“Not another Zoom meeting,” we hear you cry. Fear not – these upcoming virtual events are bound to give you a much-needed boost after months and months of living like Charlie’s grandparents from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
With some time to go until restrictions fully lift, keep entertained at home with our pick of the best virtual diary dates for spring 2021. Cookery classes, online workshops and must-try armchair events – here’s how to live life on the small screen this spring
1 Hannah Martin’s Spring Summer beauty trends with between Samsung KX
Give your beauty routine a boost with this fun online experience. Samsung KX has partnered with MUA Hannah Matin to share 10 top Spring Summer beauty trends. Via the Samsung KX content hub, Hannah Martin is also teaching how to create three of these trends yourself at home – dewy bases, laminated brows and watercolour eyes.
She brings these looks to life in a virtual beauty masterclass, showcasing to viewers exactly how to create these looks in the comfort of your own home. The masterclass is also all filmed on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, and she provides some useful tips on creating your own make up videos and vlogs alongside.
How: Visit samsung.com to start the experience
Cost: Free
2 Listen Along with The Hippodrome’s Al Fresco Concerts
One day, we’ll be able to enjoy live music in person. But until then, get your musical fix with The Hippodrome’s new series of free to stream, virtual al fresco concerts broadcast live from until 17th May from its new open-air terrace bar, The Rooftop.
Designed to help us all through these last few months of lockdown, soulful solos and tantalising tunes will be broadcast straight to your sofa via Facebook, so pour yourself a quarantini and get ready to enjoy live music with a side of home comforts this spring.
Showcasing the biggest and the best of The Hippodrome’s roster of talented performers, the series features a mix of exciting and talented acts, with the lineup set to feature:
- Saturday 20th March, 7pm – join international powerhouse, Crystal Cimaglia, (@crystalcimaglia) for an evening of pop favourites, vintage classics and more!
- Saturday 3rd April, 7pm – jump right into the Great American Songbook with Beverley Stone, and twist the night away with Big Band Swing, Jazz, as well as contemporary tunes with a vintage twist (@beverley.stone_singer)
- Saturday, 10th April, 7pm – known for fronting the popular function band, ‘The Right Hook’, Chris Sullivan will be flying solo for a throwback set packed full of 80’s floor fillers and hits, guaranteed to get you up and dancing! (@cjp_sullivan)
How: Tune in via The Hippodrome’s Facebook page.
Cost: Free
3 Learn about interiors sustainability with Amara
Sustainability has never been more topical, which is why luxury online retailer AMARA are running a series of Instagram Live sessions each Wednesday across the month of April, centred on sustainability within the interiors sector. Hosting the sessions will be interiors journalist and designer, Roddy Clarke.
Each week will centre on a different theme within interiors sustainability, with a talented roster of guests who are experts within their respective fields leading the way.
Week 1: The Conscious Consumer
Wednesday 7th April at 5pm
Roddy Clarke joins the MD of Anglepoise, Simon Terry, the founder of Graphenstone, Patrick Folkes and author and design consultant Katie Seidler of @hello_haus to discuss the power of shopping with a conscious mindset and how brands and consumers can work closer together in the fight for a sustainable future.
Week 2: Restore and Reimagine
Wednesday 14th April at 5pm
Roddy Clarke joins upholsterer and interior designer Micaela Sharp and furniture restorer Will Kirk to look at the joy of bringing new life to interior pieces and how, through preserving the past, we can look forward to a brighter future for our homes.
Week 3: Repurpose with Purpose
Wednesday 21st April at 5pm
Roddy Clarke joins two amazing charities, Emmaus and Restoration Station, to discuss the vital work they do in working with local communities to help restore and repurpose furniture, helping to divert it from rising landfill levels across the country.
Week 4: Recycle in Style
Wednesday 28th April at 5pm
Roddy Clarke joins textile designer and craft influencer Zeena Shah, alongside up-cycling duo Patience & Gough, to look at the fun and playfulness of upcycling and DIY and how it brings joy to the home.
