23.3.14

What do you feel when you encounter this?





































Spotted at Lodhi Garden, Delhi. February 2014.

We couldn't ignore this message on the dustbin
Not because of its intended message.

Form. Content. Meaning. Interpretation. Repetition.
Warning:  Beware of Blind Words.

What does "Save The Girl Child" mean after all?





Action Heroes : Evidence Gatherers







Action Heroes as Evidence Gatherers was the focus of the Blank Noise Action Hero workshop at Srishti School of Art Design and Technology as part of the interim semester. (November- December 2013) The students aka Action Heroes worked on building a 'wall of evidence' by inviting the student community on campus to participate. The Action Heroes in their duty as Evidence Gatherers went to spaces within Yelahanka (where Srishti is situated) with 'build evidence' charts inviting people in the locality to participate. On another day the students took off to MG Road/ Brigade road/ Church street inviting citizens to build testimonials. Every testimonial is counted as evidence to say I Never Ask For It. 

The Build Evidence charts are bilingual. We will be sharing a downloadable version shortly to that you too can take on a role and contribute by being an evidence gatherer/ Action Hero in your community. This will be made available online also. To be involved contact
us at blanknoise@gmail.com





7.3.14

Asking For It



In saying " I Never Ask For It " , dear Action Hero, What do you ask for?
Tweet #AskingForIt March 10

2.3.14

I Never Ask For It. Launching Very Soon!


Action Hero Abhishek. Delhi.


Action Hero #1 , Goa


Action Hero Rishita, Bangalore

*  Send us a photo of the garment you wore when you experienced any form of sexual violence.
Submit a testimonial. Build Evidence  one Action Hero at a time.
Your testimonial is your truth. Your garment is your witness.
Together. Let's resonate- I Never Ask For It.

* Follow the campaign on Tumblr  Facebook  Twitter #INeverAskForIt and Gplus


*Website launching very very very very soon!
Here's to the team of Action Heroes who have been working hard to the very own I Never Ask For It website launch

10.2.14

Yelahanka Action Heroes : Safe City Pledge

Yelahanka Action Heroes were formed during a month long Action Hero workshop at the Srishti School of Art Design and Technology. Time period: November -December 2012/ November -December 2013

The Yelahanka Action Hero 2013 team included the following
Saumya Pankaj, Shruti Anand, Ruchir Gupta, Fiza Ishaq, Upasna, Soumya , Ritika, Sachi Raval, Trusha Orza, Muniza , Shivangi ( to be updated)

The YAH team was built also with the support of the auto rickshaw drivers community in Yelahanka. The Action Hero network grew as auto rickshaw drivers took the Safe City Pledge.

We will be sharing all of activities and events built by the Action Heroes over the next couple of weeks.


Yelahanka Action Heroes
Sachi Raval, Shivangi, Trusha







All NEW Yelahanka Action Hero (YAH)
growing network of Yelahanka citizens

13.1.14

TALK TO ME # 3


Action Hero Kunal Kiran w Action Hero Vikas Jaiswal
Park Street


Action Hero Shabaz w Action Hero Sangeeta
Park Street

Action Hero Leena Kejriwal w Action Hero Sandeep
Munshiganj


Action Hero Uma and Action Hero Manoj Singh
Munshiganj



Action Hero Piu Di w Action Hero Jasmeen Patheja
Location: Munshiganj

Action Hero Manoj Singh w Action Hero Uma Dasgupta
Location Munshiganj


Action Hero Manoj Singh w Action Hero Uma Dasgupta
Location: Munshiganj

Action Hero Anuja w Action Hero Shabnam
Location Munshiganj





Dear Stranger,

Talk To Me.
We haven't had a chance to get to know each other. 
Let's have tea, a samosa and talk over the next hour.
We may not remain strangers after this.
We could talk about anything; our dreams, hope, fears.
Our conversation will not be recorded but we will be photographed. 
You can keep your identity confidential if you prefer to.
We would of course like to have your name and details for our record, however we will respect 
your decision to share or not share your details.
We are Action Heroes; citizens committed to building safe cities.
Yours truly,
Action Hero

Two strangers were brought together to have an hour long conversation about anything except sexual violence. The strangers, now Action Heroes did not decide or plan the nature of the conversation, nor could anyone chose who would sit in front of them.

