The online platform smarthistory.org is a global leader for free educational content: art history for all in accessible and engaging entries and videos. It has served as a true model for Ancient Rome Live, as conceived by Institute director Darius Arya in 2014. With the timely advent of free new platforms for live-steaming on-site in 2014, Ancient Rome Live took the content on the road, utilizing the new impetus of being able to share culture, history, sites via Periscope (of Twitter) as well as Facebook Live. As this global audience formed on the platforms, Darius connected with smarthistory and collaborated on a number videos productions, including:
In the past year, Darius forged a stronger partnership with smarthistory, meeting with Steven Zucker and Beth Harris in New York City this past fall. They agreed to a concerted social media sharing of materials and cross promotion on various platforms. They met again, this time in rome in December to further brainstorm and share ideas. Smarthistory just launched this month a new video (watch below) in collaboration with Darius and the Institute on the Arch of Septimius Severus, very timely in light of of the Parco Colosseo’s announcement of a new restoration of the Capitoline facing side.
It is great collaboration that plays both to Steven and Beth’s strengths, as well as Darius’. The Institute looks forward to more collaboration – and will continue to use is strong social media presence to continue to reach out to new audiences to discover smarthistory. In the time of the pandemic, Smarthistory material has been more accessed and useful than ever. The Institute’s Ancient Rome Live platform is also finding its niche and audience, especially through its weekly live webinars and increased content on its youtube channel.
Endorsement from smarthistory:
“Darius Arya is a leading force in making ancient Roman archaeology accessible to new audiences around the world. Smarthistory applauds his work and shares his mission to use new technologies to bring to life the brilliance that was ancient Rome.”
Steven Zucker and Beth Harris of smarthistory
It’s also the Institute’s intention to scale up its own content – filming in a unique way, taking advantage of being based in Rome, with its own collaboration with sites and museums in Rome and throughout Italy. This June, Ancient Rome Live will begin filming all four Museo Nazionale Romano sites, beginning with Palazzo Altemps. It will be a way to introduce audiences to the history and scope of each of the four national museums in Rome. It will also be an opportunity to add to its original content, largely topographical areas and monuments of Rome, with some of the most amazing artifacts from Rome’s national collection, including the Ludovisi statuary, portraits of emperors and empresses, frescoes from the Roman Villa under the Villa Farnesina and the Villa of Livia at Prima Porta, and more!
