If you’re used to spending your weekends browsing art galleries or wandering around museums, you’ll probably be finding it hard to keep yourself entertained during the lockdown. Despite attractions currently being closed, you can still get your culture fix. Best of all? You can do it from the comfort of your sofa.

We’ve compiled a list of the best online services you can use to keep up to date with fashion, literature, art and even theatre. 

Art

Although you can’t physically go to galleries at the moment, you can still view many collections online. Some of our favourites include:

  • The National Gallery – Transport yourself back to the Renaissance period by taking a virtual tour of Rooms 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 and the Central Hall of The National Gallery. You’ll learn about famous works of art at your own pace and without distraction.
  • The Sistine Chapel – Take a walk through the corridors of the Sistine Chapel and admire the work of Michelangelo and other Renaissance artists. This is an excellent opportunity to explore the chapel’s architecture free from tourists.
  • Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo Assis Chateaubriand – This gallery, based in Sao Paulo, offers access to its collections online so that you can learn more about Brazil as well as a range of other subjects. You’ll have the opportunity to travel overseas virtually, enabling you to discover a different culture (and save some money on the travel too!).

Museums

Many museums have opened their virtual doors, allowing ‘visitors’ to ‘walk’ the halls of various exhibitions. If you need to prepare for your next pub quiz, taking a virtual tour of some of the world’s best museums is the way forward. We recommend:

  • The Natural History Museum – The museum has many online exhibitions ranging from pioneers in natural history through to the very first life on earth. Visit their website to browse the online collections.
  • The British Museum – Find out more about human evolution by exploring The British Museum’s online exhibitions. You can view artefacts closer than you normally would in the museum.

Literature

From 8 to 10 May, the Big Book Weekend will be coming to your computer screens. Co-founded by authors Kit de Waal and Molly Flatt, this virtual festival will be packed with author interviews, panel discussions and much more, allowing you to get involved from the comfort of your sofa. Sign up here.

Theatre

The Coronavirus Theatre Club provides live theatre every week, enabling those just starting out in the industry to showcase their work and gain public exposure. Tune in every Sunday from 7pm for your weekly dose of theatre. You can find out more about the Coronavirus Theatre Club via their Twitter page here.

Fashion

Missing the catwalk or simply being on campus for your fashion design degree? Get your fashion fix with one of the following documentaries, providing an abundance of footage of some of the world’s greatest designers at work. Our top picks include:

  • McQueen – Learn about Alexander McQueen, the renowned fashion designer who ran the luxury fashion house behind Kate Middleton’s wedding dress. The documentary is now available on Netflix.
  • In His Own Words – Belgian-born fashion designer, Martin Margiela talks about his love of fashion in this behind-the-scenes documentary. This is a great insight into the life of a man who has never really shown his face publicly.
  • The September Issue – Curious about how Vogue magazine comes together? Follow Anna Wintour in this outstanding documentary to find out how Vogue’s largest issue to date, September 2007, was put together. Watch now on Amazon Prime.

Thinking of pursuing fashion courses or fashion and textiles courses? London College of Contemporary Arts offers a variety of courses at different levels. Find out more here: https://www.lcca.org.uk/courses/

Written by Emma Chadwick