Hundred people - including artists, scientists and technicians -will travel for about three years

on a ship around our planet taking various routes.

The ship is already waiting for the project and lies in the harbour in Rotterdam.

When the foundation will be offered the Planet Voyagers will start a year-long intensive preparation period.

It is planned that the ship startes it's voyage in the time untill 2010.

A combination of artistic performances (music, theatre, dance etc.), scientific research and technical projects will form the basis for the activities carried out on the ship that will also be developed for surrounding areas. (look at Planet Voyager Trucks)

The experience gained will serve as demonstration and teaching material (amongst other things).

Here is a statement from Frank Koellges, the founder and artistic director of the project:

"With all the available statistics, it has now become clear that the situation of our planet is such that the slow death of important ecosystems and habitats is foreseeable. In order to counteract this development of programmes are required that lead us back to more natural ways of living and innovative learning and teaching programmes.

The Planet Voyagers’ task is to set up memorials in the form of permanent or transitory artistic-scientific monuments (e.g. audio-visual performances at places with destroyed and also intact nature) in order to leave marks behind and to report on barter mechanisms and survival techniques.

Twelve 7-15 tonne all-wheel-drive trucks are being constructed, which will be equipped in accordance with the necessary and latest sound, lighting and communications technology, developments as well as the technology needed to support the minimum living and working conditions.

When the trucks are not on expedition, they can be visited on a special deck of the ship.

It is of great importance that the truck drivers are appropriately qualified.
(Requested qualifies: 1. truck licence class two more than 7,5 tonnes.)
                                2. a finished main craft
                                3. a second and a third talent

However, our aim is that anyone should be able to become a driver and who, after having completed his training period, will be ready to develop his own personal modes of expression relate to his own vocation.

The route will be organised to be as interesting as possible. A period of a minimum of three years is envisaged fot the journey. For the moment, the actual length of the project can as yet not be estimated.

Products of the Enterprise

1. Reports on the participants’ experiences, which will serve as demonstration material and help other people to rediscover the experience of travelling.
2. Evidence that planitary activities can be realised will be presented by international coverage.
(press, radio, TV, streaming internet)
3. Documents about contacts to individuals and groups with the same or a similar aim will be established in the domains of film, video, audio, photo, text and archives; the project including all kinds of by-products will be published

Planet Voyager Trucks
(look at funny ideas of a neighbour)

Together, the participants will take german class two driving test, which is required for vehicles of this size over seven tonne. Each vehicle should be capable of driving cross-country (7-15 tonne all-wheel-drive trucks).They should be equipped with an aluminium body-work for all the technical and other essential equipment that is required for the journey. This includes the following things:

1. A sanitary combination
2. A small double sleeping place plus comfortable underlay. 12 volt hot blankets, covers and pillows
3. A combined kitchen with two hot plates plus fresh and waste water containers
4. An extra water tank for the sanitary installation
5. A 12 volt solar energy system
6. A sound-absorbing 110/220 volt system between 2000 and 5000 watts
7. A stationary heating module
8. A sound generating module with digital display
9. Two weatherproof active speakers (from bass to high frequency), each 1000 watts
10. Spotlights and illumination equipment, 1000 watts
11. Durable communications systems (transmiting up to 500 km)
12. A roof rack for poles and tarpaulin tent systems
13. A real-time monitoring system (reaching 5 km)
14. A mobile DAT recorder
15. A video camera with tripod and remote control plus video beam
16. A DV video camera plus attachments, a Polaroid slide developer, a projector and handy projection screens
17. A compact 8 channel audio mixer
17a. (for a few vehicles only) satellite broadcasting and receiving technology
18. A drum (big floortom)
19. A medicine cabinet complete with antibiotics, mosquito nets, anti-insect oils etc.
20. Front winch with two or three deflection rollers
21. Astronautical emergency ration
22. Necessary alarm systems
23. Ropes and deflection rollers, a trapeze, a life-belt

In order to meet the requirements on a ship, the interior equipment should be practical as well as space-saving and follow individual instructions of the Planet Voyagers. The poles and tarpaulin tent construction should enable the voyager to erect a dwelling tent surrounding the ‘technical cell’.

It should be possible to combine tents with each other to realise complex structures similar to tent towns.

There should be dust-proof cupboards for all the electronic equipment.

Planet Voyager Training

The Voyager’s task will be to develop a so-called ‘food machine’ according to his own profession which will allow him to survive without any difficulties and which ensures the possibility of bartering. The ideal place for this training would be an Italian monastery to where the masters of diverse professions will be invited.

