Distance Learning + Cool Activities for You
Getting bored and want to cultivate your mind? Want to get access to culture or find innovate ways to introduce new activities into your lockdown lifestyle? Here’s our growing list of resources. Updated regularly.
16 Free Streaming Services
This list from Shadow and Act features 16 free online streaming services where you can watch TV shows and movies. The list specifically features Black Streaming services as well as general streaming services and how to access them for free.
Adventure Journal Animal Cams
Anyway, if you’re cooped up inside over these coming weeks, maybe drop these cams into the old bookmark bar. Sea otter feeding time, Alaskan brown bears emerging from hibernation, European brown bears lolling about, otherworldly jellyfish, and more. This list is updated periodically.
Alvin Ailey (Performances Online)
Dance company Alvin Ailey is moving online. “Ailey for All” will offer videos of performances starting Monday with its most well-known work, “Revelations.” Full length performances will then stream Thursdays, and clips made by dancers at home will be included in a series called #TheShowMustGoOn.
Anarchist Film Archive
Christie Books provides a free online database of anarchist films, from topics such as the Black Panther Party to the Spanish Civil War and many more.
Art of Africa in Photos on The Guardian
Fotofest in Houston is one of the major photography events in the world, and its central show this year was to have been African Cosmologies: Photography, Time and the Other. Curated by Mark Sealy of Autograph ABP, London, the show has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the work of the 31 featured artists, looking at the intersection between the African diaspora, contemporary life and issues of colonialism and representation, can be seen in a companion book published by Schilt.
Audible Free Books Download
Good news for those stuck at home in isolation: Audible is making hundreds of titles available for free during the coronavirus pandemic. A mix of education, entertainment, and general-interest titles are available. Simply visit from any web browser to get started. No log-ins, credit card or passwords needed.
Baking Tutorials from Bread Ahead Bakery
London bakery Bread Ahead is live streaming baking tutorials on their instagram. The tutorials are available live or within 24 hours after they stream.
Black Artists Online
Self-Quarantine and chill. peep these 9 online Black artists’ galleries collected by BlackStew.com
Black Artists Online
Self-Quarantine and chill. peep these 9 online Black artists’ galleries collected by BlackStew.com
Black Films Streaming Online
As the world continues to stay indoors due to the spread of the Coronavirus, streaming platforms are booming. In addition to new content on Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video, older projects are getting new streams. For those looking to revisit old films featuring Black actors and actresses, here is a comprehensive list thanks to RollingOut.com of what’s out there.
British Council Free Online Courses with Free Certificates
The British Council offers free online courses in a variety of topics such as creative arts, media, business, and many more. These courses are certificate based upon completion of your chosen program.
BUFU’s Cloud 9 Collective Love on Ur Desktop
BUFU (By Us For Us Collective based in NYC) will soon launch an online portal, titled Cloud 9 Collective Love on Ur Desktop, featuring community online programs, mutual aid and network building, tips on how to generate digital intimacy, jam sessions, and collaborative crafting. Calendar of events is soon to come!
Building Beats
Non-profit that teaches tech, entrepreneurial & leadership skills through DJ & music programs for youth. During COVID-19, they are offering a number of online courses to learn about music making. They announce classes on their Instagram, so make sure to follow them to keep up with the latest learning opportunities!
Bunny Kitty Graffiti Activities
Street artist Dave Persue offers free downloadable activities for kids and adults who want to try their hands at graffiti writing, coloring and more.
Cards Against Humanity (Virtual Room)
And if you’re looking for something else fun to try, you can now play Cards Against Humanity online with your mates. Welcome to 2020. The popular game, which really brings out the worst in people, can be played on Playingcards.ioio and is fairly simple to set up; create your own virtual room via a link you can pass to your pals, where everyone can see the game in real time and join in.
Chill Beats to Quarantine To by Will Smith
Will Smith created a “chill beats” playlist featuring relaxing, lo-fi beats. Whether you’re working from home or sitting on the couch at home, this playlist will certainly get you in a calm state of mind.
