Panasonic's project to donate solar lanterns to regions with no access to electricity, "Cut Out the Darkness," will feature a "Zoo of Light" during Phase 2.
During Phase 1 of the "Cut Out the Darkness" project, 100 designs chosen by popular vote were used to produce shades, and were donated to Sumba, Indonesia, in March 2014. A video featuring shots taken during the donation was released on the "Cut Out the Darkness" website, sharing the thoughts of the people who designed the shades and the joys of the local people who received the solar lantern donations.
For Phase 2 (second donation phase) this time around, Panasonic will recruit shade designs centered on the theme of "animals." Similarly to Phase 1, the top 100 designs chosen by popular vote will be turned into shades and donated. With the donated lanterns, a "Zoo of Light" will be created, in hopes of bringing the entertainment of light to those people living in regions with no access to electricity.
- Join "Zoo of Light" at http://cotd.panasonic.net/
This time around, we are also collaborating with the online community of artists and designers, "Behance Japan," to attract participation from individuals interested in art and design. We are hoping to have as many people as possible to submit designs, and by having people vote on the submitted designs, spread awareness and understanding of the challenges faced in regions with no access to electricity.
The progress of this project is continuously being updated on the official "Cut Out the Darkness" project website (http://cotd.panasonic.net/) and "100 Thousand Solar Lanterns Project" official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/PanasonicSolarLantern)
"Cut Out the Darkness" Project Overview (Schedule)
- November 25, 2014: Phase 2 information released
- November 25, 2014 - Mid-January, 2015 (tentative): Accept shade design submissions and popularity votes on the project website.
(*The submission acceptance period may be extended.) - November 24, 2014 - Mid-January, 2015 (tentative): Tie-up with the artist community "Behance Japan." Call for project participation on the Behance website as well to recruit submissions from artists and designers.
- Late-January, 2015 - Early February, 2015: Select the top 100 designs submitted based on popular vote and create the lantern shades.
- Early-February, 2015 - Late-February: Transport the 100 solar lanterns together with the created shades from Japan to the target region without access to electricity for donation. (The donation destination is planned to be West Timor, Indonesia.)
- Mid-March, 2015 - Late-March: Create contents summarizing the project to be released on the project website, etc.
For inquiries related to this article:
COTD Project Office: info-cotd@hit-bits.com
*Response period: November 25, 2014 - January 31, 2015, weekdays from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM(JST)
(Excluding weekends, holidays, and dates around the New Year)