1. Mastering of patience and astuteness
2. Development of ‘presentation skills’ and ‘animative potential‘ (see further explanation in ‘The Mission’ and ‘The AM-System’) such as voice, sign language, performance techniques and content. In addition: the creation of artistic, visual and acoustic content using the natural conditions or electro-acoustic systems (music, sound)
3. Training of body and mind: gymnastics, back training, martial art and self-defence: karate, taichi, wing chung and thai boxing
4. Nutrition
5. First aid and self-help in cases of emergency
6. Servicing of the vehicles
Handling of all electric and electronic modules
7. Awareness of driving in convoy, co-ordinating driving skills and spontaneous acoustic demonstrations at interesting places such as cities, places of cultural importance, exceptional landscapes etc.
8. Diplomatic behaviour towards offices and authorities
9. Lectures about anthropology and comparative cultural studies and religion
10. Lectures about past activities with the same subject (art, Stella etc.)
11. Art history, selected subjects
12. Development of a sand mandala in the figurative sense (e.g. a lecture about Zen or instruction about national religions of the countries visited and special cultural circumstances)
13. Mastering of drums
14. Learning how to obey on command
15. Determination of physical and emotional boundaries
16. Preparatory anthropology for the countries visited
17. Hunting and fishing
18. Climatic problems, risks of infections, prophylactics according to places travelled to
19. The art of table service, pleasurable services, massages

(7 senses)

Planet Voyager Financing

There are donors who lend substantial sums to the foundation, which, however, are not be spent. The donors remain owners of their money, only the interest is received by the foundation. If the foundation is wound up these sums will be returned to the sponsors or their heirs. The minimum investment is 25 Mio. €. These sponsors or their heirs are members of the committee.

Planet Voyager Ship

The ship will be put at our disposal by NED-Lloyd, berth Rotterdam.

The ship offers space for:

Art-Installations of different artists from different continents

The ship is equipped with:

-Conference rooms
-A marketarea for bartering cultural goods
-Rooms for workshops (wood or metal work, printing and tailoring)
-Communications equipment (image processing and sound studios plus broadcasting and receiving technology)
-Training rooms (dance and music performances)
-Concert hall with projection screen
-Luxury cabins for the sponsors
-Cabins for the Planet Voyagers, which have the necessary comfort for long journeys
-Foyer with integrated bar
-Sea water room for research and recovery

Planet Voyager Casting

Here is a list of the different professional groups represented on the ship.

Klaus Littmann and Frank Koellges will be responsible for the audiovisual performances and the domains of performing arts and fine arts. People with knowledge in the following areas are being sought:

1. Nutrition

2. Kitchen and catering

3. Music

4. Musicology

5. Dance

6. Literary studies

7. A ship writer

8. Media

9. Media consultation

10. Computing

11. Performing arts

12. Animation

13. Social science

14. Art history

15. Natural science

16. Political science

17. Ecology

18. Economics

19. Medicine

20. Psychology

21. Biology

22. Theology

23. Physiotherapy

24. Coachwork and mechanics

25. Costume design and outfitters

26. Carpentry

27. Metalworkers and toolmakers

28. Printers

29. Education

30. Anthropology

The Mission

It is an important proplanitary* task to make adolescents familiar with a ‘mobility’ relating to their talents. This ‘mobility’ includes that the person has experienced modesty and asceticism and it should guarantee a high quality of living without material wealth. Every human being has the potential for this state of being in himself but, in most cases, it is never developed. A training which should be completed before the age of twenty should help to uncover these capacities. With these personal modes of expression developed in the audio-visual or artistic domain, the person should be able to make use of this ‘animative potential’ in his profession which would help him to defuse the problem of unemployment. Besides, he should be able to travel at low costs. Travelling by hiring out services is our aim which would lead people back to the old practice of going on one’s ‘travels’. This is a very precious experience in an era determined by inertia and domiciled living as a result of high-technology and it could help people to free them from their isolation. This means: Trade against bread in the broadest sense.

50% service against 50% (high) quality of life

*What is the meaning of ‘proplanitary’?

All those actions, theories, tasks, experiences, inventions and research projects that have something to do with the protection of essential resources of a planet, which is, in our case, is the earth, are called proplanitary. Resources mean: air, water, soil. Proplanitary activities would also have an impact on birth control, universal peace, fair distribution of goods, renewal of religions (every human being is God unto himself within his own existence), new definition of civilisation and respect for animals and plants in general. There should be the possibility of worldwide information systems without any secrets, neither in science nor in world politics.

The ‘Food Machine’

This is, of course, a symbolic expression, in our case for a ‘mobile trade’, independent of time and place. It can be assumed that every profession is possibly locally independent.

