows people when they are on hunts to ensure their safety. It follows them to make sure they are safely on their way home. Such stories alleviate the Jackal to almost a guardian figure, always looking out and ensuring the safety of it’s children.

Possessing powers of a sorcerer, makes the Jackal a very significant mythological figure in bushman culture.

The Eland: The Eland, the chief of all animals and the most spiritually potent animal of the Bushman tradition is the fourth character design. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inclusion is solely due to itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position in KhoiSan culture as the most important animal. The harmless and serene antelope metamorphoses into the most formidable force in the spirit world.

Eland in Khoi-San rock art

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT 50

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

INITIAL SKETCHES

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

CHARACTER DESIGNS

Therianthropic Spirit animals: The Eland, The Lion, The Baboon and The Jackal. 52

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

CHARACTER DESIGNS

The Khoi-San rock paintings are one of the most sacred and

the Jackal and the Eland, are therianthropic animals existing

the richest creations of man. They hold within their painted

in a spiritual realm. The characters were developed keeping

strokes countless messages and secrets which have inter-

in mind the Four Archetypes: King, Warrior, Wizard and

ested scholars and artists for generations. In my case it was

the Lover. The four archetypes were derived from Jungian

no different. Images of Power provided me with a unique

psychology. According to Jung, these archetypes exist in a

look into the rock art of the Khoi-San people, even though

human’s “collective unconscious” and they form the basis

none of the studies can be proven to be accurate but it does

of all personality. Each of the archetypes possesses certain

provide one with a detailed and unbiased look into the paint-

unique strengths and weaknesses. Through the story I want to

ings. Inspired by the rock art imagery and the animal symbol-

create the possibility of two parallel worlds: one of the spirits

ogy used in the paintings I created a set of character designs.

and one of the world we live in. Based on the archetypes I

Since the Heroes Project was conceived with the idea to

created four more characters of the real world: Big Brother,

create a graphic narrative, I created a set of characters which

Sister, Wild child and the Kid. The Big brother embodies

may have the potential to grow into a comic series or a fran-

the Warrior archetype, Sister is the Lover, Wild Child the Wiz-

chise in the future. As mentioned the characters were strong-

ard and the Kid embodies the King. Based on the energies

ly inspired by the animals and the symbology of the rock

each of these characters possess they encounter certain chal-

paintings. The four main characters, the Lion, the Baboon,

lenges which will eventually define their personality. 53

The Storyline:

Through the lens of the Hero’s Journey:

The story begins with four teenagers aged between 12 to

Normal conflicted world:

18 living in the Cape Flats. I decided to choose an urban

- A group of 4 teenagers from the age 12 to 17 years of

or a sub-urban setting for this story and Cape Flats suited

age.

the story very well. Each of the characters have been vic-

- Born and brought up in the troubled neighbourhoods of

tims of violence and the drug problem there directly or

the Cape Flats.

indirectly. One day they encounter a suspicious and re-

Call to Adventure:

pulsive old crone with whom they forge a bond. That old

-They discover the spirit world that exists behind the a wall

crone or /Kaggen (the mantis) one of the last shaman,

in one of the buildings in the neighbourhood. This concept

leads them on a journey of self discovery and on a spiritual

is borrowed from the idea that many Khoi-San shamans

battle against the demonic forces of drugs, violence and

believed the spirit world existed behind the cave walls on

gangsterism. He introduces them to myths and traditions

which they are painted.

of the long forgotten ‘Bushmen’ and leads them through

Meeting with Helper:

an initiation process into the realm of the spirits. I want

-A repulsive old cripple called /Kaggen, the last remaining

to create a parallel universe of the spirits which exists,

shamans of the Khoi-San, reveals to them the secrets of the

a world which could be accessed by the ancient bush-

spirit world.

men. In the spirit world the kids, like the ancient shamans

The Journey:

transform into their spirit animals. Each animal comes with

-Together they wage a spiritual war against the forces af-

cer tain powers and qualities using which they launch a

fecting their community and also learn about the heroes of

spiritual war against the forces of drugs and violence.

their community.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

CHARACTER DESIGNS

The Gang: the Kid, Big Brother, Wild Child and the Sister 55

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT Big brother 17 y ea r ol d eld est domina ti ng protective im pu lsiv e viol ent Part of a small street gang