How: The AMARA Instagram Live Q&As will be hosted on AMARA’s Instagram page: @amaraliving
When: Live at 5pm every Wednesday in April
4 Indulge with a METAXA Chocolate Tasting Masterclass
Chocoholics, we’ve got you covered. Taking us on a chocolate exploration from the comfort of our homes, Greece’s most loved amber spirit METAXA has teamed up with London’s purveyor of Greek artisan products, Oliveology to host an Easter Special virtual tasting workshop with a chocolate twist.
Running on 2nd April and 23rd April, the online events make the perfect household or date night activity this April. Each workshop will offer a guided cocktail tasting and making masterclass led by METAXA’s brand ambassador Harry Gerakis,and Oliveology’s food anthropologist Nafsika Papacharalampous.
Guests can sip on METAXA in a variety of ways including, neat, within homemade cocktails or as a pairing with a variety of foods and artisanal chocolate from Greek chocolatiers, Esophy. All attendees will receive a bespoke box for two complete with 4 miniature bottles of METAXA 12 Stars, the signature spirit of METAXA, alongside Oliveology’s paired Greek deli delights.
Complimenting METAXA’s smooth taste of Samos Muscat wines and Mediterranean botanicals, the food pairings include: dried figs, roasted & lightly salted almonds, orange blossom honey, kalamata olives with orange and herbs, organic, cold-pressed olive oil with lemons, oranges and thyme and and beautifully matched Esophy chocolate with cardamom and fig.
How: Book tickets via oliveology.co.uk/product/oliveology-x-metaxa-tasting
When: Friday 2nd April 2021 | Friday 23rd April 2021
Duration: 1.5 hours
Start Time: 7pm
5 Tune in to Vogue Visionaries
British Vogue and YouTube UK have partnered to launch a new series of masterclasses – Vogue Visionaries, a series for aspiring creatives. This creative partnership harnesses the reach of both brands to create an exciting series of free online classes that will educate and inspire those who want to make an impact in the worlds of fashion, art, beauty and business.
Through eight videos, each split into short, accessible parts, British Vogue’s closest collaborators will share their expertise.
Several classes have already launched, including conversations with Naomi Scott and iconic ‘It Girl’ Alexa Chung.
Still to come:
Episode Three: Hair
Sam McKnight, 6th April
Episode Four: Music
Celeste, May
Episode Five: Writer
Bernardine Evaristo, June
Episode Six: Model
Jourdan Dunn, August
Episode Seven: Business / Influence
Patricia Bright, October
Episode Eight
To be announced, December
How: Tune in via British Vogue’s YouTube.
Cost: Free
5 Learn a new skill with Tommy Hilfiger x FutureLearn
Tommy Hilfiger has announced a new partnership with online learning platform, FutureLearn, designed to inspire change by creating access to a unique portfolio of social impact educational courses.
With the shared belief that creating a better future begins with creating the best versions of ourselves, Tommy Hilfiger’s meaningful, social and environmental sustainability courses are freely available on FutureLearn’s mobile-first platform.
The short courses are a mixture of storytelling, engaging in dialogue, developing new social and environmental knowledge and celebrating progress. They are free of charge, each take four hours to complete and will be viewable indefinitely on FutureLearn.com across mobile, tablet and computer devices.
From a DJ booth, to a horse ranch or a fashion runway, the impassioned, modern leaders hosting each course are dedicated to showing that a difference can be made in every environment and community.
The remaining courses and their representative campaign advocates include:
- March 29, 2021: Exploring mentorship and community change with horse-riding healing community and mentorship collective, Compton Cowboys.
- Summer 2021: Exploring LGBTQIA+ activism, advocacy and allyship with Actor, model and activist, Indya Moore.
How: Each take four hours to complete and will be viewable indefinitely on FutureLearn.com across mobile, tablet and computer devices.
Cost: Free
6 Keep and calm and candle on with Tara Nash’s Candlelit Breathwork Class
Switch off your lights at home & participate in a special Candlelit Breathwork Class with Spiritual Psychologist, Breathwork & Meditation Expert, Tara Nash in aid to help support our planet and honour climate change.
The relaxing class costs £8, with all proceeds being donated to ‘Friends of the Earth’ charitable trust, who are dedicated to protecting the natural world and the wellbeing of everyone in it. Earth Hour is a symbol of unity, hope, power and community all of which Breathwork can help cultivate.
