A Cultural Hotspot Signature Project by AstroSankofa Arts Initiatives

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Digital Impressions: Urban Griots (DIUG) 2.0 is a visionary reimagining of cultural storytelling, rooted in community connection and powered by artistic innovation. As a Cultural Hotspot Signature Project, DIUG 2.0 expands on the West African tradition of the griot—oral historians, memory-keepers, and truth-tellers—by merging ancestral practices with Afrofuturist expression, public art, and cutting-edge digital media.

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This six-week multidisciplinary program, hosted at Jane-Finch Mall, brings together young people ages 6–16 to explore and express their identities, community histories, and dreams for the future through hands-on artmaking, storytelling, and mentorship.

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Under the leadership of Jamera DaCosta, who guides the program’s concept development and griot-themed explorations (Weeks 1, 5 & 6), and David Kibuuka, a pioneer of modern African Batik, who leads textile-based visual storytelling workshops (Weeks 3–6), participants will create vibrant works of art rooted in both legacy and imagination.

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They will also learn from an incredible lineup of guest facilitators and artist mentors:

• Pamella Chang, Afro-Caribbean muralist and AstroSankofa artist-in-residence, mentoring youth in community-based mural design

• Sahle Robinson, teaching character design rooted in cultural storytelling

• Bigz Sylver, leading spray paint techniques and galactic scape creation
  Youth will also explore Augmented Reality (AR) and 3D scanning, merging hands-on creation with digital worldbuilding.

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 What’s New in 2.0?

 

Compared to its pilot year, DIUG 2.0 is a leveled-up experience—offering more structured mentorship, deeper intergenerational connections, and new technologies. Upgrades include:

• Expanded digital curriculum with 3D scanning and enhanced AR animation development

• Modern African Batik workshops led by legendary artist David Kibuuka, introducing youth to rare textile storytelling techniques

• Longer program hours and more immersive workshops to deepen skills and reflection

• New artistic leadership by Jamera DaCosta, integrating community-based narrative building from Week 1

• Stronger public-facing component, with youth co-designing a community mural and public exhibition in the Jane-Finch Mall

• Greater focus on collaborative mentorship, uniting youth, emerging artists, and cultural elders in a shared creative process

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Why It’s Unique

 

• Afrofuturist & Ancestral Fusion: DIUG 2.0 invites youth to dream through diasporic timelines—drawing on cultural memory while projecting bold, speculative futures.

• Multi-Modal Learning: The program bridges tactile and digital forms—from hand-dyed textile traditions to tech-enhanced visual storytelling.

• Intergenerational Engagement: Through mentorship and co-creation with elder artists and youth leaders, learning is deeply rooted in shared knowledge and Sankofan wisdom.

• Public Exhibition: Culminating in a public art installation and exhibition at Jane-Finch Mall, the youth’s work becomes a living archive of community vision, strength, and imagination.

 

Aligning with AstroSankofa Arts Initiatives' Mandate

 

AstroSankofa Arts Initiatives is a Black-led inter-arts not-for-profit organization committed to empowering the next generation of creatives while challenging anti-Black racism, disrupting harmful narratives, and creating platforms for Black public art and digital storytelling.

DIUG 2.0 reflects our core principles by:

• Uplifting youth voices from the Jane-Finch community through high-quality, culturally rooted, and innovative arts education;

• Embedding the Sankofa principle of learning from the past to shape the future;

• Offering access to professional mentorship and emerging technologies to support long-term creative development;

• Activating public space as a civic canvas, ensuring that our communities are seen, heard, and celebrated.

Through Digital Impressions: Urban Griots 2.0, we are not only preserving community narratives—we are projecting them into the future with brilliance, boldness, and Black imagination.