For the curious – this is what I proposed when I applied for the grant to do this project:
PROJECT OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND (in 300 words)
Wayang Kancil is a genre of Wayang theatre in Indonesia that performs the folktales of a mouse deer. The working title of my project is: “Save our Kancil – a study of the relevance, evolution and revitalization of the Wayang Kancil art form in Central Java from 1920s to present”.
The aim of this project is to test the hypothesis that Wayang Kancil cannot be sustained as an art form in Central Java apart from marketing through new media channels – films or animations – or adaptations to alternative mediums, such as picture books.
It is my goal that this project will bring intellectual merit to the field of Indonesian Wayang theatre through addressing this often-overlooked genre in existing academic literature. My research will span across multiple disciplines, specifically Southeast Asian folklore literature, Asian puppet theatre, Cultural Resource Management, and online marketing. The modules I have taken at NUS have equipped me with the adequate knowledge, analytical frame of mind, and experience in planning and executing fieldwork in Java, to take on this project. This will enable me to yield results that are significant to the field, and beneficial to the Wayang Kancil community.
I am committed to sharing the results of my analysis in an online journal (including pictures, videos, and educational materials) with the public in general, in the hope that knowledge of Javanese Wayang Kancil can be made more easily accessible worldwide; and also with key stakeholders of Javanese cultural resources in particular, to provide them with relevant information to effectively manage the Wayang Kancil as an element of Java’s heritage.
Dr. John Miksic is a competent supervisor of this project, having previously taught courses on traditional Southeast Asian Art, and the marketing of heritage in Southeast Asia. He is especially familiar with Javanese culture, having spent many years there.
wayangkancil 
wayangkancil said,
December 9, 2010 at 5:58 pm
[…] included a writeup about the project background and objectives here. Feel free to check it out if you’d like a better understanding of the aims, intended […]
Going Local: Observations Since Returning to the Homeland « wayangkancil said,
January 18, 2011 at 5:05 pm
[…] when I am tired or panicked! Nevertheless I still hope that this project will be able to accomplish what I proposed, to help the stakeholders in the Wayang Kancil community in managing this cultural […]
Hello! – phase 2 « wayangkancil said,
January 18, 2011 at 5:40 pm
[…] to this blog! I am now in the second phase of my research project on the Wayang Kancil (click to follow the link). The first phase involved a fieldtrip to Yogyakarta, Indonesia in […]