Termite TV’s “Places of Power” project amplifies the stories of marginalized communities in Philadelphia through immersive Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies. We invite viewers to experience disinvested neighborhoods in Philadelphia anew as a tapestry of knowledge, healing, and civic leadership. Our project engages lifelong community residents in immersive media and explores the questions: how does change happen in a neighborhood? Who are the people creating change? How can we use storytelling to amplify, sustain and learn from them? We are threading together the people and spaces that hold power in the neighborhood but are often invisible.
Along with imparting technical skills, we build relationships and dialog in the community. We use AR/VR to remove barriers between neighbors and generations, to highlight the vital work of neighborhood leaders, to create markers, both in person and in Virtual Reality, making visible the power and love that resides in these urban neighborhoods.
