Virtual Patrons: Eight ways to experience the arts from home
Hit hard by COVID19, the music and arts industries have come up with creative ways for you to enjoy the arts from your armchair.
By BENJAMIN LAMB
The music and Arts industries have been hit hard over the past 18 months. Closed borders, cancelled musical runs and museum shutdowns have meant arts and music fans alike have been without some of their favourite things.
According to Broadsheet, an estimated $325 million in the Australian live music industry was lost in the first month of COVID-19 restrictions due to all-round event cancellations and delays.
But the arts sector in Melbourne has adapted and created some great ways for audiences to experience the arts virtually.
Here are just a few ways you can currently experience the Arts in Melbourne from the comfort of your own home, as we get through the last few weeks of lockdown and back to the things we love.
Film and TV
Watching movies is a lockdown survival staple and it comes as no surprise that 88 per cent of Australian adults use at least one streaming service in their day-to-day lives.
In 2021, there are plenty of platforms available with movies, documentaries and the like. Netflix, Stan, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Paramount Plus are only a few in a long list of options.
Not only that, but food delivery services are offering tasty candy bar treats from your local cinema to bring the complete movie magic to your door.
Disney+ Groupwatch
Disney+ is one of the biggest streaming services out there - full of the best Marvel, Star Wars and Disney blockbusters that garner many fans across the globe. With its groupwatch feature, you can virtually check out these films with friends and family across the world.
You can share reactions and thoughts in real time, pause when nature calls, and enjoy it all from the comfort of your couch.
You can choose the groupwatch feature for pretty much anything on Disney+. Similar functions are also available via Netflix’s ‘Teleparty’.
ACMI Cinema 3
The popular Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) has adapted to the virtual space by starting ACMI Cinema 3, allowing audiences to check out the latest quirky cinema and avant-garde releases at home. You can watch many of their available movies for around $15 per view.
Some of the most critically acclaimed movies on the service include The Donut King, a film about a Cambodian refugee who started a donut empire; an interesting dive into a filmmaker’s personal history in Stories We Tell; and an all-Australian film about opal mining in Strange Colours.
Cinema 3 has become a popular streaming service among Australian film fanatics, which may result in longevity after lockdown subsides.
Art
The early months of 2020 saw galleries and art centres shut their doors and pivot their showings, lessons and exhibitions to the online stage. This has allowed art enthusiasts to still experience their favourite elements of their beloved artistic world without leaving the house.
In 2021, there are a variety of interactive activities to experience.
NGV
The National Gallery of Victoria has opened its doors to the online world with its virtual tours, which allow audiences to experience the gallery in an interactive way and attend various talks.
Using their virtual gallery rooms, you can walk through all of your favourite spaces such as the NGV Salon and the British and European Collections, as well as newer temporary instalments in the gallery.
They are also offering lectures from some of the best experts in art for intimate discussions and online workshops with artists. All of these can be accessed for free via the NGV’s website.
Art Schools
A number of art schools across the country have also moved to online teaching to adjust to the changing conditions of the COVID-19 landscape. Classes are now being offered via zoom for all types of people, allowing participants to learn and enjoy without the fear of judgement for their work.
Serious artists and casual dabblers alike are invited, so even if you’re not artistically inclined, it’s a great way to relax and most importantly - kill some time.
Melbourne Art Class is just one of the schools offering a variety of different classes for different skill sets, with sessions generally priced around $45 per class.
Live Music
The resilient Australian music industry has adapted to the challenges it has faced over the past 18 months and, like many of its industry peers, moved to the online world so they can keep doing what they love.
These virtual shows cover all genres - from bands to orchestras - there is something for everyone.
MSO.Live
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s online platform, MSO.live, has been commended by many across the industry and is a great taste of what this world-class orchestra can bring to the stage.
The subscription platform costs $15 per month and features a range of recent archived performances from the MSO’s larger concerts, special events such as their concert with Tina Arena, and MSO Chorus collaborations to their website.
This also includes live-streamed performances from across Melbourne’s many lockdowns.
Chapel off Chapel
If you’re more of a contemporary music fan, Melbourne venue Chapel Off Chapel has been working with a number of different musicians throughout the pandemic to put on live streamed shows.
Their website houses a streaming service, featuring live clips from the plethora of acts that have graced the Chapel Off Chapel stage over the past three years.
These performances can be viewed for free, and feature acts like Thando, Reece Mastin, and pop duo Matt and Jess.
Comedy
Rushtix
Everyone’s in need of a good laugh. With theatres in America still slowly opening their doors, foreign comedians are making their living in the virtual world, especially through Rushtix.
Rushtix is an American company that puts on semi-regular live streamed gigs, featuring a heap of your favourite US comedians such as Rob Schneider and Sarah Silverman. Shows are usually priced between $40-$60 AUD.
Further information about Rushtix’s upcoming performances can be found on their website
The Comic’s Lounge
If you’d prefer some Aussie flavour, Melbourne comedy staple The Comic’s Lounge has been putting on some pretty awesome virtual gigs.
They feature some of Australia’s funniest comedians such as Spicks and Specks regular Adam Rozenbachs, Melbourne International Comedy Festival regular Josh Earl, and star of cult favourite Acropolis Now, George Kapiniaris.
These gigs have been pre-recorded and can be caught here. The admission fee is a donation, with prices starting at $10.