Class Central (free university courses)
In the past seven years or so, over 800 universities around the world have been offering courses online for free (or at-least partially free). And now there are about 10,000 of these courses, which are collectively called as MOOCS or Massive Open Online Courses.
#ColorOurCollections Coloring Books
Calling all coloring book lovers. You can now take part in #ColorOurCollections 2017–a campaign where museums and libraries worldwide including The New York Public Library, Bodleian, Smithsonian & more made free coloring books available. Explore the collection, which you can download and continue to enjoy.
Cooking Classes by Massimo Bottura
Renowned chef
Massimo Bottura is offering free cooking classes via his Instagram @massimobottura. He provides recipes and general cooking tips.
DAD Work With Coltrane Curtis
An inspirational podcast that offers glimpse into the new quarantined life an agency owner, a husband and dad in conversation with other working dads.
DJs Livestream During Lockdown
D-Nice, Questlove & More: Here’s a List of Every DJ Stream That Has Been Keeping us Sane During Quarantine from OkayPlayer
Faces of Frida
A closer look at the many faces of Frida Kahlo through her life, art, and legacy, powered by Google Arts & Culture. This interactive platform features information about Kahlo’s life as well as images of her vast collection of artworks.
Film Forum Presents Virtual Cinema
Film Forum has partnered with Kino Lorber, Zeitgeist Films, Magnolia Pictures, and Film Movement to bring recent releases into their virtual screening room. Films are available to stream for a multi-day rental fee. The money goes directly to helping Film Forum, which is currently closed due to COVID-19 protocol.
Free Black Women’s Library (TFBWL)
The Free Black Women’s Library (TFBWL) is a mobile library dedicated to centering & celebrating the art, writing & lives of Black women. Ola Ronke, Artist & Creator of TFBWL, also offers a virtual reading series and book club.
Free Guitar Lessons From Fender
Fender Offering Three Months of Free Guitar Lessons So You Can Learn in Lockdown. The company is offering free three-month subscriptions to the first 100,000 new subscribers to their Fender Play platform. Usually costing $9.99 a month (or $89.99 annually; £9.99 per month or £89.99 per year in the UK), the service provides instructional videos to teach guitar, bass, and ukulele based on a personal style preference and instrument choice.
GirlTrek: Healthy Black Women and Girls
Inspiration for Black women and girls who value healthy living. Get daily pictures, ideas and quotes to keep you motivated! Plus powerful livestreams hosted by Vanessa and Morgan at GirlTrek.
Google Earth Virtual Park Tours
Google Earth rolled out virtual tours of some of the most breathtaking parks in the country. The map and satellite imagery masters at Google Earth have put together a series of guided virtual tours of 31 national parks around the country, providing a stunning glimpse of the trails and vistas you can take advantage of if you visit them in real life.
Gordon Parks Foundation
By the end of 1948, Gordon Parks (1912–2006) had cemented his reputation as a successful photojournalist by becoming the first African American staff photographer at Life magazine. Ralph Ellison (1913–1994) was three years into writing Invisible Man, regarded today as one of the most important American novels of the postwar period. That year, Parks and Ellison undertook the first of two magazine collaborations, inspired by a shared view of racial injustices and a belief that, when carefully chosen, words and photographs could effect meaningful change.
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vc_column_text]Hip-Hop documentaries (rare)
Ever since hip-hop first blossomed out of the South Bronx, there has been a desire by filmmakers to capture visual evidence of the culture in motion.Whether it is because of its niche subject matter or lack of broad distribution, many amazing hip-hop documentaries end up flying under the radar. Here’s OkayPlayer’s list of 11 films you can stream right now.
Homemade Poetry from Aja Monet and Friends
Replenish yourself with poetry for the soul and other homemade gems read by poet and activist Aja Monet and friends. When? Every 1st and 15th of every month from 7-9pm EST on Facebook Live. You won’t be disappointed…
House Party App
Think FaceTime for up to 8 people plus games! Available on iOS, Android, macOS, and Chrome.