CHARACTER SKETCHES

lion ferocious foolish strong stupid

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT Big sister 15 yea r ol d calm matu re protective caring li mp s in tell ig ent

CHARACTER SKETCHES

Jackal clever protective watchful swift

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT wild child 16 year old funny mischeivous cute ferocious colourful

CHARACTER SKETCHES

baboon powerful shaman invisibility forcefield

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT kid quiet meek often bullied violent childhood

CHARACTER SKETCHES

eland most powerful highest spiritual potency

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT /KAGGEN

crippled old fragile foolish wise

CHARACTER SKETCHES

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT 61

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT The charac ter designs were made with the idea to make it adaptable and accessible through dif ferent mediums. For this purpose, I looked at potential forms the characters and their stories can be adapted into. The charac ters can be represented through a series of visual narratives. It may take the form of comic s or graphic novels. Since one of the initial visions of the projec t was to eventually do a graphic novel or a comic series. However, the charac ters can take any form, namely masks, puppets, toys etc. For the scope of the Diploma Project, I decided to choose a workshop toolkit as the final product. The purpose of the workshop model will be to create a space for story sharing and to infuse mythical elements in these stories. The nature of the workshop will be performance 62

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT based using drama games and elements of shadow puppetry. The choice of a performance medium was made using my own experience of working with drama and the Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) methodology. Several of the drama games being used are borrowed from the TO. I have had experience of making and working with puppets and think they are a great medium to share stories. My challenge while making the workshop manual was to incorporate games and activities that would suit the context best and also to ensure a gradual progression from one game to the other. In order to develop the model I interacted with several drama therapists and educationists. 63

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Since it is only a two day workshop I had to be careful of the nature of the games I pick. Which games would be suitable for mid teenagers? Which games can help the group get to know each other? Games that will build up into the final outcome. Games that will build trust and team spirit. These were the points which I tried to incorporate into my manual. Apart from the manual the toolkit comprised of few other accessories to go with the workshop. The contents of the toolkit : - Workshop Theatre Manual. - Story cards. - Coloured stickers. - Single point light source.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Shadow puppet version of the Eland

SHADOW PUPPETS

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Shadow puppet version of the Lion

SHADOW PUPPETS

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Shadow puppet version of the Jackal

SHADOW PUPPETS

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Shadow puppet version of the Baboon

SHADOW PUPPETS

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

SHADOW PUPPETS

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

STORY CARDS

Story cards with symbols will be given to each group to create stories from. There are four sets with three cards each. The cards will be introduced to the participants during the storybuilding phase where they will create stories with these elements in them. It will be a method to assess the connections they make with mythology during this exercise.

Each symbol in the card has been borrowed from ancient Khoi-San folktales. This set in particular is from the story â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Lion and the Jackalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. In the story the Jackal outwits the Lion and uses flaming stones to kill him.

The Lion and the Jackal.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

STORY CARDS

This set if from the story ‘Mantis makes an Eland’. In the story the Mantis makes the moon out of a shoe. It is one of the most famous tales from Khoi-San folklore with /Kaggen as the main protagonist. It is the story that displays /Kaggen’s supernatural creative powers.

Mantis makes an Eland

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

STORY CARDS

This set if from the story ‘How the Rain was shot’. It is the story of how the Eland, the rain animal was shot by a person of the ‘early race’.

How the Rain was shot

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

STORY CARDS

This set if from the story ‘The Baboons and //Xabitten //Xabitten’. It is the story of the Baboons and the //Xabitten //Xabitten, the Mantis’ child. The Mantis revives the //Xabitten//Xabitten back to life after the Baboons killed him.

The Baboons and //Xabitten //Xabitten

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

VISUAL IDENTITY

To assist the group building games during the workshop, I am designing a set of colour coded stickers. The stickers have a symbol of one of the animal characters on it, the participants have to fins a matching sticker and they get together and form a team. The stickers also act as a visual identity of the Project and lets the project exist as a brand. They will act as a guerillas marketing tactic, as after the workshop is over it can be taken home by the participants. Initial logo iterations

