The Month of October is officially dedicated to The Big Draw with hundreds of venues up and down the country pulling out their pencils and celebrating the sketch.
The campaign aims to bring communities together in a creative and imaginative way through a whole host of arty events, with many fun workshops aimed at families. As well as being fun and relaxing, drawing helps people both young and old to communicate, think and invent, connecting us with our cultural heritage and natural environment.
As the largest drawing festival in the world, The Big Draw promises to have an activity to suit every age, taste and artistic ability, so dust off your paintbrushes read on to find a cool, creative event in your area.
London
Play! The Big Draw
October 23
Head to ArtsDepot in North Finchley for a fun play day dedicated to drawing – contribute to a large-scale artwork, watch a musical production of Draw Me A Bird and take part in other fun creative workshops throughout the day.
Family Portraits
October 28
Pick up a paintbrush and create watercolour portraits of your relatives, give yourself an on-canvas makeover or paint a crazy creature at The Bankside Gallery. The Royal Watercolour Society will be on hand to provide artistic inspiration.
Mythological Heroes And Monsters
October 22
Meet Cartoonist Sally Kindberg at The Cartoon Museum to find out how she creates her comic strips, then learn how to create your own.
Terrific Totems
October 16, 25
Head to Dalston Eastern Curve Garden with friends and family for a paper totem pole making session, or be inspired by the creatures which reside in the garden to create a lovely and lofty piece of group art.
Draw A Story
October 22
Use the children’s picture books at Blue Anchor Library in Southwark as your inspiration to create your own illustrated story book.
The South
Alpha-Doodle Days
October 27-28
A range of alluring alphabet-inspired activities will be on offer at The Devon Guild Of Craftsman at Riverside Mill Bovey. Drop in throughout the day for stencilling, calligraphy, graffiti workshops plus crafty badge, sign and poster making sessions.
Mythical Creatures
October 26
Learn new ways to draw without using a pencil, meet curious creatures from the collection at the Wiltshire Heritage Museum then draw your own mythical monster to take home.
The Big Draw At Ascot Racecourse
October 15
British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse provides the perfect backdrop for a day of equestrian inspired drawing for creative children.
Drawing With Shadows
October 19
Discover how tricks of the light can create beautiful visuals at Chichester High School For Girls by creating shadow puppets with a local artist.
Make Your Own Wanted Poster
October 26
Hunt down Essex’s most wanted by using an original 1970’s photo-fit kit to create an authentic wanted poster at Essex Police Museum in Chelmsford.
Midlands
If You Go Down To The Woods Today
October 30
Venture into the woods at the Attenborough Nature Centre in Nottingham to discover the magical creatures of the forest and indulge in some outdoor art if the sun is shining.
Every Age Can Draw!
October 15-23
Everyone from babies to great-grandparents can make their mark on a permanent mural at Chucklebutties Play And Party Centre, Derbyshire using drawings, photos handprints and footprints.
The Big Pomona
October 25
Take inspiration from Thomas Andrew Knight’s Pomona Herefordiensis as well as this year's bountiful apple crop at Herefordshire Museum Resource And Learning Centre then add your apple to a fruity new artwork.
Drawing In The City
October 22
Peruse a menu of drawing activities and then scrawl it out on the table cloths at Lichfield Garrick in Staffordshire.
Draw Your Visit
October 24-30
Pick up a sketchbook and pencil crayons as you enter the Coventry Transport Museum to sketch the vast collection of cars, bikes and motorcycles.
The North
Fantastic Creatures: Gruesome Grotesques
October 24-28
Borrow an explorer backpack and hunt down the gargoyles and grotesques of Durham Cathedral, then design one of your own on a giant drawing board.
Monsters In The Park
October 27,28
Create a crazy creature using recycled materials with the help of a professional artist in the Lodge at Blackhill And Consett Park in Durham.
The Big Draw: Goods Trains
October 24-28
Head to The National Railway Museum at Shildon to learn more about moving goods by rail and design your own goods train at this family art session.
The Lennon Line
October 25, 27
Celebrate the juvenile artistry of the late, great John Lennon at The Beatles Story in Liverpool. Help to create a giant version of The Daily Howl, a comic strip created by John while he was still at school.
Me And Other Creatures
October 26
Draw your favourite creatures, create flip books and paint self-portraits at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield.
Wales
Get Board In Brecon
October 22-30
Immortalise your memories and impressions of Brecon at the St Marys Church Green on a series of boards. Draw, paint, write, glue and use any media you like to add to the evolving mural.
Banners And Bunting
October 28
Head to Cardiff Castle to design a heraldic banner or bunting to be entered into a competition; the winning design will be proudly displayed at a future castle event.
Sketching The Gaol
October 26
Sketch the spooky insides of Ruthin’s Victorian Gaol at Denbighshire Heritage Service from the cell for the condemned to the Victorian prison kitchens.
Draw A 1940’S Wedding Breakfast
October 24-30
Help decorate an old fashioned wedding breakfast room at the Firing Line Museum in Cardiff by drawing flowers, butterfies and discovering more about wartime celebration foods.
Robots That Draw
October 22
Join professional CAAPO artists to build a drawing robot and create a communal drawing at the Oriel Davies Gallery in Powys.
Northern Ireland
Pop Up Ghost Houses
October 15
Pop along to Millenium Court Arts Centre in County Armagh to use paper, cardbpard boxes, lights and pencils to create a pop-up house to add to a handmade ghost town.
Our Community
October 17-28
Children from two local primary schools will work with artists, parents and grandparents to draw buildings and landmarks from the community surrounding Knockloughrim Primary school The work will then be available for all to enjoy on the schools website.
Scotland
Time Flies
October 22
Drop in to the Central Library in Edinburgh to explore the concept of time travel and see your drawings take flight!
Find And Draw A Pictish Artefact
October 18
Budding archaeologists can have fun drawing and carving a historical item at the Elgin Museum in Moray
Draw Something Fishy
October 1-31
Enjoy under-the-sea activities at the Museum Of Scottish Lighthouses, Aberdeenshire and draw something fishy to enter in a marine-themed competition
The Big Draw: Art In The Park
October 19
Join the Park Rangers at Culzean Country Park for some autumn-inspired woodland activites.
Life Sized Paper Dolls
October 19,20
Create your own life-sized paper doll then dress her up in the latest paper fashion finery at the North Lanarkshire Council Museums And Heritage Section.
Find our pick of the best family days out in your area here