How to Make Navajo Flat Bread
A step-by-step recipe guide on how to make Navajo Flat Bread, which is the “easiest kind of bread you can make” according to this website!
IDFA Free Films
IDFA, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, is the world’s largest documentary film gathering. They offer 300 of their films for free online.
Iron Skillet Bread-making
15 iron skillet bread-making recipes! Making bread can be a long and tedious process, however, the cast iron skillet method is easier and quicker.
Jean-Michel Basquiat x Keith Haring x Kaws Virtual Gallery
The National Gallery of Victoria in Australia is opening up for virtual tours! A Free Jean-Michel Basquiat & Keith Haring Virtual Exhibit Opens To The Public. due to the closure of the National Gallery of Victoria, people from all around the world will find themselves fortunate enough to view the NGV’s newly-launched virtual programming. This includes the unprecedented and world premiere exhibition Crossing Lines, showcasing the works of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Kara Walker Drawings
Sikkema Jenkins & Co. is pleased to present a solo exhibition of works on paper by Kara Walker, featuring selections from the artist’s personal archive alongside more recent drawings. The show previews a selection of works that will be included in Walker’s first major exhibition in Switzerland at the Kunstmuseum Basel. The museum exhibition will travel to HEART – Herning Museum of Contemporary Art in Herning, Denmark and the De Pont Museum of Contemporary Art in Tillburg, The Netherlands.
La Casa Azul Frida Kahlo Museum Virtual Tour
Which fervent Frida Kahlo fan hasn’t dreamed of visiting her blue house in Mexico? Now transformed into a museum, it is a must-visit spot in Mexico. Vogue Paris is opening the doors to give you an exclusive guided tour which can now be lived straight from your sofa.
LeVar Burton Reads
In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to brin
g stories by Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, and more to life. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a deep breath…
Liberated People x Black Designer Database
Looking for volunteers to help sew the curve! Black designer database is partnering with @LiberatedPeople by coordinating with the city of NY to make free masks for citizens and civil servants. We need volunteers who can sew & cut fabric from home! You down to help? Join the fight against COVID-19.
Mil Mundos Books on Bikes
Mil Mundos books is an activist Spanglish bookstore in Bushwick. They are now offering a book delivery service for those who are staying at home, but need some good reads! They deliver to neighboring zip codes.
MoCADA Picks
Explore top rated films, books, and music of yesterday and today, selected by MoCADA staff, board, and friends. Watch, read, listen, and then add them to your rotation.
MoCADA Pinterest
Explore contemporary Black art and some of our favorite social justice moments of today and yesterday via MoCADA’s inspired collection of photos, art, and more.
Modern Art Books Online by Guggenheim Museum
Guggenheim Museum Releases Over 200 Modern Art Books Online for Free. Modern art lovers rejoice! The Guggenheim Museum in New York has just made more than 200 books about modern art available online. Not only can you read them online, but you can download them in PDF or ePub formats—for free—at the Internet Archive.
Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival Enters Quarantine Mode, Releases 50+ Full Performances for Free Hold yourself over with more than 50 full (and free) Montreux Jazz Festival performances.
NASA Media Library
No matter if you enjoy taking or just watching images of space, NASA has a treat for you. They have made their entire collection of images, sounds, and video available and publicly searchable online. It’s 140,000 photos and other resources available for you to see, or even download and use it any way you like.
NY Public Library’s SimplyE
The New York Public Library has an app that allows anyone with a library card (and an iOS or Android phone) to “borrow” any of the 300,000 e-books in the collection. It’s called SimplyE and will allow you to read books on your phone, but beware, there might be a wait list for some popular titles, including the Game of Thrones and Harry Potter series.
Okayplayer’s Best Nollywood Films List
From movies by Genevieve Nnaji to Kunle Afolayan—these are the best Nigerian films to watch online while stuck inside avoiding the coronavirus.
Open-Access JSTOR Materials
Much of JSTOR’s database of articles, academic journals, and books are available for free, no login required. They have further expanded their collection of free materials in the midst of COVID-19.
