The Big Draw 2020

Students’ and staff alike participated in the Big Draw of 2020 over the last few weeks, where we witnessed so much collaboration, experimentation and positivity.

Our annual ‘Big Draw’ events in Secondary got off to a flying start with The Great Teachers Drawing Challenge. So many teachers from all subject areas gave up their normal lunchtimes to take part in this year’s challenge. The auditorium was packed with teachers at easels, charcoal in hand observing,marking, smudging and creating some superb interpretations of a standard still life arrangement. 

We would particularly like to thank the students this year who turned up in huge numbers to support, mentor and in some cases individually instruct our teachers with their somewhat rusty drawing skills.

Congratulations to our 3 staff winners...

Miss Binningon

Miss Leigh

Mr Thom

Take a look at the gallery below of staff and students collaborating.

Last Wednesday was the students’ turn to take part in our Big Draw of 2020. Unlike the teacher’s Big Draw which became quite competitive, the students ‘Big Draw’ took on a completely different atmosphere.

Our students collaborated on one huge drawing to create a wonderful sense of calm and serenity through the duration of a typically busy and loud lunch hour. This year’s theme is Climate Change, so our students walked barefoot into the auditorium where soft green lighting and music enhanced the feeling of being out in nature.

They were each given a stick of charcoal and were encouraged to connect with nature by choosing a natural world object such as leaves, seed pods, shells or dried mushrooms to draw. They worked on the floor on one sheet, interconnecting their drawings into one large scale collaborative piece. The atmosphere as they worked was quite beautiful. A huge thank you to all who took part and we look forward to our next opportunity to spend lunchtime this way.

Why is drawing good for all of our students?

Everything we use every day started out as a drawing, from the cup you drink your coffee from through to the desk you sit at during the working day The latest iPhone or iPad began life as a drawing, and drawing matters to the lives of our young people more than ever.

As well as a form of mindfulness and relaxation, many academic studies indicate that free hand drawing also inspires students to learn and retain information and can help them engage with all educational materials on a personal level.

Drawing challenges, us all to process information in multiple ways: visually, kinaesthetically, and semantically. Researchers find that drawing from real life is a powerful way to boost memory, increasing recall by nearly double.

Drawing is a direct and active form of learning. Students have to untangle what they’re learning and reconstruct visually when they draw, putting it back together in a way that makes sense to them. Of course, drawing is also a valuable tool for science students too since science often uses visual aids to explain hypotheses, theories, and findings.

Lastly, let’s remember that drawing is a global voice and a way of communicating that can transcend all language barriers. Click HERE to read more about the science of drawing and memory.

Janet Williams
Head of Art