Course Code and Name: MSJ11214 Convergence Communication 1
Project Name: Experience From “The Past”
Project Date: Spring 2021
Project Type: Group
Project Completed on Semester No: 4
CI Theme: Nonviolent Communication
Project Description:
The “Experience From ‘The Past'” project was a performance art piece created as part of the MSJ11214 Convergence Communication 1 course. The project, completed in Spring 2021, was a group effort by “Not So Mediocre,” involving Zakia Sultana Sanam and six other members. The central theme of the project was Nonviolent Communication, with a focus on illustrating the contrast between violent and nonviolent communication through performance art.
The performance was designed to highlight the effects of violent communication on individuals and the potential benefits of adopting nonviolent approaches. The project featured a dual narrative, showcasing both the victim and aggressor perspectives. Each group member recorded their segments individually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and these were compiled into a final video presentation. The artwork utilized animated text, facial expressions, and background music to emphasize the transition from violence to nonviolence. The final video was exhibited online, making it accessible to a wider audience despite the pandemic restrictions.
Project Justification:
The “Experience From ‘The Past'” project was justified by its alignment with the course’s CI theme of Nonviolent Communication. The project aimed to address the pervasive issue of violent communication and its impact on societal interactions. By reflecting on past experiences and demonstrating the benefits of nonviolent communication, the project sought to raise awareness and encourage more empathetic and effective interpersonal interactions.
Given the constraints of the pandemic, the project’s adaptation to remote work and online exhibition was a practical solution that allowed for continued engagement with the theme while overcoming logistical challenges. The use of performance art provided a unique and impactful way to convey complex ideas, and the project’s execution demonstrated the group’s ability to adapt and innovate in response to the circumstances.
Project Link: Experience From “The Past”
Department of Media Studies and Journalism
Course Title: Convergence Communication 1
Course Code: MSJ11214
Term: Spring 2021
Section: 01
Individual Report of the Performance Art on the Curriculum Integration Theme (Spring 2021)
Topic Title: Experience From “The Past”
Submitted To
A F M Moniruzzaman Shipu
Assistant Professor
Bachelor of Social Science (SSS)
Department of Media Studies and Journalism
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB)
Submitted By
Zakia Sultana Sanam (201012045)
Date of Submission: 23rd May, 2021
Full Mark: 20
Deadline: May 23, 2021
Each student must individually fill up the following form to write the report on her/his group/individual project for the final term examination.
Reporter’s ID: 201012045
Reporter’s name: Zakia Sultana Sanam
| Question | Answer | Point | |
| Title of your work: | Experiences from “The Past” | 01 | |
| Group details (if any) | |||
| Group name:
(Write ‘individual’ for individual projects.) |
Not So Mediocre | 01 | |
| Member’s ID | Member’s name | ||
| 201012045 | Zakia Sultana Sanam | ||
| 193012009 | SM Masqur Hasan | ||
| 193012012 | Md Ashraful Islam | ||
| 193012023 | Ishmam Rahin Kareeb | ||
| 193012045 | Tahsin Aupshora Ahona | ||
| 193012050 | Shaira Tabassum Prima | ||
| 193012056 | Zannatin Tazrimin Rithi | ||
| Theme | |||
| CI theme:
(Write about the semester theme ‘Nonviolent Communication’ in your language.) (50-150 words) |
The performing arts are arts that are performed in front of audiences, such as music, dance, and drama. These are art forms in which artists express themselves through their bodies or voices.
