People Offering Art 1. Feel like some culture? Visit a gallery – there are many free exhibitions to choose from at ArtUK.org. And join the Staying in is the new Going Out group on Twitter for lots of home-based fun to choose from. From poetry and theatre to dance nights of every genre, children’s bedtime stories to home education, there’s loads to choose from – and you can post your own virtual events too. 2. If you're in need of entertainment, CNET has put together this list of free resources with something for everyone https://www.cnet.com/news/free-entertainment-to- help-you-survive-coronavirus-social-distancing-march-31/ 3. Many celebrities, from Lizzo to Liam Gallagher are doing their best to entertain us from home https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52002447 4. Relax and enjoy some comedy. The CosmicShambles #StayAtHomeFestival has comedy galore, and the CosmicShambles network offers insight into art and science, including analysis of where all the toilet rolls have gone. CosmicShambles has a huge variety of shows to choose from, including videos and podcasts; science, comedy, art, esoterica and the Stay at Home Festival (https://cosmicshambles.com/stayathome), created by Robin Ince (@RobinInce) https://cosmicshambles.com/. Laughter is great for stress relief, and taking your mind off your worries. 5. Check out @ArtsInCareHomes for some great intergenerational creative initiatives. 6. David Hockney fans can enjoy beautiful Spring-inspired art to their day https:// www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52109901. And there are many art galleries putting collections online, if you want to escape the world and find something beautiful; to look at. 7. Many people in the UK have found themselves waiting on the Universal Credit line. If you have – or you have that joy to come – this sweet song from @SlyTheatre may help make it a little less stressful: music made with hold music accompaniment as played by the DWP https://youtu.be/U4a2sYIf1m0 If you find yourself on hold, put on the song and see if you can get the song to synchronsie with your call. It makes the time go much faster and is calming. Better yet, record yourself doing it – and add musical accompaniment if you’re a musician. 8. Want to escape to the theatre? Visit https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/ to watch Jane Eyre, and see which theatrical performance are coming soon. There are many clips and interviews on their YouTube channel too https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCUDq1XzCY0NIOYVJvEMQjqw 9. Cirque de Soleil are showing a 60 minute performance every Friday at 7pm GMT. https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/cirqueconnect 10. For knitting-inclined people who want to help, Delph Co-op us a collection point for knitted hearts for intensive care. Relatives take one and the patient keeps one while being unable to visit. https://mobile.twitter.com/LINSGREATERMAN1/status/ 1246556938374197250 – a great way to use crafting for good. It’s great for self-care too. 11. If you miss nature, immerse yourself in a nature book and admire the wonders of the world. Join me at Nature Book Club on Twitter every Sunday for nature book discussion. Share your favourite nature books and find new ones to enjoy https:// groweatgift.com/2020/01/20/nature-book-club-the-big-list-5/ And follow #RainbowBlooms today, to see your timeline fill with colourful flowers. Share your own #RainbowBlooms to spread joy too. 12. Need an energy boost? This Lockdown Mix from Fatboy Slim should get your adrenaline pumping, and he’s releasing them regularly. If you feel like dancing, go for it. You really can dance like nobody’s watching. They probably won’t be unless you’re on a video call. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl5BjSWhC0A 13. Cabaret fans should check #CabaretVirale, created by @DustyLimits (who has his own Patreon and two excellent albums so far, both free to listen to on Soundcloud.) Be warned, it’s not remotely child friendly, and is racy humour, so avoid if that’s not to your taste as it’s certain to offend. However, if you enjoy cabaret, it’s world-class.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DICAGh31e4o&t=37s 14. Richard Herring is another prolific podcast producer. His latest show is a fundraiser for the Trussell Trust – watch it here (he can be a little racy/crude so don’t watch if easily offended). https://www.beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/8564/download-richard- herring Or watch Cirque de Soleil here http://www.londontheatrereviews.co.uk/ post.cfm?p=2696. Who says your social life needs to be limited just because you’re stuck indoors? 15. “I’m bored.” Bored of hearing this? Check out The Guardian’s culture guide for the best online entertainment, no matter how old you are https:// www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/apr/05/this-weeks-best-culture-indoors-from- trolls-on-tour-to-lockdown-with-miranda-hart 16. Award-winning musical comedy troupe Showstoppers responded to a challenge from no less than Elaine Paige, to create a song that’s relevant to current events, with a West Side Story theme. Watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F- Iv93Aem_M&feature=youtu.be Follow them @ShowStoppers for more brilliant improvised songs: think Whose Line is it Anyway, but with musicals: a great way to add joy to your day. 17. The Shows Must Go On is showing full length shows every Friday 7pm BST for 48 hours. You can currently watch Jesus Christ Superstar with Tim Minchin and Melanie C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpO4ohqx3os&feature=youtu.be) Subscribe to The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel for more behind-the-scenes footage, and to find out what’s coing up next https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvag

