Pass the remote: August
Upcoming events and recommendations from the remote body and others
It’s the last month of summer in the Northern hemisphere. In the UK August is the month of harvest. For me, August is the month of lurking indoors with all the blinds closed. It’s a nap month. Don’t try and contact me, I’m asleep. I’ll see everyone in September. But for anyone awake here are some fun looking events that I found for you all in August:
At the remote body:
Monday 10th - Friday 14th August, The remote writing retreat, £20 - £60
A five-day remote retreat that aims to be a supportive space while you work on your project, prioritising the flexibility needed to meet fluctuating needs as you go.
Between 10am and 4pm BST we will have check-ins and catch-ups to support one another, with optional micro workshops to help with anything knotty in your work. You are free to attend as much or as little of these as needed to make the retreat work best for you.
Elsewhere:
Monday 3rd August 18.30 - 20.30 BST, Poetic Narratives: From Pen to Project, free
From CRIPtic arts this workshop will explore how rhythm and rhyme can be used to create writing that is designed to be performed, whether as spoken word or part of a theatre piece. Session includes an open mic sharing of the work.
Thursday 6th August 19.00 - 20.30 BST, Launch party for “Do you need me to spell it out?”, free
The guide “Do you need me to spell it out” was written by chronically ill people as a non-shaming free resource for friends, lovers and family. This is the official launch party. The event will feature guide excerpts, interviews with contributors and artists, opportunities for discussion, and of course: rest breaks.
Saturday 8th August 15.00 - 17.00, The shape of poetry, from £2.88
This is a monthly series, happening on the second Saturday of each month. During each of workshop the conventions of a particular poetry form will be explored. The group will read a poem together and then prompts will be given. There will be plenty of time to write, and plenty more prompts if you get stuck. At the end of the session, you’ll be able to share what you’ve written in a supportive environment.
Wednesday 12th August 20.00 - 21.00 BST, Virtual Tour - Secret Writing, £10-£16
This is a virtual tour where the guide will show slides and give a talk all about the shadowy world of secret agents in fiction.
Wednesday 12th August 01.00 - 02.30 CEST, PSNY LGBTQIA+ Free Verse Workshop: Diving into the Wreck, free
This generative hybrid writing workshop will study some of the work of queer and trans writers who paved the way for us to dig out our own. Writing prompts will be inspired by the work of Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and June Jordan, among others.
Friday 14th August 18.00 - 20.30 BST, Rope for beginners, £12.50 - £22.50
This session is for folks who would love to dip their toes into rope and are unsure where to begin. The tying style will be Japanese-inspired, aka shibari, or kinbaku.
Caritia will take participants through the basics, providing practical, hands-on guidance on the foundational principles of this rope style, sprinkling in a little history, physics, and anatomy along the way. For anyone with some experience, this workshop will be a helpful refresher.
Karada house has regular virtual events so is worth checking to see their other offerings.
Saturday 15th August 11.00 - 14.00 (BST), Virtual nightclub - RNB, Hip hop with DJ Eazy P, $12.96
Come join this virtual nightclub where DJ Eazy will be spinning RnB, Hip hop and New Jack Swing.
Tuesday August 18th 18.00 - 19.00, NHM Online Discussion: The Architecture of Ancient Greece, free
Discover how ancient Greek architecture shaped global ideas about beauty, politics, religion, and public life.
Tuesday 25th August 19.00- 19.30, Fenimore Deep-Dive: August 2026 Live Zoom Talk, free
A monthly deep-dive into artworks and objects in the Fenimore Museum collection. In each live Zoom presentation, a professional from museum staff will select one or two pieces from the Fenimore collection to discuss at length, providing interesting facts and backstories of the objects that dig deeper than the label text in a gallery. The roughly 20-minute presentations will be followed by a live Q&A with the audience.
Friday 28th August 19.00 - 20.00 (time zone unspecified), ‘Vibe Check’ live with special guest Rachel Reid, $12.45
Experience a live taping of the podcast ‘Vibe Check’ featuring a conversation with “Heated Rivalry” author Rachel Reid.
Monday 31st August 18.00 - 19.00 - The Mystic Wizard of Oz, £6.59
The Wizard of Oz is well known as a work of literature and a classic of the American film canon, but few are familiar with its mythological significance. Author L. Frank Baum was involved with the burgeoning Theosophy movement of the era and included numerous symbols, motifs, and themes in his story that also found their way into the film. This talk explores this.
Char recommends:
Wayward Love, Beautiful Experiments by Saidiya Hartman
Jenny recommends:
The comedian Daniel Foxx’s short skits on youtube here. I particularly love Hell’s receptionist and the supervillain’s gay assistant.
It lasts forever and then it’s over by Anne de Marcken (content note for zombies)