*This blog post will be edited, revised and updated in the next few hours
City: Kolkata
Date: 12/1/ 2013
Location 1.  Munshiganj  : 4 pm- 6 pm 
Location 2 . Park Street :   6 30- 8 30 pm

In association with Apne Aap, Mudar Pathreya, Eina Ahluwalia

We fixed upon the 2 locations for the following reasons.
Location 1 was Munshiganj, is a red light area where the Apne Aap office is located.
This was our first intervention in a red light area and co created by individuals/ action heroes from the community itself.

Location 2 was Park Street. Chosen for being neutral and familiar to the middle class english speaking Calcuttan. It was our first 'Talk To Me' in Calcutta/ Kolkata ; most certainly a starting point to iterate from.

Participating Kolkata Action Heroes include:
Of team Apne Aap-  Anuja Bhojnagarwala , Sudipta Dasgupta, Sahana Dasgupta, SK Fazul, Uma Das, Rachna, Anwari, Jhaji,  Swapnil Mukherjee, Hindol Dutta, Aruna Singh.

Mohua Das ( Telegraph reporter)
Prachi Saraogi
Sangeeta
Shabaz
Philip
Kunal Kiran
Shabnam
Piu Di
Jasmeen Patheja
Sandeep
Leena Kejriwal
Manoj Singh
Mudar Pathreya
Ayesha Begum
Vikas Jaiswal

This is the third Talk To Me event.
Talk To Me, 1 with Srishti School of Art Design and Technology
Talk To Me 2 with JNU
More about Talk To Me here

photographer- Jasmeen Patheja
Talk To Me # 3 , in Kolkata on January 12th was funded by Apne Aap.





11.12.13

Section 377










"The social relevance has not been decided, its legal relevance has." - Gautam Bhan

Kapil Sibal, Sonia Gandhi speak out against Section 377



10.12.13

HaHaHa Sangha













fierce. gentle. flowing. roaring. rippling. whispering. unleashed laughter

fight fear.

laugh.

create your own HaHaHa Sangha

created with residents of Yelahanka + Yelahanka Action Heroes (also students at Srishti School of Art Design and Technology) 2012


Action Hero Pallavi Sen

Two thoughts on sexual abuse and the Tejpal assault case // When I was 13 years old, I was molested in an elevator going from the ground floor to the 5th floor, where I lived. My friend got off on the 1st floor, and then in the time it took for the elevator to reach the 4th floor, the man in the lift managed to put his hand under my shirt while saying that he saw a cockroach on my clothes, then feel my stomach, talk to me, kiss me on my cheek so I could feel his teeth, and then leave the elevator. It took me another few minutes to realise what had happened and when I look back at this it seems incredible that so much could have happened in so little time. Second, almost three years ago, I was physically abused by my then boyfriend and I stayed with him through three episodes of abuse, and took another 6 months to tell anyone about it. I did not file a complaint because I was scared that I would somehow be implicated (bizarre, I know), that I would ruin his career, his reputation, and because he made me believe that it was better to remain quiet. Now, these are not secrets, and most of my close friends know about it. Why I am talking about it is because the way I behaved after these two incidents was shockingly different from how I think when I am a happy, calm, confident feminist, someone who talks and thinks about gender, abuse, and feminism all the time. // When you are not the victim, it is so, so easy to say things like "How did it take her two weeks to react?? If I was her I would screamed or said something right then!!" or "How can anything happen in 10/15/45 seconds??". What I have realised is that time and abuse have a very unusual relationship, and that the way in which one senses the severity of abuse has little to do with how many seconds it took for it to take place. It also takes more than principle and strong beliefs to stand up against someone who has hurt you, and outrage may not result in immediate action. So, in your facebook conversations and casual discussions about this case, try and consider this before you make such comments. By saying these things you are not only reducing the victim's experience to something impossible, maybe a story, but making it much harder for others to talk about something similar, because too much time has passed or too little time was spent being abused.