For Funding 1. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has opened a £50M emergency scheme. Past and present grantees can apply for grants between £3,000 and £50,000, to support heritage projects in crisis as a result of the current situation. This money is being diverted from new applications which are currently halted: something useful to bear in mind if supporting local heritage projects. Historic England are also planning on offering emergency financial support and will be announcing details soon. https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/ 2. This list of resources for artists in need may be useful https:// www.siobhandavies.com/c19-artistsupport/ Share these resources with artistic friends to help ease their fears and worries. 3. Know a young carer in the UK who needs support? Give them hope by sharing this fund with them, - and if you’re good at grant applications, why not use those skills to help others too? http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/fees-and-funding/carers-scholarship-fund 4. The @CoopUK iWill fund is still open, and Co-op is still looking for Endangered Spaces, so if you know an endangered arts space in the UK, fill in the form on the website. Research is easy from bed nowadays, so use the time you save on commuting and going out to help a local organisation apply for the support they need. 5. This list of funds may come in useful if you need more support for any organisations you’re involved with https://www.grantsonline.org.uk/coronavirus.html 6. The Charities Aid Foundation has extra grants for charities in need https:// www.cafonline.org/charities/grantmaking/caf-coronavirus-emergency-fund (Leicestershire organisations can also apply for funding through the Leicestershire Communities Fund https://www.leicestershirecommunities.org.uk/leicestershire- communities-fund.html)

Wellbeing Artist Opportunities 1. LockDown OpenUp is an initiative to motivate and inspire storytellers to open up and share, using their lockdown experience as inspiration. Director’s Cut will be reviewing submissions as they come in daily. Some of these submissions will be used in one of their upcoming showcases at Southwark Playhouse when the theatre industry’s doors are open once again. During the days of the lockdown some of the script submissions will also be chosen and cast to be released on their online channel, along with some of the video submissions they receive. To enter, make a 1-2 minute video inspired by lockdown, whether through story, song, comedy or something else entirely. Find out more and submit your entry here https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/ directors-cut-lockdown 2. If you’re feeling inspired to write, why not make the most of your time at home by entering some writing competitions? Creative Ink has a huge lists of writing competitions you can enter – and recommend your social media followers enter: there are many writers in the world, and it’s a great way to build connections. Creating art, whatever form it takes, can be a great way to relax. And who knows, maybe it could be the start of an exciting new sideline (you could even be the new JK Rowling. She was a poor and struggling single parent mum once…) https://creativewritingink.co.uk/ writing-competitions/

For Mental Health Support 1. Look after your health, beyond washing your hands and staying at home unless you’re a keyworker. Schedule time for self-care if you struggle to be kind to yourself. It matters, particularly with health systems under strain, so make it a priority. It is not an indulgence. Self-care is community care. 2. If you are feeling bad, think about whether you have had enough sleep, food and water, or indulged in excessive alcohol and/or drugs. You know your body and the habits that are good or bad for it. If something makes you feel worse more than it makes you feel better, consider changing habits. For example, workaholism may seem like a great way to escape the situation but can lead to physical health issues which put pressure on an already overstressed system. Be as kind to your body and your mind as you can. 3. Keep Britain Tidy may have delayed the great British Spring Clean until Autumn but The Wombles are still working hard to entertain the nation. Remind yourself of their wombling ways by listening to their song https://youtu.be/JKeQUpkm3_0, then follow them @WomblesOfficial for great kid-friendly wellbeing advice, and nostalgic escapism. 4. It’s much easier to treat mental health issues when they first arise than letting them linger. Giving support at the right time can help avoid a crisis. Check out Mind.org.uk, SAMH.org.uk (Scotland) and InspireWellbeing.org (Northern Ireland) All have a huge array of support pages covering myriad mental health issues. Even if you feel mentally stable, they’re worth reading so you can spot the signs in those around you. With medics under strain, we all need to support each other as much as we can, and that means more than just asking if someone is OK (although that’s a good start. “How are you?” Opens many doors. Let those you love and care about know you are there for them.) 5. If you are feeling lonely, have a party – at home. Whether you drink or not, you can plan a party with friends over Skype, WhatsApp or any of the numerous new tools available for conferences. Set a time, get dressed up and maybe agree on a show to watch together, film to watch, food to cook ‘together’ or an album to share. So far this week, I’ve watched a gig, a cabaret show, half a theatre performance, had cocktails with a dear friend in Manchester while wearing satin, diamante and glitter slippers, signed up to Patreon to support an two performers I adore (Patreon turned me into an arts patron) and held an ongoing fairy festival in my front room, complete with light show. This weekend, I have a huge amount of comedy and science to catch up on. I’m busier now than I’ve been in years 6. The Delia Online Cookery School is offering free online cookery videos and recipes. http://www.DeliaOnline.com

