Often you want to be creative but don’t know where to start. Our Give a Hoot campaign could be a good place to begin.
There are some other great, supportive, creative groups in Leeds. But what if you want to do something NOW at home? Arts & Minds asked its members what they would recommend. Here is a selection of their ideas:
Ideas to get creative
You can find more ideas to try at home, on your own or with others, in the Creative Ageing Treasury of Leeds, co-ordinated by Leeds Playhouse and with activities from organisations across Leeds and West Yorkshire. Activities are designed for older people, but there are no age limits on creativity!
You can also find creative ideas to try at home from Leeds 2023 Year of Culture. Waking the Artist ran from January to April 2023 and encouraged everyone in the city to create and exhibit their own display, with ideas from sports murals to our West Indian Carnival and everything inbetween. Shared on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #WakingTheArtist.
Ideas for learning online
Curl up with a good book – you can access a vast collection of eBooks and eAudio books courtesy of Leeds Library and Information Service. You can also find online magazines and register for a library account via their website. See their Get Lost in a Book page for their health and wellbeing collection and mood-boosting books.
Develop a new skill with Skillshare. Find what fascinates you whether that’s drawing, photography or creative writing.
Isolation Art School on Instagram has video tutorials from professional artists, and inspiration from artists or all ages, backgrounds and abilities posting their work. Anyone with an Instagram account can view this for free.
Leeds University Library (LUL) – has created some online jigsaws of items in their archive.
Leeds Inspired for the latest listings for events including creative workshops and cinema hang outs.
My Learning has free learning resources from arts, cultural and heritage resources available on their website.
Opera North has Wellbeing Singing videos available for free on their website. Anyone can access them to practise singing and breathing exercises to help them feel better and enhance their lung function, release anxiety and improve their general health and wellbeing. They also run Opera Connect, with online workshops helping people appreciate opera music from around the world. Find out more from their What’s On page. The workshops are low cost for people on limited incomes and are accessed online using Zoom. They also have a course to get Leeds singing! From Couch to Chorus runs online over three weeks and features a performance you can join in-person. It’s pay-as-you-feel and has different sessions for different voices and complete beginners are welcome.
Pyramid Arts is is a collective of artists in Leeds with and without learning difficulties. Check out their online sessions and virtual gallery.
Shared Harmonies – check out Facebook where you can warm up your voice and learn a song.
Take a virtual museum tour – you can travel to the Louvre in Paris, the ruins of Pompeii, Park Guell in Barcelona the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, from the comfort of your armchair. Or, discover objects and stories at the Science and Media Museum. You can even virtually explore exhibits from Leeds Museums and Galleries.
The Swarthmore Education Centre offers online (and onsite) courses including creative and wellbeing classes.
Visit the University of Leeds galleries’ sculpture collection – The Stanley and Audrey Burton collection is available to view online via artuk.org, which has lots more UK art collections to explore online.
Watch free performances online – find a lists of stage shows, muscials, dance and opera that are free to watch online from What’s On Stage, Filmed On Stage and Watch Theatre Online.
WEA run online courses to help you develop a new skill such as drawing or creative writing. Some courses are free for eligible learners.