Be part of The World's Biggest Drawing Festival - drawing across the curriculum
Registrations are now open for The Big Draw Festival 2024!
The 2024 Big Draw Festival theme, Drawing in Motion, is a celebration of the dynamic and ever-changing nature of drawing. This theme invites people from all backgrounds to explore how the act of drawing can capture the essence of movement, energy, and life. Moving beyond the traditional notion of drawing as a static art form, ‘Drawing in Motion’ emphasises the fluidity and vibrancy of the creative process, showcasing how lines, shapes, and forms can convey movement and bring art to life.
Find out more about how to sign up to The Big Draw Festival here, and find out more about our 2024 Festival theme here.
SIGN UP HERE.
Schools Offer for 2024*
We are offering a special discount for non-fee-paying schools in 2024! All eligible schools that sign up for The Big Draw Festival in 2024 will receive 20% off their Subscription.
The Big Draw Festival in Schools: learning Through Drawing
The Big Draw Festival is an annual celebration of the power of drawing, and hundreds of schools from all over the world take part. For many students, drawing is a means of understanding the world, how it looks, and how it works. There is increasing evidence to suggest that drawing is the single most powerful tool for learning and retaining new ideas.
Drawing is a transferable skill which can be integrated into the entire curriculum. We believe in drawing to learn not learning to draw! Watch our video with Big Draw patron Sir Roger Penrose on how drawing can be used for maths and science!
drawing to learn. not learning to draw.
The Big Draw believes everyone can draw and everyone should have access to the benefits of drawing. It is a truly universal tool that can build bridges, communicate across oceans and make dreams a reality.
Drawing is a vital tool in many professions: From mathematicians, to surgeons, architects to engineers, therapists, political commentators to graphic designers. The humble pencil has built many a pioneer within every profession you can imagine.
Read on for more from our patrons who span all these professions!
REMEMBER: You don't have to be an artist to draw. This is what we mean by drawing to learn, not learning to draw!
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Registration Fees Explained
Without any public subsidy, The Big Draw Festival is 100% funded through your participation. You are not only taking part in The World's Biggest Drawing Festival, you are supporting The Big Draw charity and joining a movement heralding the vital role of visual literacy in our schools, workplaces, healthcare settings and beyond. Find out more about our charity here.
Fees start at £50 for non-fee paying schools (this is reduced to £40 for the first two months of the Festival!) For the 6th year subscription fees have been frozen for all organisers. Click below for a guide on which organiser tier to select during registration.
campaigning for creativity
The Big Draw actively argues the case for creativity in schools and in the workplace. The effect of the EBacc (UK) has had a devastating impact on the uptake on creative subjects at schools. We support the Bacc for The Future campaign and work with our ambassadors and patrons to lobby in parliment to make the case for creativity.
The increasing pressure on schools to focus on STEM not STEAM begs the question; who will continue the success of the booming creative industries in the UK? - now worth £104 billion / year. Not to mention the countless non-economic benefits, articulated beautifully by our patron Bob & Roberta Smith RA, OBE:
THE BIG DRAW FESTIVAL AWARDS: WIN UP TO £500 FOR YOUR SCHOOL!
We offer prestigious Big Draw Festival Awards for the most innovative and engaging Big Draws in schools worth £500 each!
Only registered event organisers are eligible to apply so make sure you login or register for your chance to win!
Why join the big draw festival?
"The Big Draw is a superb focus for any school - allowing all subjects areas to appreciate the value of drawing and visual literacy and to support the use of transferable skills and knowledge. Drawing is a language that resonates with all subject areas. Drawing is communication that breaks through barriers. And, it helps us speak when words are not enough".
Susan Coles, (The Big Draw Associate, Cultural Educational Consultant, Artist, school governor, former President of NSEAD).
Hear it from the organisers!
Head to our Big Draw Blog to read some brilliant interviews with our Festival Organisers over the years - or head over to our 'What The Organisers Say' Page!
Read our interview with Big Draw Festival Award Winners Eastbury Comprehensive who use animation to bridge the gap between subjects and year groups!
See some testimonials from organisers past here and our drawing in schools youtube channel here.
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Clip from Eastbury's Big Draw Award winning animation 'One World, Seven Billion Styles'
Big Draw Festival Award winners 2015/16 Ben Johnson School celebrate a fun-filled day! - see their winning event here and more inspiration here on our Youtube Channel.