Now in it's sixth year, and with over 1100 events in over 900 venues around the country, the UK’s largest free art event – The Big Draw 2005 – aims to encourage everyone to pick up their brushes, pencils and crayons and get arty for the biggest drawing-fest yet! With a national launch on Saturday 2nd October, in museums, village halls, shopping centres, universities, nursery schools, libraries and hospitals, palaces and beaches, half a million people of all ages will have the opportunity to put pencil to paper and turn their hand to a spot of drawing.
 | | Art is fun! |
Organised by the Campaign for Drawing, the Big Draw is a month long celebration of drawing - something we can all do but unfortunately very rarely take the time to actually indulge in! So with loads of events taking place across Beds, Herts and Bucks, if you're looking for a chance to get creative, to put pencil to paper, crayon to canvas, brush up on your painting or just express yourself artistically, then there's definitely an event for you! BEDFORSHIRE EVENTS University of Luton Park Square, Luton, LU1 3JU (01582 743125) "The Big Draw" An event aimed at rasing students' aspirations and enhancing their artistic skills. University of Luton students Oct date tbc 9am - 3pm not applicable No admission charge. Bromham Mill & Gallery Bridge End, Bedford Road, Bromham, MK43 8LP (01234 824330) "The Apple Exchange" The Apple Exchange takes the form of a shop where visitors can create 2D and 3D apples, whilst being made aware of the huge varieties of apples and the impact on the environment of the destruction of orchards. In exchange for this we will give the visitors an apple or appley 'thing'. All Ages Sun 16 Oct 11am - 5pm Free Normal admission charge.
Organised by: Bedford Arts Forum, 47 Conduit Road, Bedford, MK40 1EQ Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Museum Castle Lane, Bedford, MK40 3RP (01234 211222) "Drawn" Exhibition of drawings from the Gallery's collection, including famous names such as Gainsborough, Constable, Madox Brown, Rossetti, Stanley Spencer, Henry Moore and Freud. All Ages 13 Sept - 15 Jan 06 Normal admission times Free No admission charge. "Drop in and Draw" Drawing sessions with all materials provided. No experience necessary, just drop in. All Ages Fridays 7, 28 Oct & 25 Nov 12.30pm - 1pm Free No admission charge. "Drawn: 18th - 20th Century drawings" Friday lunchtime lectures to coincide with the Gallery's 'Drawn' exhibition. Introduction on 16 Sept. C18 drawings discussed on 14 Oct; C19 on 18 Nov and C20 on 6 Jan 2006. Adults Fri 16 Sept, 14 Oct, 18 Nov 2005, 6 Jan 2006 12.30pm - 1pm Free No admission charge.
"Drawing on your Imagination" With the help of artists Adrian Stapleton and Linda Daniell, have fun turning objects in the Gallery's collection into lively characters and then setting them in their own imaginative environment. Offering fun for all the family, enjoy an afernoon of drawing and collage and add your cartoon characters to our on-the-day display. Family Sun 23 Oct 2 - 5pm Free No admission charge. Eagle Gallery 101 Castle Road, Bedford, MK40 3QP (07986 429933) "Little Draw - Big Draw" Come and draw our amazing still life! We will be running workshops for children (Little Draw) and adults (Big Draw). Tuition provided. Morning sessions for children aged 5-10 yrs: 10-11am & 11.30am-12.30pm. One session for adults: 2.30-4.30pm. Ticket only event - get tickets by emailing us at info@eaglegalleryartists.co.uk. Limited spaces, so book now to avoid disappointment. Family Sun 9 Oct 10am - 4.30pm £5 adult/£2.50 child per session No admission charge
Organised by: Eagle Gallery Artists, 101 Castle Road, Bedford, MK40 3QP Harrold-Odell Country Park Carlton Road, Harrold, Bedford, MK43 7DS (01234 720016) "Fun with Charcoal" Like last year but better. The organisers missed a treat! Make your own charcoal. Draw a picture using the park for inspiration to keep or display in the Visitors Centre. All ages, families Half Term weekend from 10am by donation No admission charge. "The Big Draw" Make a horrid Halloween Mask of creepy creatures or grotesque gremlins. Take part in other art activities. What can you find in the Park to experiment with? Make your own charcoal. Dress for mess. All Ages Sat 29 - Sun 30 Oct 10am - 4pm Donation No admission charge.
