Pears Foundation

Sharing Testimony through Innovative New Technology

Pears Foundation, based in London, England, is generously supporting News Dimensions in Testimony. Developed in collaboration with the USC Institute for Creative Technologies and Conscience Display, and supported by a consortium of committed donors, New Dimensions in Testimony (NDT) is a pioneer technology that allows visitors to engage in dialogue with photo-real projected images of Holocaust survivors. “Our family foundation is proud to be supporting New Dimensions in Testimony,” said Pears Foundation Executive Chair Trevor Pears CMG. “This extraordinary and innovative project is at the cutting edge of technology and pedagogical thinking to preserve survivor testimonies for future generations.” Using the latest in advanced digital recording, including proprietary Light Stage technology, speech recognition, natural language understanding and dialogue management, the partners are constructing a uniquely interactive approach to audiovisual testimony. The partners recently completed filming NDT’s first interviewee, Pinchas Gutter, a Polish survivor who at age 10 lost his parents and twin sister to the Holocaust. The project’s final result will be an educational exhibit that will allow viewers to hear Mr. Gutter speak, pose their own questions, and receive answers as if he were truly present. This innovation, made possible by Pears Foundation, will help ensure that the life stories of Holocaust survivors are continually shared with the public in new ways. Long after the last survivor has passed away, New Dimensions in Testimony will enable young people to ask their own questions to survivors directly. This experience will encourage each viewer to reflect on the consequences of the Holocaust and celebrate and honor the survivors’ lives and bravery to tell their stories. This invaluable insight can benefit many future generations.