Yahoo News 10 creative classes, kits and ideas to keep you sane during lockdown
You’ve worked through your boxset watchlist, the DIY is done and the garden overhauled – so what now? With an unspecified number of weeks stretching out before us, it’s hard to know what to do to make the most of the time – and where to begin. Happily, a host of designers, stylists and artists are on hand to help us tap into our creative impulses and stay sane (research has proven that engaging in the arts promotes wellbeing and mental health). Here are ten of our favourites…
STORE Store Makers Manuals
What is it? A bi-weekly series of downloadable manuals for objects you can make at home
Coal Drops Yard’s in-house design school STORE Store is launching a digital programme to champion creativity throughout these challenging circumstances. It includes ticketed live workshops as well as free ‘makers manuals’, with projects such as tie dying socks with dyes made from food waste by designer Lauren MacDonald and DIY bird feeders by architecture studio The Bakerloos. No design background is necessary and STORE Stores is asking participants to share their creations for inclusion in a limited edition book which will document the projects and the finished articles. coaldropsyard.com
Corona Challenge by Jaime Hayon
What is it? A colouring in challenge with a difference from the celebrated Spanish designer
A prolific doodler, Jaime Hayon is inviting us into his wild and wonderful world with a series of Instagram Story colouring templates. Each week Hayon posts a new drawing so that followers can screenshot his works and use them as a canvas, adding colour or further sketches to make them as unique as possible before sending them back to the designer via Instagram Stories. Hayon shares the results in his gallery hall of fame in the Highlights. instagram.com/jaimehayon
Challenge Cards by James Dyson Foundation
What is it? A series of 44 design and engineering challenges to occupy kids during lockdown
In lieu of design and technology classes (or any classes for that matter), the James Dyson Foundation has stepped in to bridge the gap with a set of downloadable ‘Challenge Cards’. Each one contains a science, design or engineering task that can be carried out at home with common household items such as cardboard, tape, plastic bottles and string. Designed to be educational as well as fun, with activities such as building a marble run and creating a usable chair made from cardboard, there’s no reason adults can’t get in on the action for a DT project nostalgia trip. jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk
Interior Design Masterclass
What is it? An a-lister’s guide to the art of interior design
Hailing from the US, Masterclass has a dizzying array of over 80 classes to choose from, with each topic taught by A-list talent – there’s acting classes by Natalie Portman, cooking with Gordon Ramsey and self-expression and authenticity by none other than RuPaul. Budding interior designers can now learn how to create a striking scheme from doyenne of design, Kelly Wearstler.
Over 17 video lessons, Wearstler teaches the fundamentals of interior design, including how to approach awkward spaces and maximise space, choosing the right colour, texture and pattern for a project and how to work with natural light. Students will even go on virtual ‘field trips’ to the Proper Hotel in downtown Los Angeles and a tour of Wearstler’s own living room. £170 for two passes, masterclass.com
Tomorrow Channel by Tom Dixon
What is it? A digital channel to prevent cabin fever while the world is self-isolating
After closing his shops and offices in London, LA and New York, Tom Dixon launched his own series of transmissions to help stave off boredom, inspire creativity, share ideas and stay connected throughout the lockdown period. From talks about how gardening can save the world, to behind-the-scenes making videos and craft projects using household objects, every day brings a new topic and an insight into the world of the British designer. Catch daily transmissions Monday-Friday at 3pm on Tom Dixon social media channels and his microsite. story.tomdixon.net
Art workshops by Lucy Tiffney
What is it? Guided art classes with surface designer Lucy Tiffney via Instagram TV
Drawing on the methods used to create her signature joyful and expressive wallpaper designs, Lucy Tiffney’s workshops are a reminder of the fun that can be had with lo-fi, back-to-basics materials such as paper, paint, glue and scissors. Divided into daily bite-sized sessions, each week focuses on a different technique (the inaugural week kicked off with collage). Ideal for adults, kids and beginners alike. instagram.com/lucytiffney
The print room by Deborah Bowness
What is it? A resource for printing techniques to try at home by the wallpaper designer
Deborah Bowness’s photo montage-style wallpapers are screen printed in her St Leonards-on-Sea studio, but the British designer is keen to point out that you don’t need specialist equipment to create striking patterns and designs. An area on her website is dedicated to different techniques, from printing with fruit and veg to bubble prints and chalk marbling. deborahbowness.com
#isolationchair
What is it? A hashtag challenge started by designer Max Enrich
Under lockdown and unable to access conventional making materials and tools for building, Barcelona-based Max Enrich raided the cupboards in his family home, using boxes of cereal and pasta and bags of flour to ‘represent the idea of a chair’ instead. The designer then posted his playful creations on Instagram, inviting followers to share their own variations – he was soon inundated with responses and the viral hashtag #isolationchair was born. Watch Enrich’s highlights to see his edit of the best submissions. instagram.com/maxenrich
Art is where the home is by First Site
What is it? Artist-created activity packs featuring contributions from Grayson Perry and Antony Gormley
Now that the Colchester-based visual arts gallery is closed, the institution has had to find new ways to inspire its community. The result is ‘Art is where the home is’, free, downloadable activity packs created with high-profile artists including Grayson Perry, Jeremy Deller, Mark Wallinger and Antony Gormley. Creative tasks range from timely and poignant to downright barmy, but there’s something to suit every age and attention span – think creating your own family album cover, paper sculpture making and penning a poem in praise of toilet roll. A changing roster of artists will create new packs each week. firstsite.uk
Interior styling, an introduction by Lucy Gough
What is it? An online course devised by stylist and award-winning blogger Lucy Gough
Over the last decade, Lucy Gough has created beautiful images for the likes of Aram Store and Dulux. Now the London-based stylist has launched her own course, passing on her wealth of industry knowledge to aspiring stylists. Learn how to pitch creative concepts to clients, create moodboards and start your own portfolio via a suite of videos, downloads and set tasks. £99 (usually £179) lucygoughstylist.com
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