The Big Draw month is October

The Big Draw is the world's biggest drawing festival and is run by the Campaign for Drawing. It's also an annual event which takes place in October each year in UK - and 20 countries around the world.

The Big Draw is Local and International!

The festival runs from 1 October to 2 November across the UK and in 20 other countries, with 280,000 people expected to join in over 1000+ events.

The general aim is to get everybody drawing.

The Big Draw encourages wide-scale public participation in creative activities, engaging people of all ages with collections in museums and galleries, heritage environments and community-based drawing activities.Campaign for Drawing

It's for everybody young or old, those who are learning how to draw for the first time and for those who have forgotten how to draw - as well as those who enjoy drawing on a regular basis.

It got started last Sunday with a big event for kids at the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green sponsored by Faber Castell.  Lots of coloured pencils much in evidence!

Find an event

The events seem to get more adventurous and more innovative every year!

To find out more about what opportunities are local to you you should consult

EITHER The Big Draw Map of UK events - just stick your post code in the map and it will tell you what's happening near to you.

Locations of Big Draw Events in the UK this month

Here's some examples which are happening in London:

• Experimenting with observational drawing, algorithms and natural form - at the Natural History Museum for those aged 16+
• 'Strike a Pose' is a life drawing workshop for all ages featuring black superhero costumes presented at Notting Hill Carnival by Glorious Backstage Arts.
• Draw Walthamstow this weekend for all ages - supported by Jackson Arts

I must confess I do miss the listings they used to have which split out the events for adults from those for kids only, and those which were limited to people associated with a location. I'm not finding it do easy to locate events I might be interested in this year.

A Big Draw event at the V&A

OR The Big Draw Map of International Events there are events happening in:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Hungary
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Spain and 
• United States

You can also

• Add your drawings to our online gallery. Just tag #TheBigDraw via instagram
• Check out The Big Draw Blog for articles on all things drawing
• Share you drawings on Twitter

The Theme for 2014 - It's Our World

The theme of The Big Draw in 2014 is It’s Our World - click the link to find out more. Plus there's an absolutely amazing and very stimulating It's Your Wold MiniMag on Issuu which explains more and provides some suggestions about how 4-19 year olds can participate. You can get a pin code for uploading via a Big Draw event location.

The aim it to encourage everyone to celebrate their environment – rural, urban or coastal – and to explore its sustainability. 

The Big Draw on the Beach - creating land art

Anyone aged 4 – 19 years is invited to put themselves on the map by creating an artwork to celebrate where they live and uploading it onto the It’s Our World Gallery. The aim is to create the UK’s largest online collection of artwork mapping the British Isles, as seen through the eyes of the nation’s future custodians.It's Our World - Celebrating the Environment through art

Hence there's a chance to have their art displayed nationwide in next year's World Environment Day.

The uploaded artwork will be showcased in June 2015 on digital ad screens across the UK. The entire collection will be handed over to The UK Web Archives to be stored for the nation.

Submissions can be sent  from 30 September 2014 to 30 May 2015

• This is part of a wider initiative developed by Business in the Community. 
• These images will be shown on digital screens nationwide next year to celebrate UN World Environment Day (5 June 2015).

The Family Arts Festival

Over the UK half term holidays (between 17 October - 2 November), a collaboration between the Big Draw and the Family Arts Campaign will be supporting the second year of the UK's largest Family Arts Festival. 

There are also The Drawing Inspiration Awards which aim to recognise the most innovative, resourceful and inspiring events from The Big Draw.