What is cosmic campfire?
Cosmic Campfire is a groundbreaking film being produced by Arkeon Productions, a non-profit organization, for full dome planetarium and IMAX theaters, with the particular intention of inspiring Black, Latin, Asian and Native American students to consider S.T.E.A.M. related careers. The goal of Cosmic Campfire is to reach hundreds of thousands of 4th, 5th and 6th grade students of color – particularly those in inner city and rural school districts – and give them a thrilling once-in-a-lifetime experience that will expand their horizons, spark new dreams and assist in transforming the trajectory of their lives.
With an emphasis on the exciting world of Space Science, Cosmic Campfire will feature on-camera interviews with Astronauts, Astronomers, Astrophysicists and Engineers of color. The film will also highlight artists whose work is integral to the world of space science, including animators, graphic designers, architects, photographers and visual artists.
The production will be set upon a backdrop of stunning images from the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope and a vast array of other spacecraft that search for other Earths and probe the depths of our Universe. Centered within this phenomenal display, “Cosmic Superstars” will share their personal stories about what first inspired them; the obstacles they’ve overcome; and their love and passion for their chosen professions. Instead of “teaching science” — the way most documentary films and television programs do — Cosmic Campfire’s focus will be on “meeting scientists” in order to give students contemporary and diverse role models to help them believe in themselves and be able to say with confidence, “I can do that too.”
Planetariums and IMAX theaters are the perfect environment in which a young person’s ordinary experience can be suspended and their minds can soar. Only such immersive spaces with their unique technology — which literally envelopes the audience in sight and sound — can showcase our universe with its hundreds of billions of galaxies and trillions of planets; as the colorful, dramatic and mind boggling place it truly is. Transporting students beyond the classroom, and guiding them toward new possibilities for themselves, Cosmic Campfire will be educational entertainment at its best — encouraging young minds and hearts to explore the potential of their own intellect and the mysteries of their personal universe.
The ultimate goal of Cosmic Campfire is to reach audiences of all ages and colors, inspiring those who see it to consider how to strengthen our connection to one another, the earth and the cosmos; and together find solutions to the World’s challenges related to education, energy, health and the environment.
