arts by Tim Lezard
Lockdown special The arts industry hasn’t escaped the ravages of coronavirus but there is hope that people will embrace new ways of enjoying live entertainment
Music Many artists, including Bruce Springsteen, are playing free live shows from their homes. These have
been shown on Facebook and other channels, so check on the social media pages of your favourites. Some bands have announced free,
post-lockdown gigs for the NHS. Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott, I believe, came up with the idea, and were swiftly followed by the Manic Street Preachers and other big names, including Liam Gallagher, Fat Boy Slim and, erm, Rick Astley.
Spotlight >
Many people complain that social media or social lives get in the way of reading. Lockdown offers you
the perfect opportunity to turn off your phone and lose yourself in a book. And what better way to do that than support your local bookshop?
22 | theJournalist “Many stores are
offering online ordering and home delivery so customers can continue to have access to books while following government advice,” Booksellers’ Association MD Meryl Halls tells The Journalist.
www.digitaltheatre.com
www.facebook.com/royaloperahouse
www.metopera.org www.nationaltheatrescotland.com
www.nationaltheatrewales.org/ntw- projects/network
My personal favourite musical
pastime is joining former Charlatans singer Tim Burgess on Twitter as he curates bands talking though classic albums. So far, he’s done The Libertines, Billy Bragg and Fontaines DC among others and there’s no end in sight as we go to press. Check out @Tim_Burgess and #timstwitterlisteningparty on Twitter.
Stage Theatre-goers are spoilt for choice for online shows ranging from the National Theatre’s free weekly
Screen Universal has decided to release their films (paid) online via their website, and streaming channels such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have witnessed a rise in subscriptions. The BBC has released classic shows on its iPlayer platform.
www.universalpictures.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer www.itv.com
www.channel4.com
www.channel5.com
www.sky.com
www.amazon.co.uk www.netflix.com.
Books Women at War: Inspired by a True Story Christine Lord “I thought it important that the stories of German women who grew up under Hitler’s rule and then escaped postwar Germany by marrying allied service personnel should be told,” NUJ member Christine Lord tells The Journalist.
offerings to paid-for alternatives such as Marquee TV (which also features dance and opera) and Digital Theatre, which has archive footage too. The national theatres of Scotland and Wales are also running online events. If opera’s your bag, then the Royal Opera House is screening shows on Facebook and the Met Opera is doing the same on its website.
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/ nt-at-home
www.marquee.tv
, Books: virtual shops and clubs “There are also virtual
events and book clubs to take part in online, reading bundles for self-isolation and curated online shops that recreate the experience of being in store.” Independent bookseller
Hereward Corbett has closed his Cotswolds-
based Yellow Lighted Bookshops to walk-in customers and started selling online. “Cashflow’s our biggest
issue, but being online helps us tick over,” he says. “I’m optimistic we can get through this.” Find your local independent bookshop at
https://booksellers.org.uk/ bookshopsearch
Women at War is inspired by the numerous interviews the award- winning journalist and filmmaker conducted with camp survivors, German civilians, allied service personnel and by her parents’ stories. The novel is about 14-year-old
Greta running for her life across Germany in 1945, and poses the question: in war, what would you do to survive?
https://tinyurl.com/yac875g3
In Defence of English Style: a Language Guide for the Age of 27/7 Journalese RJ Fallon NUJ member Dr RJ Fallon believes the sanity of British culture depends on good journalism and that good journalism requires uncommon linguistic skills.
In this book he runs the rule over
our ever-changing language. He’s particularly harsh on the “impoverished” BBC and sets out to defend the English public from ‘journalese’. I hope he doesn’t mind what I’ve written here.
www.crossandvine.com/
Comedy Comedians have adapted to the lockdown by appearing on various online platforms and in podcasts. NextUpNow is popular with
stand-ups, and Go Faster Stripe is selling footage of previous live shows to raise money for the Trussell Trust. Check your favourite comedian’s social media feeds for some gems.
https://nextupcomedy.com/ nextupnow
https://www.gofasterstripe.com
Galleries The i helpfully lists 50 virtual days out, ranging from online art galleries to modern wonders of the world. This takes us on a journey from the National Gallery in London, taking in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Louvre in Paris, the Musei Vaticani and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Check it out – it should keep you busy for a while and help with your claustrophobia.
https://tinyurl.com/y7uvy55e
The Journalist’s arts page would like to express solidarity with all entertainment workers who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis
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