Media

For many of us, virtual reality experiences are few and far between. And the ones we encounter typically involve gaming. But for two Palestinian artists, virtual reality means more than entertainment — it’s cultural preservation. Their project, titled “Phoenix of Gaza XR”, is currently making its way across a handful of Massachusetts universities, and will tour across the country, in a series of exhibitions, many of which are open to the public. GBH’s Kate Dellis has the story.

About an hour outside of London, Thames Carpets sells handmade carpets mostly from the Middle East. The business goes back decades, and now, the next generation is spreading awareness of the ancient art on a new platform.

“Flow” is an animated film from Latvia, with no dialogue, about a cat. Despite its modest budget, and coming from a small independent studio, it’s already won a Golden Globe and is generating serious Oscar buzz. The World’s Daniel Ofman reports that this passion project is finding a worldwide audience and is resonating because of its universal message.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the biggest performing arts festival in the world, and it has catapulted the work of some artists to the West End, Broadway and television. But the road to the festival is also littered with stories of career-ending performances, mental health distress and financial ruin.

The Venezuelan government has ramped up an intimidation campaign against opposition activists and the media since last month’s presidential election. Now, some people are trying to find creative ways to bypass the censorship.