FAQ's

Are you interested in taking part in The Big Draw Festival, but uncertain of how it all works? We understand it can be confusing - so we have answered all of the Frequently Answered Questions below!

If you still have some questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch! Contact us at: enquiries@thebigdraw.org

"So... What actually is The Big Draw Festival, and why should I get involved?"

Great question. To put it simply: The Big Draw Festival is a worldwide celebration of drawing! The Big Draw was set up back in 2000 to promote the universal language of drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention. We are the founder and driving force behing The Big Draw Festival, which is a major component of our work in encouraging people to get back to the drawing board!

The Festival is made up of a collection of thousands of creative events, activities and workshops across the globe run by organisations big and small; from individuals to entire cities! It is you, the Organisers, who make our dreams a reality...

Convinced already? You can find out more about why and how you should take part in The Big Draw Festival here. Find out about our 2023 Festival theme here.

Still uncertain? Why not hear first hand from our Organisers!

"How do I know which subscription tier to select?"

Whether you represent a gallery, museum, library, school, care home, community centre or you are just someone passionate about drawing, anyone can register to be part of the international Big Draw Festival!

The Big Draw Festival registrations open in March every year. Take a look at some of the Organiser benefits here. We advise you to sign up as soon as you can to register and access all the promotional resources available to plan and market your event(s).

We sort Big Draw Festival organisers primarily – but not exclusively – into tiers based on the size of Organisation and number of partners involved. Please use the below as the criteria for choosing the relevant tier:

£0 - For the third year running, The Big Draw has decided to waive the £50 registration fee for individual artists to encourage more participation and re-energise the hard-hit arts and culture sector. Find out more here.

£50 - Non-fee paying schools - no limit on number of events and size (discounted rate)

£75 - Small grassroots community projects - one venue only, no limit on number of events and size (discounted rate)

£150 - Small Organisations and fee-paying schools - up to two partners and venues, no limit on number of events and size

£400 - Medium Organisations e.g. local authorities, medium sized museums, universities, shopping centres etc. - up to five event partners, no limit on number of events and size (sponsor-partner rate)

£700 - Large Organisations e.g. large national museums, town squares etc. - up to ten event partners, no limit on number of events and size (sponsor-partner rate)

£1000 - City-Wide events - up to fifteen partners or community partner Organisations, no limit on number of events or size (sponsor-partner rate)

These rates are fixed and are not dependent upon the number of participants. If you have questions please feel free to contact us at enquiries@thebigdraw.org.

To find out more: the 2023 Festival subscription model can be viewed here.

"What is a 'Sponsor-Partner'?"

We consider organisations that support as at either £400, £700 or £1000 tiers as being a Sponsor-Partner for The Big Draw Festival. It's a stepping stone to working more closely in partnership with our charity.

Sponsor-Partners benefit from next-level engagement; we'll promote your event through newsletters, interviews, features, blog posts, Press Release inclusion, and we'll display your logo on our site reaching over 4000 active daily users during The Big Draw Festival.

"Does The Big Draw Festival only run in October?"

No! While October remains the official Festival month, The Big Draw Festival runs all year-round. We have an annual changing theme which goes live in March of each year, running until the end of the February the next year. Event Organisers can, and do, run their events throughout the whole year!

"How many Big Draw events can I run?"

There is no limit to the number of events that you run once registered to take part in The Big Draw Festival! After selecting your appropriate tier depending on the size of Organisation and number of Partners involved, you can choose either to simply run one event in October, or a host of events throughout the year.

Do you run a monthly class that you would like to get more people involved in? Or are you planning a big exhibition to run all throughout the Summer? Including these in your Big Draw programming will help to raise the profile of your events, and will continue to promote the importance of drawing all year-round - so go for it!

"Have subscriptions costs increased since 2016?"

No! We have kept the costs of all categories since 2016 constant.

With continued pressure on funding, like all arts charities, The Big Draw is being encouraged to generate more income from participants and from the public.

In support of this objective the Big Draw has developed a sliding scale of costs for organisers of Big Draw Festival events, all set at fair rates to reflect the financial resources of the groups involved. We believe that these event organiser fees represent the value of being part of the world’s biggest drawing festival.

"What’s on offer to subscribers?"

Becoming a Big Draw Festival organisers is a two-way partnership. By subscribing you are helping us to promote our cause of visual literacy, promoting the importance of drawing. As such we expect you to display our Festival logo (available through your Big Draw account) on your promotional and publicity material for your event.

In return we endeavour to support your event through our wide ranging social network profiles. You’re able to list your events on the Big Draw Festival website, and they will appear on our online listings and worldwide maps. Visitors to www.thebigdraw.org will be able to search in their area or by keyword and will be directed towards your events!

You’ll also have access to our extensive Festival resources. These include:

All necessary Big Draw Festival logos and theme logos and animated .gifs.
Certificates
Posters
Digital banners for use on your website or social media profile
Marketing, branding and social media guidelines
Case studies and inspiration from previous Big Draw festivals
Practicalities on risk assessment, events for specific audiences and more.

Our Marketing Guidelines now include templates and advice on seeking sponsorship for your Big Draw Festival event. Login and go to 'Resources-> Logos and Printouts-> Marketing Guidelines' to find out more!

Subscribing at the £400 tier or higher will grant you the status of Sponsor-Partner, with increased levels of support and visibility. For further details please contact: sandra@thebigdraw.org

Plus, you are eligible to request a free Big Draw Festival organisers Welcome Pack in the post, tailored to your event requirements. To order yours once you have paid and registered, please see the Resources tab under your Big Draw profile.

"How can I pay?"

Online, we can accept payment by card or PayPal.

If these are not an option, we can also accept offline payments via BACS or by a cheque. You can see further information about offline payments here.

Please send all invoice or purchase order enquiries to sandra@thebigdraw.org

"Do my events have to be free?"

If you are able to fling your doors open to one and all for free that's great!

However, many organisers take part in The Big Draw Festival to give their fundraisers an extra promotional boost. When listing your event on our website look out for the 'Ticket Required' and 'Ticket Price' buttons on the left hand side.

Please refer to our Marketing Toolkit after signing up for tips on fundraising!