For Health 1. Open the curtains, get as much light as you can, order a SAD lamp and exercise bike if you struggle indoors and can afford them (if not, check out the Freecycle networks and Needhop – a new app you can download and use to ask for help, available on Apple and Android), and try to get some nature contact each day, even if just watching clouds through a window. Noting three good things in nature each day is shown to boost mood and have mental health benefits. 2. If you feel ill, follow NHS (or local equivalent) advice. Check advice across countries to ensure you are getting full advice. Education saves lives. 3. I’ve got experience of being housebound as I spend 3-6 months of the year trapped indoors by my body thanks to Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and consider it a good week if I can leave the house twice in a week the rest of the time. It’s tough at first but it got much easier for me over time. This is what helps me. https:// groweatgift.com/2020/03/02/wellbeing-staying-sane-when-youre-stuck-indoors/ 4. Read this. It’s academic but contains important info on making quarantine as manageable as possible https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/ PIIS0140-6736(20)30460-8/fulltext 5. Co-op Health app can arrange delivery of repeat prescriptions, free of charge, across England. Make sure your community knows about it, particularly if you have any contacts with elderly or vulnerable community members. 6. There’s lots of conflicting information out there on how to protect yourself. This guide from Wired Magazine will help you stay safe at home https:// www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-disinfectant-cleaning-guide/ 7. Your mind is as important as your body, so check out the Mind factsheets to give you coping tips – and help you spot the signs if someone you care about is at risk https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-your- wellbeing/ 8. Should you find yourself missing partying a little too much, you may find JoinClubSoda.com (@JoinClubSoda)useful. This #mindful drinking’ organization doesn’t have any religious aspect but does help you find support if you feel your drinking is less-than-healthy. In addition to a supportive community, you can find great recommendations for non-alcoholic drinks, and helpful advice on controlling your drinking rather than letting it control you. Check out Club Soda’s mindful drinking events when they resume too: you don’t have to drink alcohol to have fun. 9. If your hands are getting sore from all the washing, I find soaking them in a mix of oats and warm water before massaging sunflower oil, shea butter or coconut oil into my skin helps. What tricks help you keep your hands soft and pain-free? 10. Insomniac? Stressed? Want to be more mindful? MindCandy.com have made a huge amount of content free, including its entire Relaxed Minds playlist. If you have little ones to look after, who refuse to go to sleep, head for MakeBedtimeADream.com. Stories are designed to help kids drift to sleep quickly – and give you a rest! They currently have a free story narrated by Goldie Hawn and a stressbusting hand-washing song, among MANY other things. To Calm St ress 1. Play is good for stress relief, which boosts your immune system – and more importantly, it’s fun. Get out your Lego, toy cars, model railways, cuddly toys or books (to make book towers with, not read – although reading is great too.) Child optional. Share pictures of what you play with to give others a lift. Follow @64_MArtists offers daily creative inspiration if your muse has absconded. 2. Exercise can help when you feel low – and ensure you don’t end up with Self-isolation Spread. Pick something you enjoy, whether dancing to your favourite music, pottering around the garden, doing yoga or using tin cans as weights to get those muscles moving. Share videos and routines to inspire others. 3. Take a moment to focus on your body. Are there any areas of tension? How long is it since you moved around? Are you clenching muscles or sitting uncomfortably? Yawn to check whether you are tensing your jaw. Breathe in. Hold, Breathe out. Hold. Do this three times. Stretch. Had breakfast? Hydrated? If not, you know what to do…. 4. Follow @PositiveNews – and subscribe to the magazine too, ideally - for a timeline full of good news: a great way to balance doom and-gloom headlines. 5. Tempting as it can be to spend 24/7 scrolling headlines, it’s far healthier to moderate your access to news. There are plenty of digital mindfulness apps that limit your internet access and give you more control over your social media use – I like tree.io, which plants trees in real life if you leave your phone alone.

