1. Project background

In modern society, due to lack of knowledge, generation gap, busy pace of life and other reasons, many parents may have difficulty understanding or recognizing depression in their children. This story is a real situation in my friend’s real life. She suffered from depression for a long time, but was not understood by her family, which led to her becoming more and more serious and even attempted suicide. In the process of accompanying her, I learned about the physical and psychological status of real depression patients, and their needs. Through this project, I want to let more people know the inner world of depressed patients, know more about them, and give them appropriate help when they need it.

 

2. Storyline

The main character: a young girl suffering from depression, feeling lonely and not understood.

Background: Family members did not understand her condition and saw no reason for her to feel unhappy, which created additional stress on her.

Dream and reality: The little girl experiences terrifying dreams in her sleep, dreaming that she is being hunted, reflecting her inner fear and struggle.

Double ending:

(1) Dark self: The dream self represents the dark side of her heart, and her jumping off the building may symbolize being consumed by the darkness of her heart.

(2) The victory of the light: On the other hand, this can also be interpreted as her victory over the inner darkness, thus achieving inner liberation.

 

3. Stage design

Visual design: The combination of dynamic images, words, symbols to express the change of mental state.

Interactive elements: The audience can participate in the story through touch screens or mobile devices and influence the development of the story.

4. Technology application

（1）Tactile and visual interactive experience

Scene design: Through Touch Designer, create a series of interactive visual effects that symbolize different aspects of mental illness. For example, a scene can be designed to represent psychological stress and anxiety, using visual elements of instability and chaos to simulate the feelings brought about by mental illness.

Audience interaction: The use of camera capture and gesture recognition technology allows the audience to interact with visual elements on the stage through gestures, such as changing visual patterns or colors by waving, symbolizing the struggle and interaction with mental illness.

(2) Emotional trigger sound effects

Sound Design: Use Max/MSP to design dynamic sound effects that reflect the emotional changes in the performance. For example, in scenes depicting depression or anxiety, the sound effects can gradually change from calm to tension and unease. Combined with audience interaction, touch or movement can trigger different sound effects, enhancing the audience’s sense of immersion. For example, the audience’s movements can affect volume, rhythm, or tone, making them part of the performance.

5. Risk assessment

Emotional trigger: The performance may touch on sensitive topics and have an impact on the audience with mental health issues. Provide emotional trigger warnings, prepare mental health support resources at the show.

Misunderstanding and misdirection: Performances can be misunderstood and send the wrong message. Design content carefully to avoid misleading information and work with mental health professionals to ensure accuracy.

Jan 31, 2024

Initial idea

As an illustrator, the term live performance immerses me in an expansive realm of fantasy that could, for example, encompass the theatre’s ambience, auditory and visual effects, and, notably, the narrative.

WHAT: we have come up with several theme ideas together, and I prefer the topic of marine pollution.

Jan 31, 2024

Theme1:Story with Chinese traditional elements/Oriental background feature elements.

Narratives and creative pieces imbued with stylistic, ethnic, and regional elements possess a captivating allure, offering immense value forcreativity, both visually and narratively. Simultaneously, they ignite the audience’s imagination, transporting them to diverse and vibrant worlds.In China, a myriad of myths and legends abound, steeped in ethnic diversity and imbued with magical allure. Simplifying and adhering to typical story themes can enhance the performance’s effectiveness. While impresses people, it also makes the cultural themes more obvious.

Theme2:Oppose gender discrimination(From ancient China story-the “abandoned infant tower”).

During the waning years of the Qing Dynasty, the populace bore a heavy burden, grappling with scarcity of essentials like food and clothes, as well as a multitude of other challenges. Influenced by feudal ideals, families often viewed the birth of a girl as a burden, leading to their abandonment. This real story recoreded a stark picture of the plight faced by baby girls at the time.An ancient adage underscores the societal preference for sons, neglecting the value of daughters.In most cases,midwives wouldn’t even inquire about the mother’s wishes, instead, waiting for the husband’s consent before condemning newborn girls to a tragic fate of drowning.Some family members couldn’t bear to harm their own flesh and blood, so they opted to leave their children at a place known as the “abandoned infant tower,” allowing them to fend for themselves. Perhaps there were families eager to have a child who would take in these baby girls and raise them with care, but such occurrences were exceedingly rare at the time.

True to its name, the “abandoned infant tower” serves as a refuge for discarded babies. Its rudimentary structure, often comprising only tree stumps and piled stones, is typically found in remote wilderness areas. This grim reality reflects the peak of feudal ideology, where infants face myriad dangers within the tower. However, their parents devoid of affection for their offspring, console themselves with the notion that their fate is sealed. Furthermore, impoverished couples may resort to leaving their sickly baby girls in these towers, unable to provide the necessary care. In ancient times, peopple belief that babies were not fully formed, thus eschewing the need for elaborate burials in coffins. Consequently, by abandoning infants in the tower, parents spared themselves the expense of burial, as if the babies had never entered the world, it is rumored that every three days, someone would come to dispose of the bodies.

Indeed, the practice of abandoning babies in the tower reflects a troubling aspect of ancient society. It reveals the profound helplessness experienced by some individuals during that era. Economic constraints often left families unable to afford the costs of child-rearing and medical treatment, exacerbated by the limited advancements in medical technology at the time. Additionally, the pervasive cultural preference for sons played a central role in the abandonment of baby girls. In a society where women held lower social status, they faced grim prospects such as being sold, forced into brothels, or subjected to early and unhappy marriages as they grew older. These factors collectively underscore the harsh realities endured by womenand children in ancient times.

 

Jan 31, 2024

初步设想

我希望我们的舞台不仅仅是艺术追求，更是对社会现象的深刻反思。我的想法触及当前环境危机的核心和人类情感记忆的复杂性。

海洋污染与人类责任

我的第一个项目的灵感来自最近引起广泛关注的日本核废水事件。此次事件不仅反映了海洋污染的严重状况，也反映了人类活动对环境的长期影响。故事讲述了两条小鱼在海里快乐地游荡的故事。突然有一天，身后传来黑色的污水，小鱼开始了艰难的逃亡之旅。途中，他们失去了家人，回忆起过去的快乐时光。然而，最终，黑色的海水却无情的吞噬了他们。这不仅是对生态危机的警告，也是对人类行为后果的深刻反思。通过小鱼的视角，我们可以感受到海洋生物所面临的绝望和无助，进而唤起人们对环境保护的意识和责任。

对于海洋主题，我对视觉效果也有一些想法 

 

黑暗童话

Jan 31, 2024

Jan 31, 2024