Rollergirl and the Bubblegum Dream

Sackona Fitts

Advisor: Simone Salvo

The American Dream is a myth, the Bubblegum Dream is the sweet truth, a manifestation of realities, imagination and the preservation of dreaming into our better selves to save ourselves, support our communities and create the futures and worlds we love and deserve through the gift of Black joy, the fight for Black liberation to free us all, breathing and being.

Project Website Presentation
Rollergirl is smiling, standing up in a brown galatatic speckled body suit on a pair of purple rollerskates in a roller rink

Project Description

Take a journey and dream through the sweetness of bubblegum lane. How can we create more breath in our lives? What is a bubblegum dream? Ground yourself in a 5 minute virtual reality meditation, chew some bubblegum and let’s bubblegum dream together.

Technical Details

Unreal Engine
Laptop
Bubblegum
Virtual Reality Headset
Chair
Table

Research/Context

Bubblegum Dreams is a 5-10 minute Extended Reality experience including Virtual Reality experience and a follow up through a headset, sitting or standing up and chewing bubblegum or a candy of choice. Before the experience, I will offer a variation of chewing bubblegum and non-chewing candy. During the experience, the bubblegum dreamer will chew the candy and listen/see the poetry of the experience. After the experience of Virtual reality, I follow up with a check-in and offer space to bubblegum dreams together. I will take bubblegum and chew the piece. We will go through creating a bubble together. I will ask people to think of a dream and go through the dream. We will chew the gum, create the bubble, and release the bubblegum dream.

This is a concept I created during my medical leave from NYU ITP while I was in the Black Imagination Content Creation Fellowship with Intelligent Mischief. It has been brewing from many different experiences in my life including an experience I had with my mom while surviving as a young child in the housing projects in Boston about being a traditional Cambodian ballet dancer, specifically an Apsara and my love of being Black from my father, Black joy, roller skating, Black imagination, futures, Black herstories, livelihoods, dance and movement. Thank you Maht, always, for you, your love as Mama Cambodia Sun and making a Black Apsara out of your own bubblegum dreaming.

I remember during a session, Creative director Aisha Shillingford asked, “What did we think of when we thought of dreaming?” Immediately, I thought of a moment when I dreamed with my parents and thought of the sweetness of a dream.

"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us." - Wilma Rudolph
“a friend. is someone who supports your breath.” Nayyirah Waheed, Nejma