Stay at home diary

April 2020

Because we are all staying indoors, this month’s events diary will look a little different. Despite not being able to venture out, there are still plenty of interesting ways to stay entertained, transporting and exercising our minds. From streaming a critically acclaimed play or brushing up on cooking skills, here are five lovely ideas to get you started. 

Celebrate Earth Day
Yesterday, Wednesday 22 April, marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – an international event promoting support for environmental protection. To celebrate this significant milestone, Somerset House will be putting on a programme of online workshops looking at the impact of art, fashion and design on nature until the 20th May. Explore the future of sustainable fashion, watch live Q&As about the environment and more.

Live stream the Northern Lights
We may be fully into spring here in the UK but certain parts of the world are still in the depths of winter. In Canada, the aurora borealis continues to make an appearance regularly and you can livestream this stunning light show via explore.org.

Home theatre
Theatres across the capital are putting recordings of their best-loved productions online to entertain audiences on their sofas. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s team have set up a YouTube channel called The Shows Must Go On!, where a different musical is uploaded for 48 hours every Friday at 7pm. And London’s ancient theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe has a myriad of classical performances available to watch on its Globe Player streaming service.

Learn to cook in Borough Market
London’s oldest food market is streaming live into people’s kitchens with a series of online cooking classes. On the official Borough Market instagram page (@boroughmarket), cooks and food writers are going live to show viewers how to make everything from sourdough pizza to fresh, summery salads.

Join a virtual choir
The Self Isolation Choir brings together singers from all over the world. Membership is £14.95 and includes live video rehearsals to prepare for a virtual performance of Handel’s Messiah on the 31st of May.