via @alanmeasles
As Berlin extends social distancing regulations past its initial deadline of 5 April and the city’s water company has gone so far as to create an online calculator to tell you how long your toilet roll stockpile will last in order to curb panic buying, it’s no wonder morale is in short supply at the moment. To offer some respite from the bad news, here is what’s giving us hope this week:
IN ENTERTAINMENT: Grayson Perry is offering free televised art classes
While essential workers, such as healthcare staff and supermarket clerks, are keeping the world together right now, for many of us, the Covid-19 outbreak means that we suddenly have a lot more time on our hands. As television crews are sent home to curb the outbreak, networks are getting creative with filling the TV guide—British TV network Channel 4, for example, is planning new programming with this in mind. Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry will be broadcasting into living rooms via Channel 4 to teach the British public how to use their extra time to make art. A selection of artworks made by viewers will be presented in an exhibition.
IN ANIMAL WELFARE: Thousands of rescue animals are finding new homes
Animal shelters may be limiting services or closing themselves off to the public, but thanks to live streaming and Skype meet-and-greets, thousands of animals are finding new homes, according to NPR. One of the most difficult parts of adopting a new pet can be finding the time at home to properly train it, but owing to lockdowns and social distancing across the globe, many people are working from home and have time to spare. Many shelters in the US are reporting that their kennels are being emptied of adoptable pets, which leaves skeleton crews with more time to care for sick animals.
IN ART: Jakob Kudsk Steensen’s virtual forest can be viewed online
Although London’s Serpentine Gallery closed its doors to the public earlier this month, Jakob Kudsk Steensen’s exhibition Catharsis is still being live streamed by the gallery. For those of us who are stuck inside city apartments, Steensen’s work, ranging from immersive VR ecosystems to mixed reality installations, is a good way to bring some nature into your quarantine. The Danish artist’s immersive digital simulation of a re-imagined forest will be live streamed until the end of the month.