Here are the best online events and activities to see you through isolation

At the risk of banging the drum, we bet you could do with some suggestions for things to keep you occupied over the next month. Things which don’t involve leaving your house or spending time with more than one other person at a time, kept at least two metres away from you at all times, of course.

So, for this month’s edition of Diary, we’ve pulled together our usual round-up of the best events and exhibitions taking place throughout the month. However, this time, they’re all accessible via your laptop or phone, or they suggest activities you could be doing from the safety of your own home.

#undistanced from Gay Times

First up is an incredible initiative launched by Gay Times in response to the Covid-19 crisis called #undistanced. The project includes a programme of curated virtual activities and digital events including Q&As, acoustic performances, tutorials, workshops, fitness sessions and live DJ sets. The global media brand took the decision to launch the project after receiving a number of queries and questions from concerned and isolated members of the LGBTQ community, many of whom live in homes where they are not (cannot be) out or in abusive relationships due to their identity.

Keep up to date with the programme via Gay Times’ Instagram which so far has included Travis Alabanza in conversation with Alok Vaid-Menon and a spoken word performance by Otamere Guobadia, with this weekend including a live performance from Alma.

Boileroom, Streaming From Isolation

The music industry is one which has been hit particularly hard during lockdown, with Boileroom alone having to cancel over 40 upcoming shows between now and the summer, including its first ever festival in Johannesburg. To keep supporting artists, however, the music streaming platform has curated a series of live sets by DJs straight from their own home. As well as providing a chance for its audience to remain connected, Boileroom writes: “Each show will give you the option to donate with funds raised going to Global FoodBanking Network, whose global work providing emergency food and support to people locked in poverty is crucial at this time. Please give if you can afford to — for example, what you might spend on a night out.”

The back catalogue of streams which have taken place so far – including The Black Madonna, Haai, Mall Grab and more – can be found here, a page which also lists all upcoming streams.

Implied Gallery

Implied Gallery is an online project created by Olly Bromham, a designer and developer, with the aim to show artworks in a virtual space, complete with its own opening night. The show was curated by Sheona Turnball and features work from Harry Grundy, Adam Morton-Delaney, Nina Carter, Jacob Wise, Ben Hutchings and more. The show is still available to explore online, and you do so using your cursor and arrow keys.

The Getty Research Institute: Bauhaus: Building The New Artist

Published in tandem with the Getty Research Institute’s exhibition, Bauhaus Beginnings, this online exhibition offers an in-depth look into the famous school’s history and teaching methodologies. Highlighting student explorations, masters’ theories, and a variety of media drawn from the Research Institute’s archives, the project includes three interactive exercises that invite viewers to immerse themselves in surprising aspects of the Bauhaus’ curriculum.

Google Arts and Culture: 10 Top Museums You Can Explore Right Here, Right Now

Through the power of Google and its elaborate Arts & Culture arm, you need barely lift a finger to explore the halls of some of the world’s top institutions. The project was conceived long before the Covid-19 crisis but has taken on a life of its own now, as it offers virtual journeys through museums across the globe including The British Museum in London, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Natural Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Check out the full list, and have a nosey around, here.

Louisiana Channel

The Louisiana Gallery just outside of Copenhagen is one of the most striking galleries in the world to visit – something not currently possible, made even worse as it’s current show is the incredible Hot Pink Turquoise by Ann Veronica Janssens. During the closure of the museum, however, Louisiana has invited viewers to explore its online channel, an “incomparable collection of 750 videos featuring the most prominent and interesting artists, writers, architects etc of our time. Meet Marina Abramović and Ulay, Pipilotti Rist, Paul Auster, Karl Ove Knausgård, Laurie Anderson, Michel Houellebecq and many, many more…” There’s even a series of eight videos from Veronica Janssens to keep you busy until her show reopens.

Club Quarantäne

If, like us, you are missing your weekend routine of a pint with mates followed by a dance then Club Quarantäne, or Club Q as it’s become known, is just the thing for you. Hosted on Zoom, this online stream sees hundreds of people joining the best underground queer club every night to tune into DJ sets from the likes of Charli XCX and many more. With a strict no screenshots on the dance floor policy, you’ll have to tune in to see who else makes an appearance – you can subscribe to find out more here. Club Q’s website, which was created by Marco Land, also features a bar where you donate to several amazing relief projects, and a cloakroom which links out to official Club Q merch on Everpress. There’s only 12 hours left to pre-order so grab yourself the trendiest isolation accessory going before it’s too late.

Stay At Home Stedelijk

The Stedelijk Museum has, of course, closed the doors for visitors in line with national policy relating to the coronavirus. But it is far from inactive, and has created an online collection called Stay At Home Stedelijk featuring a selection of minidocs and audio tours about the most-talked-about exhibitions of its history. It’s a collection which will be updated over the coming weeks and which already includes a minidoc about Keith Haring, Studio Drift and Ed Atkins.

Sarabande Foundation

The Sarabande Foundation was set up by the late Lee Alexander McQueen who left the majority of his estate to support creative and visionary talent. As a charity, it provides scholarships and studio space for artists, and supports the wider community by hosting talks and workshops (among other things) for the transferal of knowledge and skills. During this time, Sarabande will be publishing a selection of our talks online, every day, at 5 PM. Coming from the worlds of art, fashion, film and jewellery – industries the Foundation supports – the talks features some of the biggest names from the creative world. Yesterday Samual Ross, founder of A-COLD-WALL* was in conversation with Bunny Kinney and tonight, Grayson Perry takes centre stage. The full schedule, which also includes talks from Jake Chapman, Juno Calypso and Tim Walker in conversation with Molly Goddard can be found here.

(Grayson Perry is on it with the isolation activities elsewhere, hosting lockdown art classes in a new Channel 4 show as we reported last Friday.)

National Theatre At Home

A selection of much-loved National Theatre Live productions have been made available to watch on YouTube for free over the next two months. The first, screening tonight at 7 PM, is One Man, Two Guvnors, featuring a Tony Award-winning performance from James Corden as Francis Henshall. Each production will be free and screened live every Thursday at this time and will then be available on demand for seven days. Alongside the streamed productions, National Theatre At Home will feature accompanying interactive content such as Q&As with cast and creative teams and post-stream talks, with further details of this programme to be announced. You can find more details about the upcoming schedule here.