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Inspiration to Try at Home

The arts have a crucial role keep the mind active during the coronavirus lockdown. Mental health charity MIND promotes creativity in its Covid-19 advice to people for taking care of their mental health and wellbeing   Art is a natural way to promote mindfulness.  Being involved in a creative project temporarily allows us to stop worrying about the future or dwell on the past.  The arts also promote relaxation and creates a space for social connection. 



Below are great resources to help you destress, push yourself forward creatively or simply get inspired by new perspectives. 

  • #GetCreativeAtHome promotes amazing participatory creative activities that are being developed to help people to express themselves creatively during a time of unprecedented change.
  • Cultural Digital: Streams started life as a humble spreadsheet, but it's all grown up now and has moved to streams.culturaldigital.com and should be your one stop shop for activities at home.
  • From street to global level there's seeing fantastic initiatives to keep us all entertained, connected and creative.  Creative Lockdown is just such a collection of those in one easy-to-access place.
  • Antony Gormley and Grayson Perry have designed the 'ultimate artists’ activity pack.'
  • MOMA the Museum of Modern Art is offering free on-line art classes
  • The Royal Academy of Arts provide a host of art lessons adults and children can try at home.  
  • Turner Prize-winning artist Keith Tyson, meanwhile, has launched #isolationartschool on Instagram, with ‘projects, lessons and tips by artists to help people get creative while housebound during Covid19 crisis’. 
  • You can also watch curated video series and lectures from top design schools such as the School of Visual Arts on YouTube or read Creative Blog’s ten best YouTube art channel recommendations for more inspiration.  
  • Future Learn is offering a free course on how to start writing fiction and a screenwriting course.
  • Sew Confident is holding “Virtual Sewcials,” in addition to online classes to help people ‘sew, destress and be social’.
  • With opportunities to shop for craft supplies being limited, Upcycle That is a to help people great resource which ‘curates and create the best upcycling ideas and upcycling projects’. So, get ready to think about your unused and preloved items a little differently.
  • Marvel illustrator Will Sliney is also giving live classes on YouTube to teach children how to draw comic book characters.
  • Visit coronamusicians.info for an extensive list of free resources, funding advice and tools for musicians. Or the British Council’s Selector Radio : Selecting the best UK music every week and sharing it with the world. 
  • Many book publishers offer free colouring and activity downloads. Check out Counterprint’s collection of free printables.   We especially love Quentin Blake’s colouring in sheets including 3 for 'novices' and 3 for 'advanced' artists. 
  • Browse through The Artful Parent blog where parents are inspired to raise creative kids through easy & fun art activities! 
  • Sign-up to an open-ended free ArtStart lesson at Tinkerlab.  Classes include StopMotion Animation for beginners.    
  • The author and illustrator Mo Willems has been doodling at lunch for kids.
  • If you're looking for ways to involve your kids in something creative with a screen, check out this Drawing Apps for Kids blog by Scholastic.com or check out Creative Review’s tips and tricks on ‘How to Keep Your Kids Creatively Occupied During Coronavirus’.