Call for Experiences

‘

Walk!’, she said.

‘I will walk to bring the spotlight on how good design can change lives.’

The ability to walk was a pivotal evolutionary milestone that directed the future of our species. Our spine arched upwards, freeing our front limbs to explore the world. And boy did this do wonders! Remember the opening credits of The Big Bang Theory? 

‘Neanderthals developed tools, 

We built a wall (we built the pyramids), 

Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries, 

That all started with the big bang!’ 

Although everything did start with the Big Bang, for us humans it started with our ability to stand on our two feet and walk.

For a long time walking was the only way of commuting; with advances in transportation technology it became a necessity for some and a privilege for others. For some it still continues to be the only way to travel while for others it’s therapeutic and associated with health. Migrant workers in India walked back home after the 2020 lockdown. Their plight exposed the inequalities in our society. It shook us, made us think. As designers the first thing that struck us was the plight of our construction workers- the builders who build our beautifully designed homes, schools, offices, hospitals, resorts. What living conditions do they live in? Being surrounded by design deliberations, their design literacy would be higher than an average Joe, yet it doesn’t always reflect in the way they build and design their own spaces. We saw their living conditions both in the city as well as back home and we knew our action should begin in our own backyard. With this reflection, the Walk hopes to spread awareness on affordable, sustainable, holistic practices of design with all, thus, making good design and designers more accessible.

The 1700km long journey taken by Gita Balakrishnan as the ‘Walk for Arcause’ begins in Kolkata and ends in Delhi. A marathon runner and an architect, Gita looks at the walk as a medium to pause and reflect, to go slow, observe, interact, learn and teach in return. Through the ‘Walk for Arcause’ initiative we hope to spread awareness on the role good design can play in changing lives. We do this by taking thoughtful, empathetic and sustainable design ideas out of the elite circle.

This is a call for experiences. We invite the design fraternity, members of our society and partners to share with us through your write ups, photos, sketches and videos,

1. Your explorations, observations and interactions on foot
2. Documentation of places/spaces you visited on your walk
3. A walk that changed you

We invite the community to spread design literacy and share ideas with the masses on 

1. Affordable and Sustainable design practices
2. Case Studies of Holistic Design
3. Design-it-Yourself – Customizing your home

We also invite our partners and collaborators to share their messages and reflections.

Lastly, Arcause blog will include personal reflections live from the walk by Gita Balakrishnan.

We focus on the difference architects and designers have made, through their holistic interventions, in different spheres of life. Conversely, this walk is an opportunity to identify action areas through interaction with communities in villages, towns and cities along the way and throw them open for designers to act. The overall intent of Walk for Arcause is to bring the focus on architects in the social realm and on Architectural Social Responsibility. 

But we want to do this as a community, and this is a quest for our collective experiences. What does a walk mean to you? Share with us your explorations on foot, what did you observe, sketch, whom did you interact with, did something change after this interaction, what did you learn? Through Walk for Arcause we will publish a minimum of 1 blog a week, throughout the campaign, giving a platform to the community to make and share their experiences. 

Formats:
Essays: 500 words 

Photo Essays: 10+ Photos accompanied by 30-word caption for each photo and additional 100-200 words for Introduction and conclusion

Sketchploration: 1or 2+ sketches accompanied by 30-word caption for each sketch and additional 100-200 words for Introduction and conclusion

Video: 30 sec/59 sec/ 5 min/20 min videos on 9:16 ratio

Submission:

Submission date begins from 15th Dec and will be an ongoing process throughout the campaign

Selection:

Blogs/vlogs(will go up on Youtube and other SM handles) received will be reviewed by Ethos. We will publish all the entries we receive as long as the following criteria have been met.

1. Non-plagiarised content
2. Thoroughly proof-read content

Please note insensitive content will be flagged and rejected, and this will be on Ethos’ discretion

Publication:

By submitting your articles, you give Walk for Arcause the permission to schedule and publish the blogs on its website and social media. Do share your photo and a 50-word byline to be published with the blog.

Process:

1. Select your format and medium
2. Write your article
3. Create a folder in your personal google drive with the document and high-res images that have been used. Share the folder with walkforarcause@gmail.com or arcause.ethos@gmail.com 
4. Fill in the following form (will be available soon on our website) with your details, photo, byline, plagiarism report, etc and Upload your blog by sharing a google drive link.
5. Wait for a communication on acceptance of the blog from Ethos and scheduling details.
6. Once published, spread and make it go viral!

What are you waiting for, get out your thinking caps, pens and notepads and share your experience walking!