Taking part in culture lifts the spirits and improves wellbeing. With many venues currently closed to the public, we hope these online events and activities can help alleviate some of your cultural cravings.

We are proud to have supported the heritage sector during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic through emergency and recovery funding, and have been amazed to see the creative ways projects have adapted.

Join ourselves and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by sharing what's on offer where you are – use the hashtags #HeritageFromHome and #HereForCulture.

Learn

Museum of Manchester is hosting a wide selection of online events. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm for Egyptology in Lockdown led by Dr Campbell Price, Curator of Egypt and Sudan, live from his home study.

Kresen Kernow is home to the world’s largest collection of photos, maps, and documents relating to Cornwall’s rich and varied history. Browse through 850 years of Cornish history from your own living room.

Explore Jamaican heritage in the Jamaica Society Leeds Back to Life exhibition. The online exhibition commemorates the first generation of Jamaicans arriving in Leeds in the 1940s-60s.

Sign up for one of Back from the Brink’s educational online talks about botany, gems in the dunes and bird conservation. The talks will be happening from January until March and are very popular, so sign up quickly to secure a spot!

Dive into Ryedale Folk Museum extensive archive of stories and images from the North York Moors and learn about stories of witchcraft, farming heritage and sword dancing festivities. 

Watch The Modernist’s short video series to learn more about 20th century modernism architecture and design in Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Birmingham and Leeds. The series was created during lockdown and more films will be released in the coming months.

Check out Black Country Living Museum educational resources, perfect for KS1-KS2. Learn about the realities of being a child in the 19th century and what it was like to live and work on the canals at their height.

As a part of LGBT+ Heritage Month, Strawberry Hill House are hosting a series of talks discussing topics such as being trans in the 18th century and gothic architecture and sexuality. 

ArtUK’s newly launched learning platform aims to bring the benefits of learning about art to everyone. The platform is developed with teachers and contains lesson plans, videos and creative activities.

Listen

Work your way through the British Library Sound Archive's incredible collection of over 6.5 million recordings of speech, music, wildlife, and the environment. Their latest project, #30Years30Stories captures real-life stories by wheelchair users in the UK over 30 years.

Youth Club Archives has collected over 100,000 photos from decades of UK youth culture and is sharing some of the findings in a bi-weekly podcast. In the first episode, host Scarlett O'Malley talks to photographer Gavin. They delve into his youth identity, his time as an astrologer and his work with singer and actor Plan B.

Digital:Works recently launched a new weekly podcast channel after conducting hundreds of interviews over the years. The podcasts will explore the lives and stories of London’s past citizens, including Second World War evacuees, London bus workers, Thames lightermen, boatyard workers, Fleet Street printers and more.

Have a listen to the podcast, Dear Poppy, a fascinating conversation between today’s teens and a fictional young woman called Poppy who lived through the trauma of the First World War.

Explore the Forest of Dean through captivating podcasts touching on people’s lives and livelihoods, and fascinating literature from the Forest of Dean over 400 years. The podcasts might even inspire you to record your own personal recollections during lockdown!

Take part

Sign up to receive one of St Peter-in-the-Forest’s fun and free crafty activity packs, while stocks last. The activities are suitable for the whole family and explore winter turning to spring. 

Toynbee Hall in East London may be closed, but you can enjoy their Activities Against Isolation on Facebook. It's a dedicated online community group for anyone who is worried they'll be lonely or bored during isolation. You can also participate in their Tower Hamlets Phone Befriending Service, which brings together people with shared interests for a regular chat over the phone.

Check out Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre’s live daily dolphin watch from 5am to 11pm. Tune in and you may be lucky enough to spot the pod of bottlenose dolphins that reside in New Quay Bay throughout the year!

Take a sneak peek inside Newcastle Cathedral which has been closed for renovations for 8 months and will be opening to the public later this year. Join the tour to learn more about the magnificent Quire and Nave's disarray during the capital works.

Sign up for Alexandra Palace’s free online photography project for young people aged 16-24. The 5-week project is led by artist Alejandra Carles-Tolra and is an opportunity to reflect creatively on the past year’s events. 

Become a tree explorer by downloading Forestry England’s amazing activity pack. Learn about leaf identification, how to calculate the age of a tree and how to grow your own tree.

Take part in weekly Sporting Reminiscence session hosted by The Yorkshire Cricket Foundation on Zoom. Join now to share your love for sports, in particular cricket.

Explore online activities hosted by Elizabeth Gaskell House including a book group and talks on topics such as Cranford’s illustrations, Cranford for Beginners and Vindication of the Rights of Women. 

Take part in weekly her-story discussions hosted by Newington Green Meeting House. From 27 January, join their Wednesday session to learn about Britain’s first feminist strikes organised by South Asian women in the 1970s, and more. 

Herald spring with Chelsea Physic Garden through an online botanic watercolour demonstration and a photo competition. Once reopened, the garden will have a self-guided socially distanced snowdrop trail.

Bring the whole family together for a nature break with North Pennines AONB. Every day at 8am during February they will post fun outdoor activities on their Twitter page.

Want more?

If you still haven't satisfied your culture cravings, see our extensive list created last year.