HERTFORDSHIRE EVENTS Museum of Domestic Design & Architecture Middlesex University, Cat Hill, Barnet, EN4 8HT (020 8411 5244) "The Big Draw Big Bash" Another chance to 'bash-out' your own design and make a metal sculpture, using designer/inventor Darcy Turner's special metal bashing technique. Just drop-in! Family Sun 16 Oct 2 - 4.30pm Donation £2 per child payable on the day No admission charge. Hertford Museum 18 Bull Plain, Hertford, SG14 1DT (01992 582686)
"Big Draw Victorian Bodies" Drop in and get someone to draw around your body and decorate as a Victorian, also 'Drawing from Memory' - close your eyes and see what amazing drawings you can come up with using your imagination, also ' What Winter means to me' special drawing competition launched during this month. All Ages 1 - 29 Oct 10am - 5pm Tues - Sat tbc No admission charge. "The Big Draw" We are celebrating the Big Draw for the whole of October! Come along and have a go at Big Draw Victorian Bodies. All Ages Sat 1 - Sat 29 Oct 10am-5pm Tues-Sat tbc No admission charge. Hitchin Museum & Art Gallery Paynes Park, Hitchin, SG5 1EH (01462 434476) "Crazy Crayons" Toddlers' drop-in afternoon for the under 5s and their carers. Come along and make a crazy crayon drawing to take home. Under 5s and their carers Thurs 13 Oct 1.30 - 3pm Free No admission charge. "Hitchin Points of View" Have a go at watercolour painting using Hitchin town and the museum exhibitions for painting inspiration. Booking in advance essential. 8 - 12 year olds Sat 15 Oct 2 - 4pm £1.50 No admission charge. Letchworth Museum & Art Gallery Broadway, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3PF (01462 685647) "Drawing Line" Drop in and help the museum's black squirrel visit interesting places in and around Letchworth. Draw your favourite location using the exhibition for inspiration and add your picture to a washing line. All entries receive a free museum pencil to help keep you drawing. All Ages Sat 15 Oct 2005 11am - 12.30pm Free No admission charge. Mill Green Museum & Mill Mill Green, Hatfield, AL9 5PD (01707 271362) "Mosaics with Fay" Make beautiful pictures and designs with tiny fragments of different materials. The Romans loved mosaic art but it is a gorgeous playful technique which still is wonderful to use today. Booking essential. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Children Sat 15 Oct 2 - 3pm & 3.30 - 4.30pm £3.50 per child No admission charge. "Boxes of Delight" Draw your inspiration from our collection. Put your drawings into a box to make something special to keep at home. Magnifying glasses, drawing materials and paper will be provided. Drop in. Family Sat 15 Oct 2 - 4.30pm Free No admission charge.
Organised by: Welwyn Hatfield Museum Service, Mill Green Museum and Mill, Mill Green, Hatfield, AL9 5PD Museum of St Albans 9a Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL1 3RR (01727 819340) "The Terrific Tudors" Come and look at our exciting new temporary exhibition on Tudor St Albans and then draw your favourite item from this era, using a wide range of materials. Local artist, David Kefford will be here to inspire you. Anyone over 6 years old Sat 15 Oct 11am - 1pm & 2 - 4pm Free No admission charge.
