PORTALS

Imagine stepping into a gold shipping container in the middle of New York City equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment and you come face-to-face with someone from Tehran. No, this is not a plot from a new science-fiction movie, this actually is happening throughout the U.S. Shared_Studios has created this unique and innovative way for strangers in two different countries to spend 20 private minutes discussing anything they like. Sixth grade students in the United States used part of their 20 minutes to ask two university students about life in Iran as a student. Two musicians, one in New York and the other in Iran, used their 20 minutes to compose a song together while one Iranian American used the opportunity to spend time with his family in Iran.

Last month Shared_Studios had a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise $60,000 to create a portal between the United States and Havana, Cuba. Three-hundred and thirty one donors pledged and donated $60, 592.00 to their campaign. The campaign was highlighted by Kickstarter as a "Staff Pick" allowing it even greater exposure. This month, in addition to their Tehran Portal, Shared_Studios will be establishing Portals between Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and Hariwa University in Herat, Afghanistan. The Shared_Studios team is working to have Portals established in Lebanon, Liberia, South Africa, and Pakistan in the coming months.

Please visit their website for their latest updates.

<     RETURN TO NEWSLETTERS