Every semester, the ULAB Media Studies and Journalism Department hosts Curriculum Integration (CI), which focuses on a particular theme and helps students to understand and show their innovative ideas outside of the classroom. This semester’s CI theme is Non-Violent Communication. Our culture is greatly influenced by communication. Everything from the creation of love between people to war is affected by communication processes. Violent communication is a process that restricts liberty, ignores needs, diminishes a person’s worth, and prevents compassion. The use of deceptive or coercive language that causes fear, guilt, shame, gratitude, responsibility, duty, obligation, punishment, and/or reward is often the cause of violent communication. On the other hand, Nonviolent Communication encourages equity, increases awareness of the relationship between feelings and needs, and fosters compassion. Nonviolent communication proposes that contributing to our own and others’ well-being is a fundamental human need. When nonviolent contact is used, the chances of reciprocal giving and receiving increase. It assists us in recognizing and nurturing the joy we experience when our basic human needs are met. It also increases the likelihood of reciprocal donation. Nonviolent communication, in particular, has a significant role to play in the communication system. It has an effect on people at all levels of society. |
01 | |
| Group/Individual theme:
(What was your theme? Why did you take this theme?) (150-250 words)
|
Non-Violent Communication on Past Experience is the CI theme of our Performing Art. This performing art’s main focus is to clarify how we have witnessed or practiced violent communication in the past, and how we can interact nonviolently in the future. Since violent communication is a negative social construct with negative consequences, this theme is important to our personal/social lives. Anxiety, depression, insecurity, frustration, poor anger management, poor social skills, pathological lying, deceptive behavior, impulsiveness, and lack of empathy, as well as a lower overall quality of life, can grow in those who experience or witness violent communication. Nonviolent communication is a form of communication that does not include the use of aggression. It primarily helps in the formation of emotional bridges and the development of relationships. Making nonviolent interaction a daily practice is an effective way to resolve disputes without resorting to violence. It will also instill in us the confidence that the ultimate goal of any conflict should be to create emotional bridges and improve relationships. The only way to advance the human revolution movement is through genuine contact. Nonviolent communication has the potential to be a highly effective method for boosting efficiency. There will be conflicts and disputes in every organization. The question is whether we should deal with such inequalities or disputes in a positive or damaging manner. Our theme is to use performing art to convey Marshall B. Rosenberg’s message, “What I want in my life is love, a flow between myself and others focused on reciprocal giving from the heart.” We would be more likely to prevent conflicts and foster positivity in our lives if we follow Gandhi’s five pillars of nonviolence (respect for everyone, including nature, empathy, acceptance, constructive appreciation, and compassion). | 02 | |
| Artwork | |||
| Layout & Plan:
(Attach the image of your layout) (Why and what kind of installation/performance/others did you want to do?) (150-250 words) |
We try to create two sides of human conditions in our performing art project. One may be a victim, while the other may act in an unfair or cruel manner. The victim is influenced by the unjust in a variety of ways. We planned to designate one of our group members as the victim, with whom violent and nonviolent contact will be conducted. Following that, the offenders will convey both types of interaction, nonviolent and violent human consequences with the victim. Mainly, four of our team members will be playing the role of perpetrators, engaging through aggression and non-violence. At least once, everyone should communicate aggressively and nonviolently which will affect the victim. Based on our past experiences, everybody will interact violently and nonviolently. We will convey our words through animated text. The whole performance will be captured as video bytes in our respective homes. Afterward, we will compile the video bytes for the production process to complete the entire performing art. We will try to exhibit our message of the performing art through the expression of the artists, animated text, and background music. | 02 | |
| Production:
(Please write about the production process of your work from the beginning including materials you used, the place you worked at, any obstacles you faced, any improvisation you did, the result came out at the end?) (Please attach some images of your production process.) (250-350 words) |
Since our CI theme is about nonviolent communication, we decided to focus on this theme. We haven’t been able to operate outside the house since the corona outbreak. We intended to work on our project from the comfort of our own homes. But it was very difficult for us to do this at home, and we were unsure whether we would be able to complete it on time. Since we can’t be together, we turned to the performing arts for a solution. Each member of our team was given a different task. We started with brainstorming ideas. We kept planning what we’d make and how we’d make it. We started by writing a script. The whole team is then instructed to submit video bytes following the script. All used a tripod from home to make a video of their speech and uploaded it to the drive. To keep videos together, we used ULAB’s Google Drive. The files are then downloaded, and post-production work begins. For video editing, we used Adobe Premiere Pro 2020. We needed two pieces of background music because our performing art is solely expression-based. The use of background music helped to make our message clearer. As a result, we used two pieces of copyright-free music from YouTube. One was uplifting, while the other was depressing. We completed our post-production work in this manner. Our final product is exported three times. After the first export, Sir made some changes, which we corrected. Our production’s final output is the result of post-production work. And we were able to create our video.