Organised by: St Albans Museums Service, Verulamium Museum, St Michael's, St Albans, AL3 4SW St Albans Cathedral Cathedral & Abbey Church of St Alban, Sumpter Yard, St Albans, AL1 4BY (01727 860780) "The Shape of Things - Seen and Unseen" What's missing? Complete the picture - add figures from the past, from your imagination - add yourself - add something new to go with the old. What's underneath? Make rubbings to find out. What do feelings look like? Draw your reaction to the building around you. All ages and abilities welcome. Use paper, pencil, colour, collage. Surprise yourself. All Ages Thurs 27 Oct 10.30am - 3.30pm Free No admission charge. St Peter's Church (St Albans) St Peter's Church Office, St Peter's Street, St Albans, AL1 4QX (01727 855485/863642) "The Big Draw" Come in and draw - be inspired by St Peter's Church! All Ages Sat 15 Oct 10am -12 noon tbc No admission charge. TAP (The Arts Project ) Ralph Sadleir School, Station Road, Puckeridge, Nr Ware, SG11 1RN (01920 821069)
"Faces, Places and Spaces" Professional artists will inspire and guide you to draw and paint at 3 different venues. Children must be accompanied. All Ages Sat 15 Oct 10.30am - 4pm Free No admission charge. Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum Akeman Street, Tring, HP23 6AP (0207 942 6163) "Connecting and Collecting" Pick up your pencils and get creative with crayons! Drop in and sketch some of our amazing animals, which were collected from around the world! All Ages Sat 15 Oct 10.15am - 12.15pm, 2 - 4pm Free No admission charge. Watford Grammar School for Girls Lady's Close, Watford, WD18 0AE (01923 447658) "The Great Big Draw" Large-scale drawing for all. Everyone is welcome to make their mark using charcoal to add/amend details to a large-scale drawing project. Open all day by appointment or on a drop-in basis after 3pm. The event will be recorded on video to be shown at a later date at Watford Museum. All Ages Fri 14 Oct 9am - 5pm No admission charge. Watford Museum 194 High Street, Watford, WD17 2DT (01923 232297) "From Watford with Love..…" Postcards from the Museum. See your design in print! Every drawing a contender to be selected as Watford Museum’s newest postcard. Be inspired by our artist. Drop in or stay all day and make your own postcard/s inspired by the museums collection – ideas pool and artist available to support the artistically afraid. All Ages Sat 22 Oct 10.30am - 4.30pm No admission charge.
Organised by: Watford Borough Council, Town Hall, Watford, WD17 3EX Welwyn Roman Bathhouse under A1 M, Old Welwyn, AL6 9HT (01707 271362) "Pot Stories" Draw your hidden heritage. Pick a real Roman pot to draw. Find out what sort of pottery was used in the villa. Materials will be provided. Free drop in activity (normal adult entry fee applies). All Ages Sat 16 Oct 2 - 4.30pm Free Normal admission charge.
