Black Public Media (BPM), a Harlem-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting Black film, television, and immersive media projects, is breaking new ground by connecting Black creatives with cutting-edge tech tools. With a mission to propel Black creators and stories into tech-forward art spaces, BPM returns to Washington, D.C.’s Torrents: New Links to Black Futures, expanding its immersive media initiative, BPMplus, to showcase six visionary artists from across the globe. The BPMplus Art & Tech Showcase will take place on Saturday, November 16, at Songbyrd Music House, followed by a networking mixer.
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Torrents, an interdisciplinary arts festival produced by CulturalDC, is a platform for future-building through visual arts, tech, music, film, and performance. Now in its third year, Torrents runs from November 14 to 17, connecting artists with community members, officials, and developers to inspire unconventional creative projects throughout Washington, D.C. This year, BPM will harness the event’s reach to demonstrate the power of technology as a transformative tool for Black narratives, empowering creators to challenge stereotypes and promote diversity and inclusion in the digital age.
BPM’s Director of Emerging Media, Lisa Osborne, will moderate the two BPMplus panels. Osborne, an industry veteran, emphasizes that access to advanced tech tools like AI and immersive media is crucial to fostering diverse, inclusive storytelling. Since launching BPMplus in 2018, Black Public Media has provided grants, fellowships, and other essential resources, helping Black artists master emerging technologies like augmented reality and motion capture. Through initiatives like the PitchBLACK Immersive Forum—the nation’s largest pitch competition for immersive Black-focused projects—BPMplus empowers creators to reclaim digital spaces and reshape mainstream narratives about Black experiences.
“For decades, tech training, grants and other opportunities have been funneled into the hands of a few, essentially imprinting biases that exist in old or traditional media onto new storytelling tools, long before they gain mass adoption. Our BPMplus programs strive to counter that larger tendency in the tech, film, arts and philanthropic worlds by giving our immersive filmmakers and artists a seat at the table, to ensure a future where all communities are represented,” said Osborne.
Showcasing Global Black Talent in Emerging Tech
The BPMplus Art & Tech Showcase will feature six BPMplus Fellows, each using technology to expand Black storytelling and representation:
- Baff Akoto – Collateral Echoes (2025)
- Ethel-Ruth Tawe – Image Frequency Modulation (2025), winner of the PitchBLACK Immersive Forum 2024
- LaJuné McMillian – The Portal’s Keeper (2024), winner of PitchBLACK Immersive 2023
- MaryAnn Talavera – The ORIXA Project: Planet Aris (2024)
- Georgiana Wright – Synthetic Ferality (2024)
- Andrea Walls – Variance: Ritual for a Home (2024), another PitchBLACK Immersive 2024 winner
From augmented reality gardens to experimental documentaries that preserve family histories, these projects illustrate how tech-driven art can promote diverse perspectives, break down racial and cultural barriers, and empower Black communities. These panels will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a networking mixer from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for attendees to connect with artists and explore projects advancing diversity and inclusion.
Event Details and Registration
Join Black Public Media and CulturalDC at Songbyrd Music House (540 Penn Street NE, Washington, D.C.) on November 16. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and admission is free. Register for the event at BPMplus Showcase Registration.
Stay connected by following BPM on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and use #bpmplus during the festival. For more on Black Public Media, visit Black Public Media.
Cover photo: Ethel-Ruth Tawe’s Image Frequency Modulation (2025), winner of the PitchBLACK Immersive Forum 2024, one of the projects being presented at the BPMplus Art & Tech Showcase at Torrents / Photo Courtesy of Black Public Media
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