Hi Reader, Hope you had a wonderful summer break! Here in Edinburgh the Festival season is finally drawing to a close, and we're looking forward to Fall in the Digital Lab. We start back tomorrow, 12pm EST/ 5pm BST on Zoom with a single session on 'Representing Historical Islamicate Societies: Common Pitfalls' with Sarah Slingluff, our History & Education Coordinator. If you'd like to join Sarah for tomorrow's session, it's not too late. Click for Details Hope to see you in the Academy!...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello! We're winding down for the summer holidays here in Edinburgh, but September is just around the corner. If you're looking ahead to Fall, enrolment is open for our Fall Academy online classes. New for this year, Sarah will be teaching a new unit, an Introduction to the art, architecture, and history of al-Andalus. Our mission in the Digital Lab is to bring accurate information about medieval Islamic art, architecture, and history to wide public audiences, through video games, and through...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, It's been an intense few weeks in the Digital Lab! Over the last two weeks we launched our new online Academy. Simultaneously, we held our very first Digital Lab Days events in Edinburgh and Glasgow. It was incredible how both new initiatives brought people together - online and in-person, longtime supporters and collaborators as well as new members of our community. What brought us together was a shared commitment to accurate, meaningful cultural representation in video games,...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader! 📢 Hard to believe the time has come - Day 1 of our in-person Digital Lab Days Islamic Art, Games/XR & GLAM Scotland event starts tomorrow. Here's what we're looking forward to:⚡ Keynote by Iraqi-British game designer, artist, and creative producer Malath Abbas of Biome Collective, on 'Navigating Art, Games and Identity Over 10 Years'💡 Exciting presentations crossing art, games, XR, and cultural heritage by Josef Wesley Mona Arafat, Ahmed Elshaer, Isabella Inskip, and Halley...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hello!Reflecting on the work we've done on video games for education and public impact, Digital Lab Education Coordinator Sarah Slingluff and I put heads together on how to bring a concise intro to the vibrant art, architecture, and histories of Muslim societies and Islamic civilization around the globe to wider audiences.The Digital Lab Academy is the result.It launches 30 June and will be taught online by Sarah, so participants can join from anywhere. It's short and to-the-point. It's open...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Save the date! July 2-4 Islamic Art, Games/XR, & GLAM: Scotland Join us 2-4 July! Photo: Forever Edinburgh Hello Reader! I'm happy to announce our first Digital Lab Days event in Scotland. It will kick off 2-3 July 2025 in Edinburgh, Scotland, with an optional 4 July field trip to Glasgow. This event will bring together our Digital Lab community members and anyone who shares our interest in bridging academic, video games/entertainment/XR+, and cultural heritage sectors for positive social...
5 months ago • 1 min read
On Wednesday 7 May 2025 at 17:00, Glaire Anderson will speak at The Bristol Digital Games Lab, on “Lessons from ‘Leaving Arabistan’: New Possibilities for Academic & Games Industry Collaborations”. The Bristol Digital Game Lab at the University of Bristol is a leader in the study and development of games for public good. Sited at the intersection of academia and the games industry, the Lab acts as a catalyst for thinking about and with games in the creative city of Bristol, exploring complex...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Our partnership with Arafa developed in the same spirit as our work on Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage (with Digital Lab team providing historical expertise, and Arafa designing the iconic crest and the in-game calligraphy used for the game’s skill trees). Although we worked with Ubisoft independently our mutual desire to bring knowledge of Islamic art and history to wider audiences is very much aligned. There are still a few spots left - It’s hosted by the Digital Lab on Zoom, and we hope...
7 months ago • 1 min read
Spring Updates It's been a busy spring in the Digital Lab! In February we wrapped up the concept phase for Digital Munya 3, our collaboration with Maxime Durand and an international student team. Stay tuned for more on Digital Munya 3 soon. For now, here's a roundup of upcoming events, including a call for proposals for our first Digital Lab Day! Digital Cultural Heritage Seminar, April 8th and 9th (online) AOA - ARCHiVe Online Academy, the joint educational programme between Factum...
7 months ago • 2 min read