Widening the Lens

Widening the Lens is a partnership project between MakeDox and Dallas Black Dance Theatre created for African American dancers and Macedonian filmmakers to explore and preserve African American and Romani heritages by producing a creative documentary of dance on film that reveals cultural similarities, especially highlighting the experience of ethnic minorities in society.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre in the U.S. and Association MakeDox in the Republic of Macedonia will curate a cultural exchange consisting of virtual modules and in-person experiential learning that will help participants better understand African American culture and Romani culture and

empower participants to create a collaborative film merging the cultures. Widening the Lens is a celebration of the unique heritages of African Americans in the U.S. and Romani people in Macedonia. The two organizations will collaborate in this project to guide dancers, musicians, and filmmakers in the exploration of these cultures, culminating in a final medium-length film that preserves and juxtaposes both. While these cultures may seem dissimilar, their common links provide an overarching theme for the project: the perspective of minorities in society.

*Communities Connecting Heritageˢᵐ   is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by World Learning.