Immerse our brains with culture
Since travel plans for this year have been put on hold, just like your orders from Amazon. Things have been looking rather bleak, Yes it has. The never-ending cascade of news about the pandemic has us scrolling through our feeds automatically for news that would show signs of good news. Although it may take some time, there is a silver lining in this new stay-safe-stay-home reality.
Museums, organizations, and production companies have teamed up with various platforms to bring us a touch of global culture from the confines of our homes.
And the best part about this is, it’s free. Google Arts and Culture have partnered up with esteemed museums such as The Van Gogh Museum, The State Hermitage Musem, and various others in showcasing their exhibits online — making a total of over 1,180 collections available for your viewing anytime, anywhere.
We at British Thoughts understand the hits of nostalgia and the FOMO feels that cross everyone’s minds about our shared situation and while we all want to book our tickets for the flight out. For now, we can immerse our brains with culture and all things education sans the risk — albeit virtually.
The National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
Image Source – Virtual tours | Visiting | National Gallery, London
Photograph: Dylan Martinez
The National Gallery has teamed up with Google to display its permanent collections online, with no fees included. Feast your eyes on Caravaggio, Rubens, Botticelli, and Titan’s divinely brilliant masterpieces that will inspire the artist in you.
Explore The National Gallery, London here.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States
Image Source — House of Dior
Image Source — House of Schiaparelli
Nestled among their permanent collections of Vermeers and Monets, The Metropolitan Museum of Art aka “The Met” has opened online exhibits with big haute couture brands: Chanel, Christian Dior, Commes Des Garcons, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Pierre Yantory. Since the usual fanfare that the surrounds the First Monday of May has been postponed indefinitely. Fans can now view the innate craftsmanship of Dior, Chanel, and other couturiers in High Definition.
Explore The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City here.
The Royal Opera House, London, UK
Image Source – Royal Opera House
Image Source — Anastasia
In light of the lockdown in the UK, the iconic venue has opted to stream classical performances of La Traviata, Fausto, Anastasia, and The Winter’s Tale in full on Youtube. The institution explains on their page, “we have created a schedule of free broadcasts and live content that audiences can access for free anywhere, anytime across the globe, bringing both ballet and opera to every home and device.”
In other words, dress in your finest and bring out a glass of vino because the theatre is coming to you.
Explore The Royal Opera House, London here.
OperaVision
Image Source – Twitter
Image Source – Cde.ual.es
Opera Vision has been known to offer recorded performances for free globally with the enduring support of the E.U’s Creative Europe Program. Recorded performances such as Tosca at the Polish National Opera to Madama Butterfly from the Royal Swedish Opera and others are all showcased under the management of Opera Europa. Whether you’re a novice or a connoisseur, Opera Vision offers a little bit of everything to anyone.
Explore OperaVison here.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Image Source – Dubai 360
Image Source – Whatson.ae
On March 15, The Culture and Arts Authority of Dubai announced the closure of all historical and cultural sites in a bid to stop the rising numbers of Covid-19 infections from rising.
Despite these unfortunate circumstances, dubai360, a website that serves as a virtual tour site is up and running for viewers keen on planning their next trip to the UAE.
Explore Dubai, United Arab Emirates here.
India
Image Source – bgr.in
Image Source – beebom.com
Since India is in lockdown like everywhere else, what’s a better way to curb your wanderlust by scrolling through the gorgeous images of India’s cultural hotspots and landmarks in 360.
So, if you’re thinking of making a mood board for your other future holiday destinations — A plethora of platforms offer a variety of societal excursions, free from high risks and costs.
Explore Incredible India here.
Article by Cyan Leigh