Pretty. Period.™
A visual tribute to brown skin. A visional testimony of Black beauty. A vision board for healing. Curated by Dr. Yaba Blay.
Public Domain Books (free)
Want to load your e-reader or tablet with free ebooks, legally? Check out this list of sites that offer free public domain books in electronic and audio format. Here’s a list of 25 sources to download books available in the public domain.
The Root’s How to Play Spades
The Root created an online guide to playing spades, so you and your family or roommates can play at home! The article features a history of the game as well as a step by step how-to.
SCOPE OF WORK (SOW)’s Drawing Bored Coloring Book
Scope Of Work (SOW) commissioned 20 SOW Members to create a digital coloring book to both motivate and inspire as society reimagines new systems of support, new methods of problem-solving, and new ways to care for one another. It’s time to go back to the drawing board. DRAWING BORED was designed by SOW Member, Rey Carlson.
Shantell Martin Art Class
Draw on everything with celebrated visual artist Shantell Martin. This half-hour class takes you into her NYC studio to explore the projects that inspire her, the markers that move her, and creative prompts she’s used with thousands of students to help everyone find their own personal creative voice. Watch her create a series of rapid-fire, stream-of-consciousness drawings, then draw your own “creative sprints” using 5 of her favorite prompts: standing up, with music, while rotating the paper, while blindfolded, and while talking aloud. If you’re used to studiously sitting to draw, this is unlike anything you’ve seen or done before. This is a class for artists, creators, makers, and everyone looking to kickstart their creativity. No experience or technique needed—just break out a pen, follow the prompts, and let it happen!
Shakespeare Streaming
Although theaters around the globe are currently closed, The South Bank’s Globe Theatre has an online catalog of plays and filmed performances to watch. There is both free content and paid content available to rent. They also feature exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Great for theater lovers!
Shoppe Black
SHOPPE BLACK is a Philadelphia, PA based company founded by husband and wife team, Tony O. Lawson and Shantrelle P. Lewis. They create and curate content related to Black business ownership and Black culture in the global diaspora. Since 2015, they have profiled thousands of businesses and interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs and professionals from New York to Nigeria, all in the name of celebrating Black Business excellence and encouraging our community to invest in itself and to #SHOPPEBLACK. They are currently expanding our business to include a global business directory and a business agency that will provide Black owned businesses and professionals with much needed services and resources such as access to capital, branding, digital marketing and customer experience training.
Sotheby’s 50 Years of African Photography
Sotheby’s 50 Years of African Photography presents a collection of photographs from J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Seydou Keïta, Malick Sidibé and Samuel Fosso, as well as documentary and social realism of David Goldblatt, Guy Tillim, Leonce Raphael Agbodjelou and Pieter Hugo.
Stream Calendar Live
STREAM CALENDAR LIVE is your source for live streaming events within our community.
Stream Experimental Films and Video Art
Hyperallergic created a list of experimental films and video art available to stream online. This is a great list for people who are tired of the usual selections on popular streaming services.
University Art Classes
Artsy creates this list of their top 10 online art and design courses. Many are free and self paced, making it easier to learn online on your own time! Topics range from art history to drawing comics and many more.
Verzuz
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are essential workers of the quarantine thanks to their Verzuz Instagram live battle series, where popular Black artists/musicians from around the world celebrate their musical catalogs track by track.
Virtual Museum Tours
Thanks to Google, you c
an now visit 500 museums around the globe – through your computer screen. These free virtual tours show the outside of the museum and the important art works that live inside.
Visions of Blackness: NY’s Photography Pioneers – in Pictures
This article from The Guardian showcases photographs from the Kamoinge Workshop. Kamoinge means “people working together.” The workshop was set up by photographer Louis Draper in 1963. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts put together 180 images from the first 20 years of the workshop, shown in the article.
Winchester Mystery House (Virtual Tour)
The Winchester Mystery House is offering a free 41 minute virtual tour. The Winchester Mystery House is a fantastic California landmark, a monument to firearms heiress Sarah Winchester’s near-unlimited funds and her manic desire to build a home to confuse the ghosts a haunting her.