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03 | |
| Exhibition | |||
| Exhibition:
(Where was the show, how was that platform, who were the spectators, was any other platform (like Shilpakala Academy/permanent campus) better for the show, and why?) (150 -250 words) (Please attach some images/screenshots of your final work and show) |
We intend to showcase our project on an online platform because our CI will be held online due to the Corona epidemic. We considered presenting this show online so that people could view our work from the comfort of their own homes. It would be easier for them to see our work and provide input on social media as a result of this. Furthermore, we can easily see and react to their comments. That’s why we have chosen the two most popular websites on our current social media platforms, Facebook, and YouTube. We uploaded videos of our project to both platforms on May 11th. Users on social media have been praising it since it was posted. The post’s comment section is an example of this. Everyone in the room expresses their viewpoint. The Art Academy was the first venue for our CI show. Everyone from the university was allowed to see the work. Due to the covid pandemic, our CI Event was held online this semester. However, it would have been more practical if the show had been held on an offline platform. Then we could speak directly to the audience and learn about their thoughts. Their facial expressions were also visible. | 02 | |
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| Feedback
(Please interview 5 people and ask the same 5 questions to each person to fill up the table below.) (Please edit question number 5 with your message in it, before you send the questions to your interviewee.) |
03 | ||
| Question | Answer | ||
| Interviewee:1 | |||
| 1. Please tell me your name and profession. | Name: Mirza Ahmad Nuhash | Profession (in detail): Student of the Department of English & Humanities at University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh. | |
| 2. Please tell me what message you get after seeing my artwork, or is it very confusing and very hard to understand? | I see the message of how we should support and encourage people regardless of their physical appearance and academic choices. | ||
| 3. If you get any message, which clues have helped you to understand the message. | The message is as I stated previously; the signs which helped me to understand this are the actor’s facial expressions and the background music. | ||
| 4. Does this artwork look common or does it look extraordinary to you? If it looks unique or creative to you, what kind of uniqueness do you find in this work? | For me, this artwork is extraordinary and unique as it delivers a clear message without a single word being spoken. | ||
| 5. I wanted to tell you (write your message here). Have you found this message in this artwork? How my message could be more visible in it, please suggest to me. | I wanted to say “you can be and do whatever you want as long as it makes you happy”. I did not find this message in the artwork. Perhaps it could be included in the non-violent communication part or something like that. | ||
| Interviewee:2 | |||
| 1. Please tell me your name and profession. | Name: Khandaker Mahin Araphat | Profession (in detail): Student of Media Studies and Journalism Department at ULAB | |
| 2. Please tell me what message you get after seeing my artwork, or is it very confusing and very hard to understand? | The video art seemed very informative and easily understood. It has also been presented interestingly. After watching this, it seems that I am familiar with this incident and situation. | ||
| 3. If you get any message, which clues have helped you to understand the message. | After watching the whole video art, I understood the message. In our behavior, we encourage or discourage others very easily. The same thing happens with us. So, it is very important to be aware of the conversation. | ||
| 4. Does this artwork look common or does it look extraordinary to you? If it looks unique or creative to you, what kind of uniqueness do you find in this work? | The video art was very interesting. This kind of thing is happening to us all the time but we are not noticing it. However, the presentation of the subject is new to me. | ||
| 5. I wanted to tell you (write your message here). Have you found this message in this artwork? How my message could be more visible in it, please suggest to me. | Looking at the video art, I realized that just as the support of people close to us inspires us, we lose morale when they discourage us. Their support also helps us a lot. I also think that video art could be made more attractive by changing the lighting. Thank You. | ||
| Interviewee:3 | |||
| 1. Please tell me your name and profession. | Name: Sabiha Syed Archi | Profession (in detail): Student and Content Writer | |
| 2. Please tell me what message you get after seeing my artwork, or is it very confusing and very hard to understand? | I understood that it tried to portray how positivity can be motivating and how negativity takes you towards darkness. This video showed how the choice of words can make and break a person. | ||
| 3. If you get any message, which clues have helped you to understand the message. | I like the use of black and white visuals and how it symbolized the “darkness” in here and later the transition into a colorful screen which symbolized how positivity takes you to enlightenment and motivates you. | ||
| 4. Does this artwork look common or does it look extraordinary to you? If it looks unique or creative to you, what kind of uniqueness do you find in this work? | Although the concept is not your, the presentation was. I liked how very simply and differently it has been shown. | ||
| 5. I wanted to tell you (write your message here). Have you found this message in this artwork? How my message could be more visible in it, please suggest to me. | As mentioned before, the message was common but this video actually portrayed it beautifully, and most importantly, it will reach out to many people due to its simple yet impactful showcasing. | ||
| Interviewee:4 | |||
| 1. Please tell me your name and profession. | Name: Forhad Ahmad | Profession (in detail): Student of Bachelor of Business Administration Department. | |
| 2. Please tell me what message you get after seeing my artwork, or is it very confusing and very hard to understand? | It was clear and concise, and it provides a message that we can communicate nonviolently instead of violently. | ||
| 3. If you get any message, which clues have helped you to understand the message. | I’ve got a beautiful message through this art piece. I’ve got a clue what people in our society think about women or their future. | ||
| 4. Does this artwork look common or does it look extraordinary to you? If it looks unique or creative to you, what kind of uniqueness do you find in this work? | This art piece looks so extraordinary to me. It shows both sides of a story and it helps us to get a very specific point that, either we can be nice to women about what they are doing or can be selfish and let them stay in the dark place of society. | ||
| 5. I wanted to tell you (write your message here). Have you found this message in this artwork? How my message could be more visible in it, please suggest to me.
