Harlem Stage: New York, NY

The transmedia community engagement project Digital Diaspora Family Reunion (DDFR) is deeply rooted in the quest for multicultural understanding and creating a sense of empathy among people of differing backgrounds. We use film, video, live events, social media and workshops as part of an integrated toolkit designed to break down barriers and inculcate dialogues across cultures and between generations. We use the ordinary vernacular images that people create every day as the lever to celebrate the connections, shared values and common experiences that unite us all in our basic humanity.DDFR Roadshows are flexible, from 90-minute photo-sharing events to week-long residencies, culminating with a Grand Finale. The DDFR Grand Finale event is a 2-hour multimedia performance with a live audience, where people share their stories and family photographs, on cellphones or as actual photos, projected on a large screen.