Black Artist Launches ‘World’s First Afrofuturism Lab’ In Atlanta Where Black Creativity And Tech Collide

Black tech entrepreneur Dedren Snead has soft-launched Subsume Studios in an Atlanta downtown hub, Underground Atlanta.

According to Black Enterprise, Snead’s vision is to build a ‘Black Pixar’, revitalizing tourist attraction to promote art, culture, and technological advancement within the city.

Naming the studio as “the world’s first Afrofuturism lab,” his mission with this space is to build “a template for the solutions of tomorrow.”

Dedren Snead 

Snead is a writer, artist, game developer, creative consultant, emerging technologist and futurist from Atlanta, Georgia.

He uses graphic novels, animation, gaming and augmented reality to build inclusive storytelling platforms in the Metaverse that perform for social good.

His company, Subsume, looks to close the digital divide between marginalized voices and cultures through inclusive shared media works linked to technology.

Snead’s most recent project is an educational technology platform that connects K-12 and Early Career students to pathways in creative and technical careers through gamified project-based learning.

Subsume Studios

The studio is where art, culture, gaming and technology will collide in a unique way that will open by February, Snead told Atlanta News. 

“What we’re looking at is building data science, building engineers, but also building a creative class of Atlanta to be a part of the narratives of tomorrow,” Snead said.

“We know in traditional Black and brown communities that talent resides there, but a lot of times opportunity does not.”

The space will be accessible to students, educators and stakeholders, with the target demographic being young people of color, specifically Black people.

“We’re looking at a way and a space that Black stories and experiences are portrayed – past, present, and future, such as AI machine learning. Looking at how that can portray making sure that Black stories exist in all mediums,” Snead said.

The studio is still under construction, and according to Snead, starting October 1, Subsume Studios will have a fundraising campaign where the community and corporate businesses can donate.