From DIY pottery kits to the Royal Academy’s iconic tweet challenging its followers to “draw us the best ham”, creative challenges were a crucial form of distraction, entertainment and self-expression during lockdown. In May 2020, the Southbank Centre launched a fitting initiative to connect with people who needed it most: Art By Post, a project that saw over 4,500 people at risk of loneliness and isolation receive free cultural activities through their letterboxes. The result? More than 600 gallery-ready artworks that act as a pandemic time capsule.
Now, the works created as part of the project – including drawings, paintings and poetry – are being showcased in a free exhibition, with each piece accompanied by a photo of its artist on their doorstep. Opening at the Southbank Centre on Monday, Art By Post: Of Home And Hope is themed around things that powered people through the pandemic: hope, nature, sound and movement. The collection will travel around the UK from October, but if you don’t catch it in the capital, you can still see all the artworks in an online gallery. Prepare to be moved by humans’ capacity for creativity in the hardest of times. 20 Sept–3 Oct; free; Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, SE1