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

VISUAL IDENTITY

Final logo designs for the Heroes Project in English and Afrikaans 75

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

The Heroes Project stickers 76

VISUAL IDENTITY

IMPLEMENTATION 77

IMPLEMENTATION

WORKSHOP

The Heroes Workshop was held on October 10th, 2013 in

Flats. The participants were from a wide age group of early

Retreat, Cape Town. The workshop was conducted with the

teens to late teens but that was not much of an issue. De-

aim to create a storytelling space among the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;colouredâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

spite their age gap most of the kids behaved similar except

youth with the use of mythology and shadow puppetry. I

for the attention span being higher in the older teens than

wanted to use the workshop as a method to gather stories

the younger ones.

and oral accounts from the youth to understand the reality of

The Heroes workshop was a challenging but a huge learn-

the situation in which they live.

ing experience for me. My theatre experience came in handy

I have participated in several theatre workshops before, but

while facilitating but there were several things which I learnt

this was the first time I was facilitating one. It was an intimi-

during and after the workshop. One of the greatest learning

dating task for me to be on the other side and conduct a

which comes with actually conducting a workshop is sponta-

workshop. I had questions about my capability and my abil-

neity and adaptability.

ity to lead. I was apprehensive about the audience I will be

One of the challenges I faced while conducting the work-

working with as I had little to no knowledge about who they

shop was adapting the structure to suit the current audience.

would be. There had been changes in location, time, dura-

For the purpose of creating a workshop model, I created a

tion and the group of participants for the workshop, as a

general structure for the workshop, leaving opportunity to

result of which I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to expect at the workshop.

improvise and adapt it depending on the situation. Adapt-

The workshop took place in a community hall in Retreat

ability was useful as I was working with a community and

and the participants were mostly teenagers from the areas

culture that was new to me.

of Paarl and Muizenberg, situated in and around the Cape

From the beginning I noticed that the energy was a little low 79

in the group and the warm-up games which are get us active and energetic back in India, were not as effective with the participants in Cape Flats. The participants initially shied away from anything which was performance related. On further inquiry I discovered, they rarely have any drama or performance related activities in school. Half-way into the warmup exercises I decided to shift away from the preset structure and introduce new games. A Natural Justice colleague once mentioned that the kids in the Cape Flats are really excited about music and dance. Taking off from that point I decided to transform certain drama games into dance and music based games. For instance, the game ‘factory’ which is usually played by making repetitive sounds which come together to make a unified rhythm was transformed into a ‘Beat box Machine’ where repetitive beats come together to form a rap song. The participants keep adding beats to create a rhythm until one of them comes up with a freestyle rap song and the game goes on till the song ends. As a warm-up exercise, this game in particular was comfortably adapted to the Cape Town culture. The ease 80

with which the children in Cape Town could come up with

growing up these kids have seen or experienced more vio-

a rap song was incredible as Hip-hop and rap is an integral

lence and oppression than any adult from my community or

part of their culture. Hence a slight deviation from the preset

neighbourhood has ever seen in their entire life. The envi-

plan worked beautifully in this context.

ronment that they grow up in has forced them to put on a

There are a lot of stories to be told and a lot to be heard

façade of being older, while tucking away the child in them.

from these kids. I realized that once a space for sharing

They are only teenagers of twelve to nineteen and most

experiences was created their stories came out uninhib-

of them have had to abandon their innocent years behind

ited. And there were some really interesting observations

to cope with the harsh reality that the world around them

to be made in these stories, of the five acts which the kids

poses. Girls younger than me are mothers. Boys barely into

performed four were about violence which they see around

adulthood have to make choices about livelihood. Many oth-

them. Three of them involved topics of sex, drugs, gangsters

ers like them in the community have made wrong choices,

and street violence and one about domestic gender vio-

chosen a life of crime or intoxicants as an escape from the

lence.

social evils around them. Most often as a desperate act of

On close conversations with few of the attendees I got to

release.