Certainly, many occupations are more efficient when they are carried out in just one single place. This fact is responsible for the disastrous situation resulting from the loss of the beloved job. The newly unemployed, who has, until this point, been safe in the bosom of his family, confidants and friends, sees himself helplessly confronted by inevitably poor financial conditions. At this moment, his false independence is unmasked. He is forced to queue up with other poor people in order to receive just a few pennies from welfare which he must give to his family who are crying for bread. This relatively normal situation exists in several million different variations, not only in Germany, and leads to well-known deplorable living conditions.

In searching for specific solutions to the problem, the following alternatives have been developed: The average earth inhabitant at the present time, who is able to lead a contented life, (he is healthy, possibly happy and has a job and therefore money) in most cases owns a television, i.e. he is able to receive all kinds of creative performances, which, when perfectly arranged, condition his capacities to see, listen and feel. He is also willing to give or to pay for things which can possibly relax him or take him away from his stressful job, e.g. radio and TV, cinema, theatre, footballmatches or going to the pub, meeting friends, enjoying nature (if unpolluted) or he does some kind of sport, enjoys pursuing his hobbies etc.

It is not hard to see that there are those who are poor and those who aren’t. Those who are not poor (who must not be called rich either) are, in my opinion, the potential sponsors or partners bartering with those who are poor. The latter ones who possibly once were not poor but became impoverished through deplorable conditions have become capable of trading again by developing their personal modes of expression with regard to their profession, the so-called ‘food machine’. Furthermore they have become mobile and are capable of hiring out services worldwide, providing they love travelling.

With the following examples, I want to explain the mobility of all kinds of jobs. In many jobs, mobility is obvious, e.g. in every ‘mobile trade’ (travelling people) which includes musicians, dancers, artists, actors, magicians, poets, acrobats but also tailors and shoemakers, bakers and cooks, fitters, carpenters and bricklayers, all kinds of physicians and therapists etc. So the mobility only needs to be examined in view of its ‘animative potential’ (AP). The ‘animative potential’ of these professions (artists and manual workers) doesn’t require an ‘audio-visual magnification’ (AM), it is, however, very useful for these innovative forms of presentation.

The AM-System (audio-visual magnification system)

To make use of the ‘animative potential’ of the different trades, which means to ‘magnify’ and to ‘illustrate’ them, we need technical equipment appropriate for AM, i.e. video cameras, tripods, artificial light and video projector, screens and generator, recording equipment and sound module or synthesizer plus corresponding cables. The above-mentioned equipment should be the standard for the expedition.

The ‘food machine’ means: ‘Animation’, activity and ‘installation’ developed with the aid of the profession one has learned (or, for the younger generation, based on the desired profession or a dream that can be transferred into reality) which can be used as barter objects against the required goods and as teaching material serving as a lesson ( a seminar in book form in order to develop personal modes of expression) to inform like-minded and other interested people.

Planet Voyager Rickshaw

In China and India, the rickshaw (an old Chinese carrier tricycle) has been the most environmentally sound carrier for both people and goods for centuries. We will try to employ a cycle Mogul to carry out the construction of a high-tech rickshaw. After being properly tested, this prototype could be produced in series and employed as an interesting bartering object on board the floating university.

The high-tech rickshaw is ideal for little excursions within the region and to the surrounding towns, as its loading space contains nearly the same equipment as the one of the trucks (excluding from household contents).



The Planet Voyagers and their Children

There should be the possibility off integrating families on the ship in order to diversify the casting and to avoid excessive demands on the Planet Voyagers. This could be achieved by the formation of a primary school on board. The children of the Planet Voyagers would not only be taught reading, writing and maths but would learn a profession according to their talents. This type of education would be unique. By constantly travelling and having the advantage of an international casting, they would be able to communicate multilingually with other children from all over the world. From the age of ten, they would have the possibility of learning from the masters on the ship and could therefore develop their ‘food machine’ very early. These children would possibly be the future Planet Voyagers with proplanitary knowledge and an adequate education concerning ecological, economical and upright techniques and behaviour of the future earthly being.

Under the Auspices of the Earthly Beings

In order to transmit all proplanitary activities, satellites and installations for transmission and reception will be installed on the ship, on one of the trucks and, if possible, also on a ricksha. There should be the possibility to broadcast live the activities of individuals and groups as well as concerts via the channels on offer. It might be easier to prepare the documents locally with the aid of mobile cutting installations. It is of great importance that our performances can be seen by the rest of the world. It should be possible to get information about these activities and to observe them everywhere. Only by this, a financial concept could be realised.

Frank Koellges
Phone: 0221-81 42 67
            0172-29 05 205

E-Mail: frank.koellges@gmx.com

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