People Looking for Support 1. Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is currently looking for a number of essential items including bottled water, teabags, coffee, hot chocolate, biscuits, sugar and chocolate, along with toiletries, cleaning products, phone chargers, straws and snacks. If you had Fairtrade events planned that were cancelled, supporting your local hospital could be a great way to use spare promotional stock – and what could be more Fairtrade friendly than supporting workers? See RCMHCharity.org.uk for a full list of required products. Check what is required locally if this is outside your area. 2. Love gardening? Got spare seeds? Make up a pack of beginner fruit and vegetables - peas, strawberries, spinach, salad leaves and radishes are all good - making sure to label them and share with your community to grow the love. @FriendInDeed are urging people to ‘Plant a seed with Friend in Need’ to build intergenerational friendships for #IntergenerationalWeek – a hashtag that’s well worth checking out for heartwarming stories. It’s easy to make origami seed packets: take a square of recycled paper, fold it in half diagonally, turn so that it’s got the point facing upwards. Fold the two sides in to form the envelope body and fold the top triangle down to seal the envelope. It’s fun and relaxing once you get used to it – and a great way to feel productive when your brain is too numb to function properly. 3. @PositiveNews has a great article on Ten Ways You Can Help the Community, from writing a letter to arranging an online singalong. They’re well worth following for a constant flow of uplifting stories about the community. Tag them when you do great things in the community too – they might run a news story if they like what you share. 4. People all over the UK are putting rainbows in their windows to cheer their neighbours on. Decorating your window can help distract you from feeling low while also brightening other’s lives. Some places are doing teddy bear hunts too, asking others to put cuddly toys in windows for children to spot. Windows are ideas for safe community art. 5. Fill in the Viral Kindness Postcard created by Becky Vass from Falmouth, and let your neighbours know you are there for them (but only when leaving the house for your approved walk, and don’t go near if your neighbours are outside) https:// drive.google.com/file/d/1L_8GoI1zQ572fBZtElFfQZI9vNEwK7Rf/view. Remember to wash your hands before filling it in too. This PDF may come in handy, particularly if you are in a shared house https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/866065/Handwashing_techniques.pdf 6. The Co-operate platform is full of useful resources https://www.co- operate.coop.co.uk/coronavirus-ways-you-can-help-your-community/. More is being added to the Co-operate platform daily. Have you added an event or organization yet? If not, get connecting https://co-operate.coop.co.uk/support/ You can seek support as well as offering it: and if you have vulnerable family member or friends who aren’t in your area, connect them with their local Co-op Member Pioneer. We are all in this together – as this bouncy song from Professor Elemental says. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFL5GTKwonQ 7. Remember to connect with everyone in your community. Not everyone speaks English. This link has information about Covid-19 in 26 different languages, including isolation advice, to ensure you can support people no matter what language they speak https:// www.healthdesignstudio.ca/ 8. If you haven’t already done so, and are able. sign up for your local Covid Mutual Aid group. These help coordinate efforts and ensure everyone is being supported in the most effective way https://covidmutualaid.org/ 9. @FriendInDeed is a heartwarming organisation, which creates friendships across generations. Write a letter to help connect more people – and potentially save a life as loneliness can kill. 10. Want to show your appreciation for all the hard work the NHS are doing? Visit www.thanksamillionnhs.co.uk to drop a heart on the map wherever you are in the world and create a living map of gratitude from every corner of Britain. 11. Co-op has put together great resources to help us support the community in the current situation. It’s well worth reading and sharing widely https://www.co- operate.coop.co.uk/coronavirus-ways-you-can-help-your-community/ 12. Rather than promoting chocolate eggs this Easter, Co-op opted for a video filmed on people’s phones, donating the money they would have spent to food banks. https:// youtu.be/lIZ7AEi465o Over the next ten weeks, Co-op is donating £1.5 million to Fareshare, who provide essentials to over 4,000 community food banks across the country. You can be a #LocalHero by donating to FareShare today. Text MEALS to 70490 to give £10, or in store to donate 50p, £1, £2 or £5 to FareShare. 13. Even if you’re skint, you can help. Plant a tree without leaving the house. Sign up to Ecosia.org search engine and do all your searches through it to help them plant trees all over the world, and help fight climate change. If you’re feeling flush, the Woodland Trust is always in need of donations to help nature thrive – and trees clean the air for us. http://woodlandtrust.org.uk/

