Let's explore
We've pulled together an exciting collection of arts and wellbeing things to explore, mostly from the comfort of your own home, including podcasts, exhibitions, free films and virtual tours. We hope that you enjoy exploring and relaxing!.
The Art of Slow Looking
As life for many of us begins to speed up again, with increased activities, socialising and perhaps changing work patterns, this week's adventure involves slowing down and taking more time to view artwork. Click below for a podcast and guide from the Tate on looking slowly to create a more mindful and connected experience.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Explore the Natural History Museum's new online exhibition, showcasing the best wildlife photography from around the world.
Go on an armchair adventure!
Armchair Adventures is a podcast collection, which takes listeners young and old on a journey of the imagination. Each adventure is inspired by people's experience, knowledge and passions, expressed through drama, music, movement and song.
Described by BBC Radio 4 Extra's Podcast Hour as 'warm and funny .. a really worthwhile project', so why not curl up and explore? There's even info on how to create your own armchair adventure to feature in the collection!
Explore the Natural History Museum's new online exhibition, showcasing the best wildlife photography from around the world.
Take a tour of a sculpture park
If you're longing for new sights and the outdoors, why not take a virtual trip around a sculpture park. Click below to choose from 2 great tours:
Dorset's Sculpture by the Lakes - 3 minutes
Explore museums & galleries with this podcast
The Art Fund podcast features well-known faces, such as Jane Garvey, Lemn Sissay and Anneka Rice, taking someone they love to a favourite museum or gallery. They explore what's on offer and have a chat about what they find.
As well as getting a peek behind the scenes, finding out what makes a museum tick, their visits are also the starting point for some great conversations about life, the universe and everything.
Tiny Desk Concerts
Missing live music? Well NPR are here to save you with their Tiny Desk Concerts. Each artist has recorded live an intimate video performance. There's so much to choose from! Really, talk about variety . . . from Burt Bacharach to Lizzo, from Billie Eilish to Lenny Kravitz! Featuring artists from all over the world, check out your favourites or discover something new.
George Clarke's National Trust Unlocked
Escape with George Clarke as he explores some of the UK's most impressive historic homes, as he delves into their hidden recesses and takes in their stunning surroundings
Meditation and Mindfulness at Manchester Art Gallery
On Manchester Art Gallery's Soundcloud you can find a range of different guided meditations to listen to, with each one centred around a different art work. As well as the meditations, there's also mindfulness and wellbeing episodes to check out. You don't need to sign up to anything and it's all free!
So if you've got a spare 10 - 15 minutes why not try giving one of these a listen and see if it has a positive impact on the rest of your day.
And if that's not your cup of tea, they have plenty of other stuff to listen to. Poetry, playlists dedicated to sculpture and two authors respond to the work of famous photographer Martin Parr.
At Home with Penguin
A weekly peek into the homes of some of our favourite authors. The next episode presents Richard Osman, but you can catch up on previous weeks featuring authors such as Ruby Wax, Bernardine Evaristo and Tim Peake.
Ted Talks Art
Looking for something to listen to on your walk? Or how about setting 10 minutes aside to take some time out and focus on something different?
TED Talks Art is a podcast series with over 50 short episodes, featuring artists, designers, photographers and architects showcasing their work and vision.
The Art Institute of Chicago
They are uploading mini videos, 2-3 minutes long, with each video focusing on one specific piece of art. The Essentials video series offers the chance to get up close with some of the most well-known and beloved works in their collection.
Find the videos on their Instagram or Youtube.
BFI Player
Access some of the greatest global cinema via the BFI Player. There's tonnes of interesting movie collections all to watch for free. Ranging from short animations to documentaries and everything in between. There's also a rental section, with new releases available to rent from £2.50.
Abstract: The Art of Design.
This documentary series features some of the biggest names in all areas of design. From costume to typeface, each episode gives you an insight into all aspects of the design world. There's two series available on Netflix, but if you don't have a Netflix subscription you can still watch all of the first series on their Youtube channel.