The very best online design and art happenings and virtual conferences taking place during this hellish year.

You can find free and special one-time events below (think conferences and Q&As with top talent), ongoing fixtures here, both free and paid-for, and even one-off streams that require payment to enjoy.

2020’s best one-time events: FREE online streams in art, design and more

September 18th -19th 2020: Pictoplasma in Isolation

This year’s first-ever, fully digital ‘Pictoplasma in Isolation’ festival awaits all character pioneers, creatives and enthusiasts for a special celebration of contemporary character design and art.

Coming September, Pictoplasma will be live-broadcasting two full days’ worth of character inspiration, with more than 30 artist talks, fresh animation screenings, a special symposium, spreading visual greatness and inspiration into the safe space of your own four walls, no matter where you are, all online, all for free.


Yukai Du speaking at Playgrounds, image courtesy of Niels Hoebers

On the line-up so far are Dan Woodger, Genie Espinosa, Jing Wei, Cristina Daura, Haein Kim, Joseph Melhuish, Hattie Stewart and more. At last year’s real-world Pictoplasma we got to interview talented folk like Julian Glander and Yukai Du (above).

October 19-21: Adobe MAX 2020

Adobe made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person MAX event and make MAX 2020 a digital experience. And it’ll be free.

Registration has just opened, with a list of speakers announced including Ava DuVernay, Keanu Reeves, Tyler the Creator, and Annie Leibovitz. Also expected is the announcement of major updates to Creative Cloud and apps such as Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and more – plus the celebrity-hosted Sneaks where new R&D projects are revealed.


Best and regular virtual creative events in 2020

House of Illustration

Talks, masterclasses, courses, resources and more that you can enjoy from home, courtesy of London’s House of Illustration gallery.

Book classes here.

Lisa Hassell’s Portfolio Crits

This one-on-one portfolio review is open to emerging, practising illustrators, recent graduates and those who are looking to move into a new market. Whether you’re feeling stuck, have lost your confidence or just need some valuable insight on what art directors want – this is for you!

Portfolio reviews will be conducted by founder and director of Inkygoodness, Lisa Hassell. Each session is conducted via Zoom and will last for 30-40 minutes max.

Book yourself a spot here. Student discounts and hardship discounts are available on request. Please get in touch with Lisa for more details.

Design Museum’s Digital Design Calendar

There is no reason why self-isolating should mean missing out on the many inspirations design can offer and how it can make a difference in our lives. Brush up with London’s Design Museum then on your design history, plus virtually visit the studios of leading designers and even join learning sessions for all ages.

Stay tuned here for free upcoming events with fashion designer Rejina Pyo, learn how to create sustainable natural dyes at home and enjoy some Hey Duggee family activities. 

Adobe Live

Adobe last week announced Adobe Live, its series of live creative shows, will extend to the UK as a series of daily interactive livestreams, providing people with a regular dose of creative inspiration and keeping them connected and learning during these uncertain times.

Running on Behance, Adobe Live features some of the world’s leading creative minds sharing their tips, tricks and techniques on how to best use Adobe tools; including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro and more. In these free and interactive sessions, livestream viewers are encouraged to share their unique challenges and questions for Adobe’s visionary speakers to solve in real time.

Enjoy at https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/adobelive.html

VFX Festival Virtual Series

For the first time in its history the VFX Festival, hosted by Escape Studios, is being divided into a virtual series, free to attend from May, to support emerging talent from across the world. The expert-led sessions will feature industry professionals who will share their insight on award-winning productions and encourage collaboration among the international participants. 

The VFX Festival Virtual Series will commence from May and will run until The VFX Festival next year, scheduled to take place in early February 2021 in London. 

Nicer Tuesdays

On the last Tuesday of every month, Oval Space in London was taken over to host an evening of creative talks called Nicer Tuesdays. 

Until the pandemic subsides, Nicer Tuesdays events will be online only; there will be five tiers of tickets available for all events including the next one in June, ranging from £1 to £10. 



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