Crawl – Photograph 2

Series nameProductions: Crawl
Description

This scene from Tara Arts’ production of ‘Crawl’, depicts actors Arti Prashar and Shenaz Khan as the Tommies awaiting the order to shoot Indian protesters in Amritsar in 1919. The play was directed for thirteen to sixteen years old by Tara Arts’ education team, Tara In Education, and was funded by the GLC.

Date of Creation / Publication1985
CreatorUnknown
Associated Person/ OrganisationTara Arts
Location
Collection and Reference NumberTara Arts Collection (GB 2661 TA)
Catalogue NumberTA/PRO/CR/3
Copyright
Access to originalsThe originals belong to Tara Arts.
Series notesCrawl was produced in 1985 by Tara Arts' education team, Tara In Education, and was funded by the GLC. The play was based on an actual event which took place in Amritsar, India, in April 1919. The incident involved the daughter of a British officer who was insulted and beaten by an Indian woman who disapproved of her son's association with the British. As a measure of punishment, the British imposed a 'Crawling Order' which forced inhabitants of Amritsar to crawl past the scene.

The production was directed for thirteen to sixteen year olds and was aimed at schools. After the play, the audience hot seated or asked the characters questions. A detailed education pack with exercises exploring the political, social and economic effects of British rule in India was also compiled and provided for teachers. The education pack is divided into four sections: 1) The Punjab in 1919 - social and economic conditions 2) Jalllianwalla Bagh Massacre 3) Crawling and 4) The Ideology of Imperial Rule.
Collection notesThe Tara Arts collection consists mainly of digitised material which relates to their productions and includes items such as flyers, programmes, scripts, photographs, stage and costume drawings and information about the organisations history.