Breathwork helps with stress relief, anxiety, depression, trauma, creative blocks and can increase mood elevation, mental clarity and energy boosting – ideal after so many months of pandemic-induced stress.
You can do it from the comfort of your own bed, light a candle and allow the technique to help restore a sense of peace in honour of our planets Earth Hour.
Tara teaches ‘Revelation Breathwork,’ a simple, safe and effective two-step technique that helps quieten the mind to release intense physical and emotional release. Designed by two of her fellow graduates based in Los Angeles, this practice is an active breathing process that differs from most traditional meditation and mindfulness classes but can significantly deepen and enhance wellbeing.
When: Saturday, 27th March at 8.30pm
How: Book a ticket via eventbrite.co.uk
Cost: £8 per person. All proceeds will be donated to ‘Friends of the Earth’ charitable trust.
7 Switch off with Cowdray’s virtual lifestyle programme
Sussex-based Cowdray is a dynamic and progressive Estate, filled with plenty to explore in incredibly beautiful surroundings. As a destination, Cowdray offers a range of premium country pursuits from scenic golf and an award winning clay-pigeon shooting school to a goodie-packed farm shop.
Get a dose of virtual wellbeing during lockdown with Cowdray’s online lifestyle programme. Wellness is integral to Cowdray’s ethos and values and has been championed on the Estate for many years. It is positively promoted throughout the Estate’s thriving and diverse businesses and is very much directed by Lord and Lady Cowdray’s advocacy of such lifestyle choices.
The programme includes a series of free events from live talks with inspirational speakers such as Colm Holland and Satish Kumar and informative ‘Talking Points’ by practicing therapists at Cowdray’s Therapy Rooms.
Topics from therapists include nutritional therapy, clinical psychology, physiotherapy and osteopathy, to name a few.
How: Visit cowdray.co.uk for more
Cost: Free
8 Partake in a live paella cookalong with Quique Dacosta and Arros QD
Foodies, appetites at the ready! Quique Dacosta, the multi-Michelin-starred chef behind London’s premier paella restaurant, has pledged to champion British suppliers with sustainable Rice-in-Paella dishes at Arros QD, making the most of British produce.
Arros QD will be championing the best British produce on its signature Valencian menu with four new Rice-in-Paella dishes, resulting in a series of hybrid ‘British Paellas’ which maintain their original Valencian DNA, whilst supporting British suppliers with key ingredients sourced from the UK.
To mark the launch of this new chapter for Arros QD, Quique Dacosta will be hosting a cook-along on Thursday 8 April, 6pm, teaching diners the art of paella making and showcasing the British suppliers they are championing, such as HG Walter and Celtic Fish & Game.
The restaurant will be switching out traditional Spanish produce for the likes of Cornwall scallops, Berkshire pork and Northumberland halibut. The new menu includes the likes of Cornish Queen Scallop Rice, Berkshire pork belly Rice, Morel and wild garlic Rice and Northumberland Halibut Rice, paired with two options of English wines that feature on their award-winning wine list.
Subsequent cook-alongs will be held once a month, led by Arros QD’s Head Chef Richard de la Cruz, who will explain the concept behind each dish, how to cook it, and why it’s important that we make changes to support UK suppliers. Bottles of British wine will be available, selected by head sommelier Jose Balado to complement each dish.
When: Launching Thursday 8 April, 6pm. Subsequent cook-alongs will be held once a month.
How: Book your place via eventbrite.co.uk
Cost: Tickets start at £68.
9 Boost your biz with Sophia Amoruso’s free live masterclass
In the OG Girl Boss’ words herself, “the past year has anointed a new generation of armchair entrepreneurs armed with Squarespace free trials and moodboards. Buuut it takes more than inspo and a few logins to build a great business”.
If you’ve started a new business venture during lockdown or need a boost, tune into Sophia’s free FOUNDER Framework session as she shares advice on what you need to know to turn your idea into a profitable business. She’ll be teaching a live masterclass on what every founder needs to create a profitable business from someone who’s been there, found success, and survived a few missteps along the way.
When: Wednesday March 24, 1pm & 4pm PT. Friday March 26, 1pm & 4pm PT.