know the grave reality of the situation they have been liv-

The kids are not ignorant or unaware of the issues they are

ing in every day of their lives. They talk of kids as young

facing. All they need is an artistic outlet to channel out their

as twelve being victims of drug abuse and violence. Even

feelings and emotions. Provided a creative outlet they would

schools are not free from the grip of violence, with kids hav-

want their stories heard. For instance, in an exercise in ‘Im-

ing access to knives and drugs within their campus. In the

age theatre’ where I asked the kids to illustrate scenes from

evenings after six, they don’t step out of their houses. While

their everyday life as still images; they immediately jumped 81

to enacting full-fledged scenes from their neighbourhood complete with actions and dialogues. There is enormous amount of energy and potential tapped in these young minds which can be harnessed in artistic and creative ways. Often this energy goes untapped which might find release in aggressive and destructive ways. Moments from the workshop: A scene enacted by a group of five, aged between 12 to 14 depicted a scene of street violence. They specifically depicted the use of firearms like shot guns in the scene. There was drug being seized, one which was represented by a crushed leaf (marijuana) and one which was represented by small white pebbles (probably crystal meth?). The scene showed the police coming in to nab a thug and a drug dealer in the area after which they were taken for interrogation. One of the thugs sported an American flag in his jean back pocket, which was apparently a reference to the ‘Americans’, one of the biggest Gangs in the Cape Flats. In my stay in Cape Town I heard the name ‘Americans’ more often than any other name. The scene made me question, if it happens very 82

often that the thugs or the gangsters do get nabbed by the

There is much more to the life in the suburbs than that, how-

police. To which they replied yes. I feel often it is the unfor-

ever it is only the dark side which gets publicized the most.

giving time spent in prison which turns most of the street

She believed in stressing on the positive things happening

thugs into hardened gangsters.

in the community and not get held by the negativity that

In the second round where these scenes had to adapt into

surrounds them. One of the attendees performed a freestyle

shadow plays I was amazes by the ingenuity of a concept

rap song during the ‘Beat Box machine’ game with powerful

proposed by one of the group members. The group was

words and really strong messages. Through his rap/poetry

given a set of three picture cards, which they had to use to

he spoke of issues like teenage pregnancy, domestic vio-

slightly fictionalize their story. This group got the pictures

lence and the absence of a father figure.

of a mantis, a moon and a shoe all of which are three significant images from a Khoi-San Folktale. Reacting on the images one of the team members asked if the image of the Mantis can be represented symbolically. ‘Can the Praying Mantis be a symbolic representation of the community praying for an end to the violence?’ I was really taken aback by the maturity and complex thinking of this thirteen year old. In another interesting conversation one of the attendees reveals that life is not as bad as it has been made to look like. Her everyday life in Paarl is not just drugs and violence. 84

CLOSING REMARKS In all it was a rich experience for me to engage and interact with such a talented group of teenagers. They have tremendous creative potential which is waiting to find an outlet. The stories and the experiences I encountered during my visit will forever inspire me. I in my own personal capacity would continue to work with their stories and try my best to get them heard. My hope is to see the Heroes Project take shape into a global model for change. One of our longstanding visions is to implement it in India and use it to document the oral traditions of the marginalised tribes of India.This project has been a brilliant opportunity for me to push my boundaries and use my abilities for social benefit.

SOURCES “The Hero With A Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell, 1949. “The Power of Myth” by Joseph Campbell. “Black to the Future” by Mark Dery, 1993. “Working with Aboriginal communities and people- A practice resource” “Specimens of Bushman Folklore” by W. H. I. Bleek and L. C. Lloyd, 1911 http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/sbf/index.htm ANIMALS BEHAVING LIKE PEOPLE: san rock paintings of kudu in the central limpopo basin, by Edward B. Eastwood BUSHMAN FOLKLORE by Dorothea F. Bleek Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jul., 1929) The Universal and the Local: the Trickster and the /Xam Narratives by Michael Wessels English in Africa, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Oct., 2008) Bushman Myths and Folklore http://www.theartofafrica.co.za/serv/myths.jsp “San Bushmen of Drakensberg Mountains” http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/bushman/index.php

“Images of Power-Understanding Bushman Rock Art” by David Lewis-Williams & Thomas Dowson, 1989. “The Mantis and His Friends-Bushman Folklore” by T.Maskew Miller. “Ancient Khoisan Tribe” by Rehad Desai, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1NamQj-E9I “Desert of skeletons”, by New Atlantic Documentaries, Dir: Gerardo Olivares, 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2UXX9yAQGY “The Kalahari Bushmen” by ABC Australia, distributed by Journeyman Pictures http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztzDHDiOSUY “Coloured is not an identity: Learning to speak my ancestor’s tongue again” by Bradley Van Sitters, 2012. http://www.archivalplatform.org/blog/entry/coloured_is/blog “A Kalahari Family” by John Marshall http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VqhQPeEarE Hip Hop & Science Fiction: Gabriel Teodros at TEDxRainier http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvpgggGYtW4 Mahala website: http://www.mahala.co.za/?s=cape+flats