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Put Pen To Paper For The Big Draw This October
by Roslyn Tappenden
06/10/2005
Image: A cartoon-style doodle of two people in jaunty poses
Around 350,000 people are expected to take part in the 2005 Big Draw. Image courtesy: The Campaign For Drawing.
All over the UK this weekend, October 8-9, people will be getting together to celebrate the launch of The Big Draw - a nationwide, month-long arts event aimed at encouraging people to get back to the drawing board and be more creative.
Throughout October 350,000 people are expected to take part in 1,200 workshops and events taking place at more than 1,000 venues across Britain.
The national launch took place in London on Saturday October 2 2005, when Kensington’s Exhibition Road was closed for a spectacular drawing ‘carnival’ featuring special guest cartoonists, caricaturists and other artistic performers.
This weekend is the turn of the regions. Altogether 11 more venues will be hosting their own Big Draw launch events, including Birmingham’s Aston Hall, Manchester Art Gallery and the Arnolfini in Bristol.
Image: A photo of two people sitting outside drawing
Activities are varied and involve people of all ages. Image courtesy: The Campaign For Drawing.
“The Big Draw is a terrific way to encourage people to make art a part of their lives," said Professor Cristopher Frayling, Rector of the Royal College of Art.
“Like a lot of the best ideas, it is so simple. The Big Draw is such a good way of encouraging people to ‘have a go’ for themselves.”
A drawing workshop at the brand new Seven Stories centre for children’s books in Newcastle, hosted by Big Draw illustrators, is just one of the launch events taking place on October 8 2005. The drawings will be displayed in a special washing-line exhibition at the end of the day.
On the same day in Norwich, visitors to The Forum can contribute to two Manga cartoon projects. Using a Japanese method of visual storytelling, participants can help create a story for Norwich.
Image: Shows two women cutting out shapes and adding them to a large collage picture
Making collages at Tate Britain. Image courtesy: The Campaign For Drawing.
Sunday – October 9 – also has a packed schedule. In Manchester, kids will be celebrating the city art gallery’s most popular painting – The Chariot Race by Alexander Von Wagner. They’ll spend the day recreating a horse race, drawn around the gallery walls.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. More doodling and drawing fun can be had right up until the end of October.
Visitors to the Back to Backs in Birmingham on Saturday, October 15, can help populate the houses with 60 life-size people, while sock-mad Scousers can join the Big Sock Draw at the Lady Lever Art Gallery on the October 15 and 16. There you can “bring a sock, design a sock, make a sock puppet and make it draw”.
On October 25 and 27 at the Thackray Museum in Leeds, visitors of all ages are invited to explore the weird and wonderful world of prosthetics. Participants will get the chance to design their own futuristic body parts incorporating gadgets and gizmos galore.
Image: Photo of a young girl colouring in her drawing with felt-tipped pens
A young girl joins in the fun. Image courtesy: The Campaign For Drawing.
People taking part in The Art in the Dark project at the National Space Centre in Leicester will see their fluorescent and luminous artwork displayed in a darkened inflatable dome. Art In The Dark is for budding artists and novices of all ages and takes place every day from October 15 until the end of the month.
The Big Draw already has two Guinness World Records under its belt and another could well be on the way when hundreds of people are expected to help create the largest drawing ever at Knowle West Health Park in Bristol on Saturday October 15.
And visitors to Fabrica in Brighton on the same day will be able to help construct a giant drawing using natural objects.
The Big Draw event coincides with school half term. Most kids around the country will be off from Monday October 24.
Cardiff Castle is hosting a number of half-term events. On Wednesday 26, adults and children will have a chance to recreate some of the stained glass designs using charcoal and paints.
A busy day at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Image courtesy: The Campaign For Drawing.
On Saturday October 22 visitors to the National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle will be able to make their own card games by drawing items in the museum’s collection.
Meanwhile, at W5 (whowhatwherewhenwhy) in Belfast, budding designers will be ‘drawing up a storm’ with the help of a professional illustrator. Using the weather and their own energy they will create some brand new superheroes.
Since it was launched in 2000 The Big Draw has encouraged more than a million people to try their hand at drawing in some form or other. It is organised by the Campaign for Drawing, also founded in 2000 by the Guild of St George to celebrate the centenary of its founder, John Ruskin.
