AARTI BAJAJ
CEO & Creative Director, Wild Dreamer Productions
1 Missing, Every 15-Minutes
Come to terms with the powerful, confronting issues surrounding missing people in Australia… an issue so common, yet nobody is talking about.
Channel 7 News Gold Coast, VOID News Story (February 2020)
“The emotion is raw, the theme confronting…VOID is the latest stage play by Wild Dreamer Productions about two parents dealing with the sudden disappearance of their daughter. With only two actors on stage the hour-long production is intense and confronting for everyone”, said Channel 7 News. Chamkaur Gill, Playwright & Director of VOID went on to say: “When you hear of what children being kidnapped, or children being abducted, it hits you right between the eyes”, said Playwright & Director of VOID Chamkaur Gill. New research from the Australian Government highlights that more than 38,000 people are reported missing every year, half of which are young people. That’s close to one person every 15 minutes.
But what about the people who are missing, but the authorities, their family or their friends don’t know? Such idea was discussed by popular educator and public speaker Michael Stevens, of the YouTube channel VSauce. In his video ‘How People Disappear’, he goes on to say: “Such is the life of the unreported missing. People in a country illegally; people estranged from their family and friends with no missing person report ever being filed; children of homeless mothers. These people aren’t just missing, they are what is known as missing missing.”
How People Disappear
Michael Steves, VSauce (YouTube Channel)
Outpost for Hope
According to Outpost for Hope, an international organisation that provides educational and support resources for under-represented missing persons, people can become an unreported missing person, for a variety of reasons, including:
- The lost/missing person may be estranged from family or friends;
- Law enforcement may not take a ‘Missing Person Report’;
- The lost/missing person may be in the country illegally;
- The person may be an unknown dependent child of the unreported missing adults or teens;
- The person might be the victim of an undiscovered crime.
In most jurisdictions, after around 5-7 years, someone missing can be declared dead, in absentia. This legal presumption of dead may be declared despite any physical or direct proof of the individual’s death. Typically made when a person has been missing for an extended period of time and in the absence of any evidence that promotes the individual may still be alive, or within a shorter timespan where the circumstances surrounding a person’s disappearance overwhelmingly support the belief that the person has died. Either way, this is one of the most difficult decisions a parent will ever face, as Aarti Bajaj (CEO & Creative Director of Wild Dreamer Productions) spoke to in a recent interview, saying her character of the Mother “…is one of the most challenging characters I’ve ever played”. It’s hoped this play will shine a light on the problem of child abduction, and help to promote positive action around the issue. VOID will be hitting the stage in March 2020, at Southern Cross University – with an exclusive showing of 2 nights only. Limited tickets are available so be sure to book yours today
SHOW POSTPONEMENT
We have and will always keep the safety, well-being and enjoyment of our guests, supporters and staff as our top priority, so in this time of universal uncertainty, it is with great regret that we are announcing the postponement & rescheduling of our 2020 premiere of VOID until a later date (TBA), due to COVID-19 concerns.
Purchasers and registered attendees will be contacted by our production team to discuss rescheduling options, but should ticket purchasers be able to attend the rescheduled show opportunities to obtain a refund will be available.
