COVID-19 Resources, Opportunities, and Information

Banner image: Disability Arts Slogan Tees at a Shape Tate Exchange event. Credit: Rachel Cherry.

These links are to third party data sources, so while we try to select them carefully and keep them updated, Shape is not responsible for their content or actions arising from using them. Please let us know if you have related queries or suggestions that would benefit our community of disabled creatives. You can contact us by emailing [email protected] or by messaging us on Twitter!

Information and Resources

Vital Information:

Unlimited:

The Skinny:

NMD United:

  • Covid plan and prep guide for those who cannot self-isolate (because of personal assistants, extensive medical needs…)

Mutual Aid:

Musicians’ Union:

Voluntary Arts:

A thread of publicly available databases, such as JStor

Sonia Boué:

Arts and Health Hub:

  • Let’s Connect More: an online Slack group for artists to help combat issues caused by the crisis

Drake Music:

Fry Law:

  • Equality and discrimination experts at Fry Law have published template letters for disabled people to use if they are facing discrimination during the coronavirus crisis, which can be downloaded free. Fry Law is also organising twice-weekly online sessions that will offer disability rights advice on issues arising from the COVID-19 crisis, featuring advice from Fry Law’s Chris Fry and equality and human rights barrister Cathy Casserley, from Cloisters Chambers. The online sessions will take place between 6pm and 7pm every Tuesday and Friday.

360 Giving:

Coronavirus Tech Handbook - more than just 'technology,' rather a comprehensive Google Doc of everything and anything you could need.

The Clear Company:

  • Free webinar: Managing neurodiversity throughout and beyond COVID-19. April 29th.

In Good Company:

The Audience Agency:

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mind:

Jamie Hale:

Distractions and Projects

Mslexia:

Virtual Tours:

The Social Distancing Festival!

Art UK:

Disability Arts Online:

COVID Creative Toolkit

British Council:

Review of 'Crip Camp' on Netflix, to keep entertained!

NHS Poetry Anthology

New Digital Collage:

Heart n Soul:

  • Creative packs (information on this site can be listened to as well as read)

Opportunities and Funds

Doncaster Deaf Sign:

Hardship Funds:

Space Arts:

DASH Arts:

  • DASH are offering phone/Skype/zoom mentoring on a first come first served basis to any Disabled visual artist across the UK. There will be a maximum of 3 sessions plus a short introductory session where you will decide the topics you want to cover. Each session will last up to 2 hours and can be spread over several months.If you are interested then please contact Artistic Director, Mike Layward at [email protected] for more information.

OHMI:

  • OHMI Competition - challenging instrument makers, designers, and engineers to develop musical instruments that can be played with one hand and arm

FEAST:

Access to Work:

  • You can use the Government's Access to Work scheme to apply for funds to cover access materials for your work. There are BSL versions of both the application and renewal procedures available about half-way down the gov.uk website. There is also an Easy Read AtW document available here.

B&R Productions:

  • Time to Stare Bursary for artist practitioners and organisations looking to develop work relating to the climate crisis.

The Society of Authors:

Mainspring Arts:

  • Two Metres Apart - a call for submissions to a digital museum of neurodivergent art.

The Princes' Trust and NatWest:

Grants Online:

Good Reads/Watches

gal-dem:

COVID-19

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus. The following symptoms may develop in the 14 days after exposure to someone who has COVID-19 infection:

We are sharing the Public Health England (PHE) guidance on COVID-19 (also available in Easy Read format): 

The advice for anyone in any setting is to follow these main guidelines. 

  1. The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of a new continuous cough and/or high temperature. If you have these symptoms, however mild, stay at home and do not leave your house for 7 days from when your symptoms started. You do not need to call NHS 111 to go into self-isolation. If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after 7 days, contact NHS 111 online. If you have no internet access, you should call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999. 
  2. Wash your hands more often than usual, for 20 seconds using soap and hot water, particularly after coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose, or after being in public areas where other people are doing so. Use hand sanitiser if that’s all you have access to. 
  3. To reduce the spread of germs when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, or your sleeve (not your hands) if you don’t have a tissue, and throw the tissue in a bin immediately. Then wash your hands or use a hand sanitising gel. 
  4. Clean and disinfect regularly touched objects and surfaces using your regular cleaning products to reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people. 

A list of mental health helplines can be found on the NHS website here.

At the current time and based on our understanding of what is known of COVID-19 and other similar respiratory viruses, it is likely that older people and those with chronic medical conditions may be vulnerable to severe disease. As more information emerges, recommendations may change. 

We are maintaining this resource in collaboration with Unlimited. You can read about what they have been doing as an organisation to combat problems created by COVID19 here.

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