Embark on an Arts Adventure While You #StayHome

Now that the weather is getting a little warmer, we’re all getting a bit of that ol’ Summertime Feeling…

Given our current global situation, though, it’s pretty clear that social distancing is going to play a major role in all of our lives for the foreseeable future; we’re all going to have to be a bit creative with the ways we spend our downtimes this summer.

But fret not, because here at The Morning Bell, we’ve got you covered with yet another bunch of suggested online activities that will help open your cultural horizons all season long while you #StayHome. This time around, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite online museums, theatrical performances, and digital exhibitions that we hope will give many of you a little of that “summer travel” feeling in the coming weeks.

So check out our list of online activities and exhibitions below, and let us know in the comments section if you have any suggestions of your own!

• Go on an art adventure with Tate Kids and learn about the art world through games and unique art activities. We challenge your inner artist to draw the most surreal creature and share with Tate Kids Gallery or with us on Twitter!

• Enjoy visiting a #MuseumFromHome, courtesy of the San Francisco Modern Museum of Art (SFMOMA). You have the freedom to get a glimpse of SFMOMA’s contemporary Artist Cribs, recreate some of your favorite pieces from the museum’s collection at home, or explore the miniature museum!

• Join the virtual tour of Japan’s famous Ghibli Museum online and get a glimpse of your favorite Studio Ghibli characters!

• Study the Founding Era with Hamilton Education at Home—through student performances, primary resources, and interviews with Lin-Manuel Miranda and select “Hamilton” cast members!

• New Victory Theater’s Arts Break might just be the break you need! They feature free video lessons every school day, exploring new forms of art each week—from puppetry, choreography, magic, clowning, and juggling.

• How much do you know about modern dance? Did you know that Hip-Hop took form in the heart of our City—the Bronx? Can’t decide whether you’re a fan of tragedy or comedy? Behold Mozart’s tragicomedy, “Don Giovanni!” Explore “A World of Music,” dance, opera, and the performing arts at the Kennedy Center!

• Heidi Latsky Dance, a mixed dance company, is offering live events and classes that you can join via Instagram Live and Zoom.

• Don’t miss New York City Ballet’s (NYCB) digital spring season—all throughout May, NYCB will be streaming two ballets a week!

• Swing by Lincoln Center at Home to stream lovely performances at the New York City Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera, and the New York Philharmonic. The Lincoln Center Pop-Up Classroom is also open every school day at 2 p.m. to livestream art workshops and dance lessons, narrative voice workshops, and songwriting.

• “Come what come may,” Shakepeare’s Globe presents you the 2020 production of “Macbeth.” Or, if you are a fan of Shakesperean comedies, explore the Globe’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

• Take on Manhattan Theater Club’s Student Monologue Challenge! Write a one-minute monologue in response to the prompt, “There is something I need to say to you,” and submit it online. Select monologues will be featured on the Manhattan Theater Club’s website and social media channels. For tips and pointers on how to write a great monologue, check out Pulitzer prize-winning playwright, David Auburn, and his video, “Playwriting Insights from David Auburn,” which is part of the Manhattan Theater Club’s Family Drama Playwriting Workshop Series.

• Enjoy lunchtime conversations with Broadway actors, composers, and more! Camp Broadway’s At This Stage series connects students with theater stars, including composer-lyricist Georgia Stitt, and “Moulin Rouge’s” Kevin Curtis.

• The Big Green Theater, brought to you by the Bushwick Starr and Superhero Clubhouse, has weekly activities for young writers to begin playwriting and songwriting!

We hope this list helps you and your family feel a bit more “well-traveled” in the coming weeks. For more great tips, suggested activities, including previous installments in our #StayHome activities series, subscribe to The Morning Bell today!

(Credit for banner image, “Closeup of plastic cup for paint,” by Nenad Stojkovic. Used under Creative Commons license. Original can be found on Flickr.)