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I wanted to say, it depends on us, which habit or which nature we choose to appreciate our women to develop her life in a good way. Either we can be supportive, so they can achieve whatever they want. Or we can continue the deprivation among them. | ||
| Interviewee:5 | |||
| 1. Please tell me your name and profession. | Name: MD Khairul Bashar Chowdhury
|
Profession (in detail): Senior Software Engineer at Nilavo Technologies | |
| 2. Please tell me what message you get after seeing my artwork, or is it very confusing and very hard to understand? | I should behave nicely with the people around me and I should not demotivate others. No, it’s not confusing. It seems clear to me. | ||
| 3. If you get any message, which clues have helped you to understand the message. | At that point when the people are spreading good vibes to that girl. | ||
| 4. Does this artwork look common or does it look extraordinary to you? If it looks unique or creative to you, what kind of uniqueness do you find in this work? | No, this artwork doesn’t look common. This video has 2 parts. Most of the time we are facing the same situation which they are showing from the first part. Our society will be much better if we practice communication which we can see from the second part of the video. | ||
| 5. I wanted to tell you (write your message here). Have you found this message in this artwork? How my message could be more visible in it, please suggest to me. | According to nonviolent communication, people should be nice to other people. We should not demotivate others. Good communication can change someone’s thoughts, someone’s life as well. | ||
| Realization | 04 | ||
| (Have you got all the feedback from the audience as you expected to? Did the viewers get your message? Please explain the reasons why or why they did not get your message. What have you realized about your succession at the end? How should you do the installation/performance if you want to do it again? What were the strengths of your work? Why? What were your faults? How can you avoid your faults next time? What is your thought about this project?)
(350-450 words) |
We may have more empathic relationships with one another when we use nonviolent contact. It is a commonly used method for preventing disagreements and misunderstandings. Nonviolent communication is a form of communication that keeps our communication ecosystem positive and secure. It has unquestionably progressed into a life-changing tool for a healthier society. We must communicate with nature in a nonviolent manner as the world faces an environmental crisis. Nonviolent contact is important for our mental growth and social meaning. As a result, nonviolent contact is a life-changing mechanism for a prosperous and balanced community in our world. We attempted to send the correct message to society through this work. It has given us more strength. We did our best to convey the message as clearly as possible. Towards the end, we realized that our live performance had a strong message. Our message emphasized the strength of our venture because it is a new issue that affects a large number of people. We were not well-coordinated enough to complete our project promptly. Regardless, we approved of it because it was our first time doing a craftsmanship activity and we were able to learn from our mistakes. Because of the ongoing pandemic and lockdown, we may want to set up a coordinated plan for completing our task bit by bit and in person next time. In general, this challenge was extremely beneficial in terms of improving our creative personalities while also teaching us a significant hypothesis. We can claim our project was effective at the end of it because of the amount of feedback we received on the internet and the effort we put into it. The main goal of the project was to make our general public aware that their words matter and that any kind of aggressive correspondence has an impact on us. We had to not only look deeper into the sufferings of the victims of violent contact but also consider the consequences of our compassion and understanding of them to comprehend their sufferings.
Through the performing arts initiative, we became more practical. So many belief systems have been found when we were doing our studies. We may now compare the benefits and drawbacks of violence versus nonviolent contact. Through this project, we were able to investigate our inner selves. During the production process, three of our team members became ill. We did, however, complete the task on time. We all have a significant role to play in this project. We worked very hard and were enthralled to create a stunning performance art piece with a powerful message that not only needs to be called to society’s attention but also allows victims to be understood and remembered. As a result, each of us has made individual contributions that have been combined to create this magnificent piece.
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| Total | 20 | ||
** Report Submission deadline: May 23, 2021
Learnings and Outcomes (Self-reflection):
- Adapted to remote work and project management due to the pandemic.
- Developed effective group work and teamwork skills while in quarantine.
- Gained skills in storyboarding and script writing.
- Mastered the use of Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing.
- Explored and understood performance art, including overcoming stage fright.
- Enhanced ability to deliver clear messages through straightforward presentation.
- Built confidence in executing performance art projects.
- Recognized that simplicity can be a powerful tool in conveying complex ideas.
- Identified logistical challenges and areas for improvement in future projects.
- Learned the importance of framing and capturing quality visuals.
- Valued teamwork and logistical support in project execution.
- Became familiar with the process of creating and developing performance art.
- Improved photo and video editing skills through hands-on experience.