For Career Angst 1. Feeling frustrated at being trapped at home when you want to get on with building your career? Now is a great time to create a LinkedIn profile if you don’t have one. There are some amazing people on there, including many sharing great business information and free career-development courses. Just sift out the pyramid sellers and identikit-script motivational types and there’s lots of great stuff to learn for free. 2. Worried about money? Martin Lewis has put together this (UK-centred) useful guide to managing money in the current situation https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/ 2020/03/uk-coronavirus-help-and-your-rights/ 3. The opportunity for upskilling has never been better. LinkedIn is full of free courses, and there’s home education galore available. @Coop_College has partnered with @UpskillPeople to provide loads of free education on many subjects, including a suite of mental health courses provided by experts at @CoopUK partner, @MindCharity. I’ve signed up for this children’s course (free for two months) in JavaScript because I’ve wanted to add more coding to my skill set for ages, and I like the idea of learning from animated dinosaurs and rocket ships https://educode.org 4. To avoid future legal issues, do not forget GDPR. It still applies at present so do not swap mailing lists. You can, however, set up separate mailing lists specifically for virus contacts, with the permission of all list members. Only ask for necessary information. Bear in mind that marking down that someone is in isolation is sensitive health information and should be treated as such, Do not share mailing lists with others. It’s fine to include messages supporting others in your usual mailing list though – and use existing lists to solicit sign-ups to Covid-specific lists if you want. For Support as a Parent 1. If you’re getting a little tired of looking after your kids, take a break by letting Mother Nature help out. Here are some ways to connect with nature, indoors or outdoors. It’s great for mental health, exercise, creativity, anxiety release and fun. And you don’t have to have a child to do it. https://groweatgift.com/2017/07/03/365-ways-to- go-365-days-wild/ 2. Joe Wicks is doing online PE classes suitable for children every morning at 9am on his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ 3. Home education losing its shine? Get some time back guilt free by parking the kids in front of this brilliant science education from Winchester Science Festival https:// www.winchestersciencecentre.org/science-home/science-home/#.XolueupKjX5 If you want more support, this six week online science club with weekly interactive packs is currently on offer on a pay-as-you-can-afford basis (usually £30) https:// www.ginnysmithscience.com/virtualscienceclub 4. If you’re after arts support for your children (or a break from coming up with ways to entertain them), galleries including The Tate https://www.tate.org.uk/kids and the William Morris Gallery are making their arts resources available https:// www.wmgallery.org.uk/learning/learning-at-home 5. For history, staff at the Trust at the Co-op Heritage Trust are creating homeschooling resources to offer parents support with home-schooling; making documents available for researchers; and using their time remote working to create an enhanced experience for audiences in the future. If we learn from the past, we can create a better future for us all. 6. For geography, botany, sustainability and biology, go on a virtual reality forest tour with Google Expeditions https://www.forestryengland.uk/100/google-expeditions 7. For play that educates on the side, learn how to create origami at https:// www.origami-fun.com/ 8. Similarly, download free Zog activity sheets and make dragon wings, roar, and learn how to identify woodland sounds https://www.forestryengland.uk/resource/zog- activity-sheets; Gruffalo activity sheets to do The Evidence Challenge and The Sensory Challenge https://www.forestryengland.uk/resource/gruffalo-spotters-activity-sheets; and Highwayman Rat activity sheets to learn how to make a hobby horse and a hat https://www.forestryengland.uk/resource/highway-rat-activity-sheets 9. WizardingWorld.com is the Harry Potter at Home hub, with virtual read-alongs, crafting videos, quizzes and puzzles. https://www.wizardingworld.com/ 10.Finally, an announcement that will help appease the fears of children everywhere. The Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny have been officially designated keyworkers. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed in a press conference that both have been deemed ‘essential workers’ though the Easter Bunny may be unable to get everywhere due to current circumstances. https://mobile.twitter.com/danielrosney/status/ 1247085420296450049

Silver Linings 1. “Researchers who study Earth’s movement are reporting a drop in seismic noise — the hum of vibrations in the planet’s crust — that could be the result of transport networks and other human activities being shut down. They say this could allow detectors to spot smaller earthquakes and boost efforts to monitor volcanic activity and other seismic events.” Find the #SilverLinings. Spread #hope to calm panic. https:// www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00965-x 2. Work-from-home and online arts have brought about huge and essential changes that disabled and chronically ill people have been begging for – often for decades. This has given people their lives back (while also making it harder to get essential food and medical supplies , stripping disabled rights back further in the UK under the guise of protecting people, and making it obvious our lives are considered lesser as many of us are being asked to fill in DNRs should we get ill, and told we are bottom of the list for care should we contract the virus.).

If you are abled, when this ends, please don’t let the powers that be take our lives away. We need abled people to support disabled and chronically ill people.

Imagine the rest of your life had to be spent at home.

For some of us, that IS our life.

We can help you navigate this short period of self-isolation you are currently facing. Please help us live once you are free to go outside again. You’re being confined for the first time. It’s life, for many of us. Online arts and home working mean we are getting access to life back again. Art matters. Art heals. Please don’t take the art away when this is over.