This year the festival has gone global with events taking place in the Channel Islands, Thailand, France, Canada and the USA. There’s even a special activity taking place online. The Open University is hosting its third annual RoboDoodle project where you can design your own robot and upload it for all to see on the online gallery. You can join in too by visiting http://robodoodle.open.ac.uk/.
And 24 Hour Museum's Show Me website is the official Big Draw website for kids. There you can find drawing ideas and tips for children and links to all kinds of drawing events and websites.
Events will be taking place every day at museums, arts centres and libraries throughout October. A full listing is available at www.thebigdraw.org.uk.
Aston Hall
Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 6JD, West Midlands, England
Open: Open April to October, Tuesday to Sunday 11.30am - 4.00pm
Closed: Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays
Manchester Art Gallery
Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL, England
T: 0161 235 8888
Open: Tuesday - Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 10am - 5pm
Closed: Closed Monday (except Bank Holidays),Good Friday, 24-26 December, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Arnolfini
16 Narrow Quay, Bristol, BS1 4QA, England
T: 0117 917 2300
Open: Arnolfini is open seven days a week from 10am until 8pm and entrance is completely free. The cafe bar is open from 10am to 11pm except on Sundays when it closes at 10.30pm.
Closed: Please note that the galleries close at 4pm on Sat 24 and Sat 31 Dec.
Arnolfini is closed 25, 26 & 27 December
National War Museum Scotland, Edinburgh
National War Museum Scotland, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, EH1 2NG, Lothian, Scotland
Open: November to March, daily 09:45-16:45
April-October, daily 09:45-17:45
Last entry to the Castle 30 mins before closing
Seven Stories, the Centre for Children's Books
Seven Stories, 30 Lime Street, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ, Tyne & Wear, England
Open: Mon-Sat: 10.00am - 5.00pm
Sun: 11.00am - 5.00pm
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle, Castle Street, Cardiff, CF10 3RB, Wales
Open: March - October from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm
(last tour entry 5pm)
November - February 9.30 am to 5.00 pm
(last tour entry 4pm)
Admission charged (contact the Castle on 029 2087 8100 for details)
Closed: Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day
W5 at Odyssey
2 Queens Quay, Belfast, BT3 9QQ, Antrim, Northern Ireland
Open: Mon - Sat: 10.00-18.00
Sunday: 12.00-18.00
(last admission at 17.00)
Please note that during termtime W5 will close one hour earlier at 17.00 with last admission at 16.00
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, EH3, Lothian, Scotland
Open: 1st April To October 31st:
9.30am Until 6pm, Last Admission 5.15pm.
1st November To March 31st:
9.30am Until 5pm, Last Admission 4.15pm. Closed Christmas Day And Boxing Day, 1st January Open 11am Until 5pm.
Fabrica
40 Duke Street, Brighton, BN1 1AG, East Sussex, England
Open: Open Wed-Sat 11.30-17.00, Sun 14.00-17.00
Closed: Closed Mon & Tue
National Space Centre, Leicester
National Space Centre, Exploration Drive, Leicester, LE4 5NS, Leicestershire, England
T: 0870 607 7223
Open: School Term Time - Tue-Sun 10am to 5pm (last entry 3.30pm)
School Holidays - Mon-Sun 10am to 5pm (last entry 3.30pm)
Closed: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day
Thackray Museum, Leeds
Thackray Museum, Near St James's Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7LN, West Yorkshire, England
T: 0113 245 7084
Open: Open daily 10.00am until 5.00pm. Last entry 3.00pm.
Closed: Closed 24th, 25th, 26th, 31st December and 1st January.
Lady Lever Art Gallery
Lower Road, Port Sunlight Village, Wirral, CH62 5EQ, Cheshire, England
T: 0151 478 4136
Open: Mon-Sat 1000-1700
Sun 1200-1700
Bank holidays 1000-1700
Closed: 23,24,25,26 December, 1 January
Birmingham Back to Backs (National Trust)
Birmingham Back to Backs, 50-54 Inge Street/55-63 Hurst Street, Birmingham, B5 4TE, West Midlands, England
Open: Tuesdays-Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays: 1 Mar-26 Feb, 10am - 5pm.
Visiting the Back to Backs is by guided tour only. Capacity is limited and demand is expected to be high, so advance booking is advised. Please tel. booking line in advance if planning to visit before 2pm during school terms, as property may be in use by a school group.
Closed: Closed on Tues following BH Mons.
Closed 25 & 26 Dec & 1 Jan
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