Organised by: Welwyn Hatfield Museum Service, Mill Green Museum and Mill, Mill Green, Hatfield, AL9 5PD BUCKINGHAMSHIRE EVENTS artworks-mk Parklands, Great Linford, Milton Keynes, MK14 5DZ (01908 608108) "Draw, sketch, doodle" Exhibition of drawings by Stephen Groom with a changing programme of interactive drawing experiments. All Ages 16 Sept - 28 Oct 10am - 4pm Mon-Fri, 10am - 12pm Sat No admission charge. "Life Drawing" Explore life drawing techniques through several poses. Adults Sat 1 Oct 10am - 4pm £30 per person Normal admission charge. "Drawing and Collage - Landscapes" Use the heritage site as inspiration for experimenting with collage and drawing to develop textures and marks in landscape images. Adults Fri 14 Oct 10am - 4pm £28 per person Normal admission charge. "Drawing Power" An afternoon of drawing experiments. Try out our drawing machines and tools including remote control cars, rollers and elastic. Family Sat 15 Oct 12 - 4pm Donations No admission charge. Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe, HP11 2JZ (01494 603054) "Drawing Detectives" Drawing Detectives required! A number of wrapped items have been found in the secret basement of the Design Faculty with a written description of their appearance. Can you use your skills of deduction and imagination to draw what you think they look like- before they are revealed? Rewards for the best detective work! No booking required. All Ages Sat 15 Oct 11.30am - 1.30pm Free No admission charge Buckinghamshire County Museum Church Street, Aylesbury, HP20 2QP (01296 331 441)
"Zone in and Draw Big" Special workshop with children's book illustrator Wendy Lewis. Design a page for your very own book. Wendy's work will be on display. Children 8 - 10 yrs Sat 22 Oct 11am - 2.30pm £6 No admission charge
"The Big Body Draw" Drop in session exploring ways of decorating the body from different cultures. All Ages Sat 29 Oct 11am - 3pm Free No admission charge Claydon House (National Trust) Middle Claydon, Buckingham, MK18 2EY (01296 730349) "The Big Draw" Sit in the elegant, Georgian windows of the beautiful Claydon House and draw the surrounding landscape. All Ages Sun 16 Oct 2 - 4.30pm 50p Normal admission charge
Organised by: National Trust (Claydon House), Claydon House, Middle Claydon, Buckingham, MK18 2EY Hughenden Manor (National Trust) Hughenden Manor, High Wycombe, HP14 4LA (01494 755573) "Cartoon Crazy" Draw cartoons & caricatures, with inspiration from cartoons drawn by people at the manor during Queen Victoria's reign and WWII. All Ages 21 - 23 Oct 12 - 4pm Free Normal admission charge
Organised by: National Trust (Hughenden Manor), Hughenden Manor, High Wycombe, HP14 4LA Priory School Orchard Avenue, Slough, SL1 6HE (01628 600300) "The Big Draw" Priory hosts another Big Draw! Every child, teacher and lots of parents will work with our wonderful artistic friend Rosie Smith. Pupils, their parents and teachers Fri 14 Oct 9.30am -3.30pm not applicable No admission charge
Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre 81 - 83 High Street, Great Missenden, HP16 0AL (01494 892192) "Have a Hand in The Big Draw 2005" Visitors will use their handprint to create an original character for the Story Centre. All Ages Sat 15 Oct 10am - 5pm Free Normal admission charge Stowe Landscape Gardens (National Trust) Estate Office, Stowe, Buckingham, MK18 5EH (01280 822850) "The Big Draw" Take a walk with a pencil, your family and the dog, and help us to create the longest Landscape painting in the world. All Ages Sun 16 Oct 11am - 3pm £1 towards materials Normal admission charge
Organised by: National Trust (Stowe), Stowe Landscape Gardens, Estate Office, Buckingham, MK18 5EH Wycombe Museum Priory Avenue, High Wycombe, HP13 6PX (01494 421895) "Oodles of Doodle" Enter our fantastic schools art competition to create an image that you think represents Wycombe Museum. Win art equipment for your school and individual prizes for yourself. Official Award ceremony will be 29 Oct. Winners will have their work displayed on Wycombe Museum website and publicity. Pick up an entry form from your school or by visiting the museum. Children Sat 1 - Wed 26 Oct in your own time Free No admission charge. "Big Draw Bonanza" Come along and enjoy a wide range of arty activities, using a variety of media. Create your own work to take away or contribute to our large-scale group creation. Prize giving for the Schools Art Competition also to be held this day. All Ages Sat 29 Oct 11am - 4pm Free No admission charge Open University Faculty of Technology, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK76AA (01908 655784) "RoboDoodle" The Open University invites the world to join in RoboDoodle - an internet drawing event. All you have to do is sketch a really useful robot. The robot might help out around the home, at school or anywhere a new type of robot could be really useful. Point your browser to http://robodoodle.open.ac.uk All Ages Available now and through Oct 24 hours a day Free No admission charge. | 
