The Big Draw

To celebrate the annual Big Draw 2007, Artscope introduced the basics of drawing from life to adults with learning disabilities and proved that the ‘Big Draw’ can be spontaneous, simple, low cost and effective in encouraging people to look at each other differently through drawing.

Many ‘Big Draw’ events are large in scale with perhaps an over-emphasis on reaching as many people as possible. This event attempted to turn this concept on its head and respond simply to the group member’s ideas. Because of the nature of the group, the small size was an important factor to provide close one-to-one support and tuition and to bring disabled and non-disabled people together through art, just for a short moment in time.

The initial idea of an intense life drawing class came from the group members who meet for an ‘Open Studio’ art session each week.

They had attempted to draw from life before, but with mixed success. This drawing class included some basic tutoring in drawing, but essentially encouraged the group to examine more closely the finer detail of body form of the life model.

The members of the group found their own way to approach the subject and were encouraged not to be ‘tied down’ by traditional drawing concepts like ‘correct perspective’.

This event was not only an attempt to explore drawing, but it acted as a meeting point for social integration on another level. The life model was a student on work placement from a local school. She had never met a person with a disability before, and so this event was her first ‘real’ social contact with a person with a disability.

Despite recent legislation regarding disabilities, the everyday lives of people with learning disabilities have not necessarily changed that much so simple events like this are important, as people with learning disabilities find themselves in the driving seat of initiatives and no longer mere recipients of other non-disabled people’s ideas and planning.

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