PBS Launches New National Storytelling Project, PBS American Portrait, Exploring What it Really Means to be an American Today

PBS introduced the launch of a brand new multiplatform expertise that may permit folks all through the nation to take part in a nationwide dialog about what it actually means to be an American as we speak.

PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT, a nationwide storytelling challenge aligned with PBS’s 50^th anniversary celebration, is the group’s most formidable multiplatform challenge in its historical past. A digital-first initiative produced by RadicalMedia, AMERICAN PORTRAIT begins as a platform for user-generated content material participation, and is envisioned to embody publishing, quick kind content material, classroom engagement, an online miniseries, public artwork installations, reside occasions and, in January 2021, a nationally televised documentary sequence on PBS stations.  

Leveraging the native attain of PBS by means of its member stations, AMERICAN PORTRAIT presents a mosaic of our nation’s variety, permitting folks from all areas to understand what we now have in frequent in addition to the numerous variations that make up the American expertise. AMERICAN PORTRAIT has immersive interactivity constructed into its DNA, that includes user-generated content material captured by means of video, picture and textual content submissions shared immediately from on a regular basis folks throughout the USA.

“PBS and our member stations have a wealthy historical past of participating folks of their communities, lecture rooms and houses, so we’re uniquely suited to supply this unprecedented alternative for People to share with one another what we now have in frequent and what differentiates us,” stated Perry Simon, PBS Chief Programming Govt and Common Supervisor, Common Viewers Programming. “Using all our numerous sources, PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT will create a totally built-in portrait of American life and a window into who we’re as a nation as we enter a brand new decade.”

This user-generated, multiplatform challenge will join tens of hundreds of individuals throughout the nation, making a communal voice by means of particular person tales of pleasure,

hardship, triumphs and sorrow. Contributors will have the ability to inform and share their very own tales, and see the tales shared by a large panorama of People, united by a sequence of prompts that may function dialog starters, together with: “I used to be raised to consider…,” “The custom I keep it up is…,” “What retains me up at evening is…,” “After I step exterior my door…” and “Most days I really feel…,” amongst others.

“AMERICAN PORTRAIT will seize the state and spirit of our nation in an revolutionary new means that solely PBS is positioned to do,” stated Jon Kamen, CEO of RadicalMedia.  “AMERICAN PORTRAIT is an area for folks to be heard by means of their very own tales, phrases and pictures. We’re excited to see how the ever-evolving on-line expertise will function a basis for a documentary that may discover extra formally who we’re as a folks.”

Goal is a serious funder and nationwide promotional associate for PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT, increasing the attain of this initiative.

Whereas folks can immediately add their content material to www.pbs.org/americanportrait,  neighborhood and native leaders can even be recruited to assist their household, pals and neighbors—from all walks of life and backgrounds—share their tales. By facilitating story sharing on the neighborhood degree, in partnership with PBS member stations, AMERICAN PORTRAIT will seize the depth and breadth of the American expertise, from all corners of the nation. 

Past the web submissions and digital portals, and the documentary sequence scheduled in early 2021, AMERICAN PORTRAIT will fee artists in a number of markets to additional discover what it means to be an American by means of particular collaborations, together with installations, artist-curated story options and extra. PBS member stations can even acquire tales of their communities and faucet into colleges, libraries and different neighborhood organizations to create alternatives for folks to share their tales regionally and thru the AMERICAN PORTRAIT platform. Different activations, together with at state gala’s, starting with Florida, and a multi-city tour with Roadtrip Nation, can even encourage folks to share their tales.

PBS Digital Studios is launching an authentic digital miniseries that may discover AMERICAN PORTRAIT’s central query — “what does it actually imply to be an American as we speak?” Dr. Danielle Bainbridge, host of “Origin of Every thing,” will journey throughout the nation to grasp the folks, landmarks and tales that seize the trendy American expertise. On the highway, Danielle will likely be joined by a various vary of artists, students and a few of YouTube’s greatest stars. The sequence will launch within the Spring of 2020 and publish throughout PBS Digital Studios’ 22 million YouTube subscribers, Fb Watch and IGTV platforms.

PBS LearningMedia will present sources designed to assist educators and college students take part in AMERICAN PORTRAIT, interact with digital storytelling, and construct media literacy expertise. The initiative will embody skilled studying actions for lecturers to assist them construct their very own media creation expertise, in addition to alternatives for center and highschool lecture rooms to have interaction with AMERICAN PORTRAIT by submitting their very own tales and utilizing the tales of others to look at matters in civics, historical past, English language arts, and the humanities. As well as, the PBS KIDS for Dad and mom web site will function AMERICAN PORTRAIT content material curated for household audiences.

Go to the PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT web site at www.pbs.org/americanportrait and observe the dialog at #AmericanPortraitPBS on Fb, Twitter and Instagram.

PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT was developed and created with RadicalMedia. For RadicalMedia, Jon Kamen and Dave Sirulnick function Govt Producers, and Naomi Gilbert is the Senior Interactive Producer for the net platform. Craig D’Entrone is Govt Producing for RadicalMedia and is showrunner on the challenge. Invoice Margol is the Govt in Cost for PBS.

About PBS

PBS, with greater than 330 member stations, affords all People the chance to discover new concepts and new worlds by means of tv and digital content material. Every month, PBS reaches over 120 million folks by means of tv and 26 million folks on-line,

inviting them to expertise the worlds of science, historical past, nature and public affairs; to listen to numerous viewpoints; and to take entrance row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of applications has been constantly honored by the trade’s most coveted award competitions. Lecturers of youngsters from pre-Okay by means of 12th grade flip to PBS for digital content material and providers that assist convey classroom classes to life. A long time of analysis confirms that PBS’s premier kids’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps kids construct essential literacy, math and social-emotional expertise, enabling them to search out success in class and life. Delivered by means of member stations, PBS KIDS affords high-quality academic content material on TV— together with a 24/7 channel, on-line at pbskids.org, by way of an array of cell apps and in communities throughout America. Extra details about PBS is offered at www.pbs.org, one of many main dot-org web sites on the web, or by following PBS on Twitter, Fb or by means of our apps for cell and linked gadgets. Particular program data and updates for press can be found at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

About RadicalMedia

RadicalMedia produces premium content material throughout all media platforms. With places of work in New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, and Shanghai, RadicalMedia is a world intra-disciplinary media firm that creates and produces movie, tv, music programming, commercials, model partnerships, interactive design, and digital and immersive experiences for all distribution platforms. RadicalMedia is fluent in every self-discipline of storytelling, with accolades that embody Oscar®, Emmy®, Peabody® and Grammy® Awards. Movie and TV credit embody The Fog of Struggle; Paradise Misplaced; Netflix’s first ever authentic documentary movie, What Occurred, Miss Simone?; My Subsequent Visitor Wants No Introduction with David Letterman for Netflix; and The Fourth Property for Showtime; Design For All for Goal; Activate: A International Citizen Motion for Nationwide Geographic; Contact Excessive: A Visible Historical past of Hip-Hop for Annenberg Area for Images; TIGERLAND for Discovery;  Summary: The Artwork of Design for Netflix; Sherman’s Showcase for IFC; Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes for Netflix; System E’s And We Go Inexperienced and the upcoming Grant sequence for the Historical past Channel. Harpo not too long ago introduced RadicalMedia as inventive and manufacturing companions on the upcoming Apple TV+ psychological well being sequence with Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry. Take a look at the newest work on Instagram and on www.radicalmedia.com