The Riot Culture Drop: staying sane while staying in (issue #1)

Since our last newsletter at the end of February, the world has changed beyond recognition. In just a matter of weeks, the way we live, work, our daily freedoms and our social interactions are in unchartered territory. As we adjust to a life inside, the culture and entertainment industry – who we exist to shout about – are finding new ways to create and share their output. We believe that now, more than ever, people need access to culture to keep us inspired, entertained and motivated.

So for the foreseeable future, our newsletters will be a place to share our favourite recommendations to bring culture to you. We are also sharing daily content and ideas on our twitter feed @RiotComms. We hope you find this useful at this difficult time.

Stay safe everyone.

Preena Gadher, Co-founder and MD, Riot Communications

As schools close, we know parents are looking for ideas and resources to pass the time. Each year we promote the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals – the most prestigious prize for new children’s books as chosen by librarians. Check out the recently announced shortlisted titles – all of which are excellent – and purchase from your local bookshop online!

Children’s Laureate, Cressida Cowell, is working with reading charity BookTrust and a host of other authors and illustrators to bring daily activities in “Home Time”. From storytelling, to drawing classes, puzzles and games, there are plenty of free resources available.

Finally, Audible recently announced that hundreds of their children’s audio books are now available for free. There are some gems to discover in multiple languages.

This is an excuse to dig out an old Rolling Stone article about the late Jonathan Demme, one of the best concert movie makers ever. He worked with Talking Heads and Justin Timberlake to name but two. Genius!

And speaking of music documentaries, Time Out (rebranded Time In) has curated a list of the best ones to stream.

London’s BFI Flare festival usually takes place in March, a cornerstone of the LGBTIQ+ calendar. Instead, they are showcasing new and classic films on the BFIplayer.On BBC iplayer try a Life Cinematic – think of it as Desert Island Discs but for films. Esteemed directors reflect on the films that have influenced their own work. We especially liked watching Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead), and Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey).

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Sign up to Diverted Traffic, the self-isolation newsletter from our client at the London Review of Books. Featuring a different piece from behind the paywall every day, they guarantee a complete absence of references to plague, pandemics or quarantine. It’s free to read and share.

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Given that exercise is currently much harder than ever before, we loved this article from The Conversation about the similar benefits of a hot bath. And relax…

Don’t forget to check us out on twitter for daily inspiration: @RiotComms