How: Sign up and reserve your space via sophiaamoruso.com
Cost: Free
9 Join Isle of Harris Distillery for a Virtual Cèilidh
Isle of Harris Distillery has been working hard to help us all celebrate the joys of community and connection no matter how far apart we find ourselves in these unusual times.
The Gaelic word Cèilidh (pronounced kay-lee) is often associated with kilts, highland dancing and a full band of Scottish musicians, but it is a word which simply means visiting and socialising with friends – which requires no fuss or formality. All you need is yourself, and something to drink!
On Saturday 27th of March , you are invited to join the Harris Distillery team at a safe social distance for some storytelling, music and a bit of ‘craic’, all from the comfort of your own home.
Your hosts, Iona Cairns and Calum Barker, shall be joined by three musical guests – Gaelic singer Chloe Steele, Gaelic singer and musician Donald Barker and musician Conal McDonagh. In addition, Callum John MacKay will also be joining to share some local history stories from the village Ardhasaig in Harris.
When: Saturday 27 March, 8pm UK time.
How: Email iona@harrisdistillery.com to book. For full details, visit harrisdistillery.com
10 Join a Croatian virtual pool party with HVAR [PLACESHOTEL]
Croatian hotel group Valamar is celebrating the launch of its newest property with a free live-streamed pool party on Thursday 1st April. Local DJs Yakka and duo Grabber & Dobrilla will be mixing directly from one of the hotel’s balconies, with upbeat sets featuring classic house and EDM, set against the beautiful backdrop of the HVAR [PLACESHOTEL].
To mark 50 days before opening and give holidaymakers from all over Europe who are pining for pool parties a taste of things to come, the [PLACESDJSET] will be livestreamed here on Thursday 1st April from 5pm GMT. Expect 90 minutes of pure sunshine vibes, and a sneak peak at the new hotel.
HVAR [PLACESHOTEL] will be the first property to open under the [PLACES] by Valamar brand and is set to welcome its first guests from 21st May 2021. Aimed squarely at a younger generation, [PLACES] by Valamar is a new concept for modern travellers, combining a sharp aesthetic, flexibility and choice, while showcasing the beauty of the laid-back Mediterranean lifestyle and the particularities of individual destinations.
Domagoj Jakić, better known as DJ Yakka, has been working on the electronic music scene as a DJ and producer since 2009, and is renowned as one of the best and most successful Croatian house DJs. Yakka will be sharing the playlist with dynamic duo Grabber & Dobrilla – long-time house producers and DJs Marco Grabber and Dražen Dobrilla. Grabber is well known as the founder of the MTV Valkana Beach Festival and the promoter of Heineken Thirst and MTV DFC parties in the region.
How: The live DJ set will be streamed online on YouTube and Facebook
When: From 5pm GMT on Thursday 1st April.
11 Join Isaac Carew, Ravneet Gill and Gizzi Erskine for an online cooking masterclass
Calling all home chefs! Sage Appliances, global leader in innovative luxury kitchenware, is joining forces with three household culinary names; Isaac Carew, Ravneet Gill and Gizzi Erskine to introduce the nation to the Australian-based-brands’ latest piece of kitchen tech; the Combi Wave 3 in 1 in a live cook-a-long.
From cooking enthusiasts who love to experiment with new recipes, to those who are always busy and on the go, the Sage Combi Wave 3 in 1 features three key functions that demonstrate how to simply achieve restaurant quality food from the humble microwave, for every occasion.
Sage’s Spring Mic Drop Moment will showcase the ease of creating restaurant quality food at home with Sage, via an easy-to-follow three course menu, via an exclusive live stream. Author of The Dirty Dishes, Isaac Carew will whip up a delicious starter, before handing over to Award Winning Food Writer Gizzi Erskine for the main course, before finishing off with a delectable dessert by Pastry Chef and Junior Bake Off judge Ravneet Gill.
Whether using a Sage Appliance Combi Wave 3 in 1 or not, the online masterclass will demonstrate how to cook nutritious food using fresh and seasonal ingredients, using recipes from top Chefs, and will help to brighten up cooking at home this spring and beyond.
How: To join, please sign up via Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/CombiWaveDemo
When: April 8, 6 – 7pm.
