Motion illustrations - Prerona Foundation
Freelance Contract, May 2022
Tools - pencil sketches, Adobe Photoshop
Prerona Foundation is working to promote economic inclusion of marginalised communities, women empowerment and youth development through skills enhancement programmes.In this respect, they work closely with persons with autism and schools for such persons.
I was commissioned via Studio Joag to create GIFs for a series called “Chasing Dreams”, where I was tasked to illustrate stories of 6 different young persons with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) pursuing and thriving in their different ambitions.
Milestones set for this campaign
1. Raise in awareness among the masses about autism
2. Trigger conversation in the public domain
3. Set a context for a roundtable discussion for actionable steps
The creative brief (in Prerona Foundation's own words)
"1. The campaign will be based on the stories of 6 autistic children, each with their dreams.
2. The campaign began on the 2nd of April 2020, which is the International Autism Awareness Day.
3. Now it has reached the second stage of the campaign which will focus on the transition to adulthood. These children also have something to accomplish and the dream that they have to chase.
4. The dreams have to be connected and portrayed under one particular theme.
5. The entire campaign is based in the Sustainable Development Goals, namely SDCG 10 which talks about eradicating inequality: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg10
6. Colour palette used will be that of SDG theme, SDG 10 maybe focused.
7. You have full freedom with your artistic expression, as long as the message is clear.
8. You are required to bring out your unique style in your work. "
The team also pointed out an art style in my portfolio that they particularly liked (it was the Alice bridge cards). So with that in mind, I set out with making pencil sketches and going over them in ink. No matter the outcome, I determined that the inked outlines would serve well to make the GIFs unique to my style and practise, which all began with inking. I determined I would like the outlines to remain true to how I ink them on paper from the outset.
I was given 6 documents with a photo and a short third person anecdote about the 6 young people: their dreams, goals, achievements, hobbies, and likes. These 1 or 2 paragraphs for each person tied together with a message of hope and positivity about achieving career aspirations in adulthood.
At first, I drew some loose sketches and got 1 round of feedback to receive approval on the art style of the characters.
When going into the more detailed drawings which I would digitise and to turn into GIFs, I started thinking harder about how to frame the characters and create a detailed composition that communicates clearly these kids’ passion, enthusiasm, and the fragility of their dreams.
The fact Prerona Foundation addresses is that Bangladesh does not currently have an infrastructure that creates a conducive environment for people with special needs. Many of the ambitions of people with special needs remain unachievable because of this lack of infrastructure. I wanted to depict that fragility from realising the dream by showing these kids realising their dreams and being content, but in floating bubbles. This is where the framing and finalising starts to happen.
And here are the final results:
Depankor is an amazing dhol badok (drummer). Depankor came to PFDA-VTC as a teenagerand recovered from earlier disabilities. He willingly participated in dhol classes running at school when the teacher noticed that he was playing the rhythm to songs from memory. Few years down the line, he is now an award winning DHOL BADOK from PFDA-VTC. He is also an actor in PFDA-VTC’s “Karishma Cultural Group''.
Mahim didn’t let ASD stop him from mastering both English and Bangla. This talented kid does not limit himself to being bilingual, though! He is currently also learning Arabic and Korean. A perfectionist in everything he does, he also makes amazing animation clips from scratch. He also does his own voice-overs for the clips he makes! As creative and fun as he is, his imaginary world is a way for him to cope and is a habit he picked to cope with the abusive environment he experienced in his past school. PFDA-VTC tries to reach out to his creative mind and share it with the world around him.
Rumi defines objects by touching them and inspecting them with her hands. Even though she has hearing and verbal disability, she is the sole contributor to the PFDA-VTC’s Kitchen, ANGEL’S CHEF. She helps them around in the kitchen by peeling and preparing foodstuff before it goes into the cooking dish and is a great teamplayer. She is also very creative with stitching. Also a part of ‘Karishma Cultural Group”, she is confident to perform on stage as an actor. She is self-sufficient in doing chores and helps her mother at home as wel. She aspires to be in a sheltered environment where she will be employed under supervision so that she can start earning for herself.
Meet Shihab, the youngest in his family and someone who loves to read Calendars. He can tell you the exact date and day of your birthday for the next 150 years. He also has great talent in making carpet slippers over at PFDA-VTC. Now, He makes more than 100 pieces of carpet slippers a day from scratch. He can also name almost all Bollywood movies that exist! Like Rumi, he also aims to work under supervision to pursue a normal life. He also is a part of PFDA-VTC’s Karishma Cultural Group.
Safwan too has a moving story. Having been abused for being different, nobody in his family believed he would turn out an amazing actor. From picking up songs from random Hindi movies to becoming masterful at playing instruments like dhol, guitar, and kahon, this talented actor is also skilled in dancing, directing and choreography. Safwar also contributes to PFDA-VTC’s Karishma Cultural Group and his performance has received the "Monchokuri Award" from Shilpokola Academy. This is the first time a person with special needs won in this category category last year. An excellent vocational worker and an amazing baker, Safwan wants to be a director in MONCHONATOK.
Susmi, a 19 year old, is an amazing actor when she is on stage in spite of being diagnosed with mild autism. Contributing to PFDA-VTC’s Karishma Cultural Group, she is the lead actress from PFDA-VTC’s Award winning play, Chondalika. With her acting abilities, she has mesmerised many. Not only that, she also received the "Monchokuri Award" as a person with special needs category from Shilpokola Academy last year. She not only hones her acting skills, but also has her own jewellery line with retailers like ARONG.
