How can we continue to debate, share ideas and find connection in the age of social isolation?

Dirty Furniture calling… Five live weekly calls between design’s great minds

We’re staying indoors, washing our hands and clapping for the NHS. Rightly so. But as people are physically separated, why can’t we continue to debate, share ideas and find connection in the age of social isolation?

That’s why we wanted to partner with Dirty Furniture to champion this…

Dirty Furniture calling… is a series of live phone calls every Tuesday, between leading voices in design and beyond. They’ll discuss phones, love, work, distraction and life in the age of social distancing. Dialing in is the new going out.

How to listen

Visit Dirty Furniture at 5.45pm for the night’s Zoom link, which will be posted in the link below:

https://dirty-furniture.com/dirty-furniture-calling/

As the series continues, we want to share some thoughts and highlights about the conversations and wider subjects they address. Check out the below and let us know what you think on Instagram.

7 April 2020 – before the launch

“Through the series, we want to share some thoughts along the way. What’s an event on the internet without the commenters?

Ahead of the call, I want to say how exciting livestreams have become to me during this all. A lot of podcasts I listen to have pivoted to livestreaming their episodes before dropping them on the feed. It feels a lot more alive; it’s an event, a moment I’m sharing with a thousand or so others. You can’t stop to make some tea because the conversation won’t wait for you. There’s no pause button because it’s real.

A livestream demands your attention in the way being with others used to (remember checking your phone mid-conversation in the pub?). But it’s not only replacing social interaction, it’s opening up conversations that could have been happening this whole time. I’ve reconnected with a bunch of old pals based around the world, because physical proximity stopped feeling like it was separating us. And now Dirty Furniture are letting us listen in to a chat between Joseph Grima and Jan Boelen – two leading lights of the museum world. Why couldn’t this have happened before? I know I can’t wait for tonight…”

– Chris