History
How we started
“Bornfree Art School” was established in Bangalore on 15th August in 2005, as John and Mioi put their mind together for a social change against child labour. From the day one, John and Mioi went to the streets to talk to children who were rag picking, begging, selling some stuff, and taking drugs. Those children, often sniffing toxic glues to trip somewhere and sleeping like street dogs, had nothing in their lives – no shelter, no food, no parents, no education except their survival instincts. Mioi remembered she went to a street after a street to identify them, trying to convince them to come to our school. She had to “bribe” them with ice creams, dosas and so on, talking to them for hours and hours. Most kids did not come with her instantly. Sometimes She got a call in the middle of the night, kids begging her to pick them up from the street….Oh, yes, let’s “rescue” them from the dirty streets!
Once children came from streets to Bornfree Art School, they got into what John and Mioi created through arts. The Bornfree provided them with arts as ‘entertainment through education’ and ‘education through entertainment’. Arts were tools to liberate them from drugs and stealing. Arts are so powerful that some of the children were able to leave drug addictions and focus on education. However, there were always ups and downs among them; some children harmed themselves, went out of control, and needed much psychological help. The Bornfree also operated hostels from 2005 to 2015 to give them accommodations and hand-holding support.
History of Bornfree Art School
2005
January
Apr-May
Aug
Dec
Registration of Gondwanaland Foundation - predecessor of the Bornfree
Pre-Camp；10 children from each of 5 NGOs participated and 8 among them became the first students in art
Inauguration of Bornfree Art School
"Oceans of Joy" Festival
2006
Feb-March
Sep
Dec
"History Expedition"(HEX) traveling photo shoot ＊25000 photos as a record of Child Labour
Photo exhibition of "History Expedition "in Bangalore
Photo exhibition of "History Expedition" in Delhi
Art Camp "Childerize the World"
2007
March
May
June
July
Dec
"History Expedition" traveling photo shoot in Tamil Nadu
John and Mioi spoke as guest speakers at PEACE BOAT
Photo exhibition of "History Expedition" in Bangalore on World Day Against Child Labour
Bornfree kids submitted the HEX photos to UNICEF and the Minister of Labour(Action against Child Labour)
Art Camp "Childerize the World"
2008
March
Sep
Nov-Dec
"Shiroi Hana" performance released
Performed at Global Article 9 Conference to Abolish War in 6 big cities of Japan
Peace Bycycle around 8 states in India
2009
April
Creation of "Che Che"
2010
Nov
Started shooting of "Ananda ~An ode to joy"
Organic Ragi Farm Project for one year
2011
July
Aug
Oct
Performance of "Heiwa Zou Resha" in Chennai and Bangalore
Japan tour for "Heiwa Zou Resha" performance
Premiere show of "Ananda" in Tokyo and Hiroshima
Premiere show of "Ananda" in Bangalore
2012
June
Dec
Dance festival "Oceans of Joy"
Founded the Bornfree Dance Company
2013
May
June
Creation of "Prophets of Peace"
Creation of "Rosa Mystica"
2014
Jan
Aug
Creation and exhibition of Bornfree Guernica with Fukushima refugees
Painting Exhibition "Peace Child" with Japanese participants
Started shooting of a Dalit advocacy movie "Angels of Hell"
Painting Exhibition "Peace Child" with Japanese participants
2015
July
Aug
Opened an art studio at Shankaraa Foundation
10th Anniversary of Bornfree with Japanese participants
Constructed Camel School at the slum and started classes for the slum children
2016
Aug
Nov
Sadako's Crane statue building and Peace Festival with Japanese participants at Christ School
Art workshops with Shakti Center in Madurai
Peace Bycycle to Channapatna
2017
Aug
Peace Festivals and workshops with Japanese participants at Gurukul School and Christ School
Peace Painting at Lalbagh Flower Show
2018
Aug
Peace Commemoration Festival and Sadako Statue workshops with Japanese participants
2019
Aug
Peace art workshops with Japanese participants
Peace Festival and Peace Dome making at Vijayanagar School
2020
July 12, 2025
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