Taking art into your lockdown home
and had more than 2,000 engagements. The challenges are still available on the Sunderland Culture website,” explained Keith.
The museum also acted swiftly to transform a University of Sunderland Fine Art andDesignstudents’takeover event, which had been due at theendofApril.Thiseventbecameanonlinetakeoverofthe museum’s Received Wisdom exhibitioninpartnershipwith the prestigious Arts Council Collection. The online takeoverfeaturedworkbynineuniversitystudentsandtwostaff, andattractedalmost4,000directengagementsthroughInstagram and Twitter.
Arts Centre Washington’s performance programme has also been suspended until further notice, but the venuerespondedbyarrangingthe broadcastpremiereofTheSecret Earl of Biddick, a play developed by the venue’s Youth TheatreforthevisitofTheTall Ships in 2018.
Just before it closed National Glass Centre was preparing No Strings, an exhibition featuring artwork from seven international artists working with glass beads inunconventionalways.However,audiencescanstillseeNo Strings after a new film and online video tour of the exhibition was put on Sunderland Culture’s website.
“Our curator Julia Stephenson recorded the tour allowing people to enjoy this extraordinary exhibition from the comfort of their own home,”saidKeith.“Theonline videos we’re producing are part of our proactive plan to take arts and culture into our communities in new ways. Of course, not everyone has access to the internet, so some of our work is being done over the telephone.”
Thisplanincludesspecific work with identified communities, and includes a project with Sunderland Culture’s Creative Age groups affected by dementia, but which will incorporate social-distancingmeasures.Anotherproject will work with older people through the Age of Creativity Festival.