We catch up with some more of our furloughed colleagues to see how they’re keeping busy during lockdown.

OLLIE BLASZKOWSKI from the More2Screen Marketing Team
In addition to some online learning, lots of cooking, getting back into the guitar and plenty of reading, I’ve found myself hopping on the bandwagon of several popular lockdown hobbies during furlough.

For two or so carb-filled weeks, I was a member of the Sourdough cult, having been added to an unreasonably active WhatsApp group called “Bread Mates” by a seasoned baker friend. Us newbies shared our attempts and listened to the wisdom of the veterans about feeding starters and proofing dough. Together we all lamented the Strong Bread Flour drought caused by everyone deciding to jump on this particular bandwagon at exactly the same time as myself. After one emotionally taxing fairly disastrous loaf and two far more passable and delicious efforts (the most photogenic of which I’ve shared here), I decided to switch my efforts to another baking bandwagon.

Banana Bread was far more successful (the secret is boiling sultanas in bourbon). Far less wasteful than sourdough, I really appreciated the fact that this baked product was quick, delicious and didn’t require a full day of precise timings, mixing, proofing, dough manipulation, tearing my hair out, and screaming at a flour-covered work surface before deciding whether or not the end result should be consigned to the dustbin.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that at times I’ve found it hard to stay active during lockdown (not least during the sourdough and Banana Bread weeks). Shortly after furlough began however, I ordered a yoga mat and have found classes on YouTube to be a great way to take some time out to check-in during the day but also get myself moving. Having been nominated twice by alleged “friends” for the run 5k, nominate five people and donate £5 challenge on Instagram, I have discovered to my complete and utter shock (and that of friends, family and colleagues) that I am one of those people who can enjoy running! It only took a once in a several generation pandemic but I am really grateful to have discovered this and to the Strava app for gamifying exercise (forever chasing the new Personal Best).

As concerts, festivals and exhibitions in my calendar have come and gone, either cancelled or rescheduled, I’ve really appreciated the accessibility of cultural offerings during lockdown, from virtual museum exhibition tours and theatre trips via YouTube, to live streamed concerts. Particular highlights include a ticketed concert by Laura Marling live streamed from the Union Chapel, and a recorded reading of Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop on The Royal Exchange’s Youtube page. Although it was strange sitting on my own and watching actors perform to webcams in their own homes, it reminded me just how fortunate we are in Event Cinema to be able to recreate the social experience of attending a cultural event with other people, and share it with a much wider audience for whom, whether due to prohibitive distance or cost, it would not otherwise be available.

Like other furloughed colleagues, I’ve found that while this whole experience is strange and sometimes stressful, time is going by much faster than I initially expected and I’m grateful to my More2Screen and TE colleagues for keeping in touch and for their support throughout this uncertain period. I’m looking forward to working together again, and producing great events as soon as possible.