North Hertfordshire College ran their very first Big Draw Festival event at their Hitchin Campus on Tuesday 24th October. This event aimed to bring the local community together and celebrated the transformative power of art in establishing well-being, and creative thought.
The Big Draw, a renowned global visual literacy charity, is committed to elevating drawing from a hobby to a vital form of self-expression. Since its inception in 2000, The Big Draw has inspired over four million individuals to unlock their creativity and embrace their artistic talents.
North Hertfordshire College’s Big Draw event delivered an immersive experience, offering a diverse range of creative activities led by volunteer students from the College’s Creative Arts, Beauty Therapy, and Hospitality & Catering departments. It was a chance for attendees to connect with art in meaningful ways. Around 280 visitors joined the event, creating over 160 pizzas, 100 masks, and a giant collaborative art piece now displayed at the Hitchin Campus.
Multiple activities were available during the event, including creating captivating chalk mandala patterns on the campus entrance floor and stones to take home as a reminder of the power of art.
Level 3 Theatrical Make-Up students created professional glitter tattoos and body makeup designs, as well as helping attendees design their own mask, drawing inspiration from cultural themes such as henna. The department also offered face painting throughout the event.
The College’s Hospitality & Catering department tantalised guests’ taste buds by offering a variety of toppings to decorate their own pizzas, cooked fresh and ready to eat on-site, demonstrating the diverse forms art and expression can take.
Foundation Art & Design students helped guests create a collaborative art piece inspired by the surrealist game ‘Exquisite Corpse’, with each artist adding their own contribution on folded paper to create a surprise monster.
State of the art virtual reality headsets were also available to use for an immersive creative experience.
The local Museum Service joined the event with some natural history specimens in tow for attendees to draw or photograph, as well as providing information on their upcoming exhibitions. The Library Service were also in attendance, offering attendees an immersive lesson in coding as well as a storytelling activity which incorporated a large print book in braille and British Sign Language.
At 12pm, all attendees came together to collectively create the town’s largest logo using their own presence, symbolising the strength of unity and artistic expression.
Feedback from attendees was positive from both parents/carers/grandparents and children.
Shelley, a local mum, said:
“Myself and my two young daughters visited today. What a wonderful day, we had a great time! Friendly staff, excellent activities, and a lovely way to showcase what the College has to offer. Thanks again, looking forward to the next!”
Ouri, aged 9, commented:
“I loved the pizza decorating as I love pizza!”
Melissa Caneppele, Schools and Community Engagement Executive at North Hertfordshire College, said:
“The Big Draw Festival was a huge success and it was brilliant to see the local community come together to explore their creativity. Events are held across the country getting people creative and it was a great opportunity to open our doors and showcase some of the curriculum areas we offer post-16. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces, from parents and grandparents to children of all ages, has really helped to show the positive influence art can have on our wellbeing.
“Its also been great to see all areas of the college come together to run this fantastic activity and we can’t wait for our next community event!”
North Hertfordshire College’s Big Draw event was an opportunity to connect with the community, unlock creative potential and embrace the power of art in all its diverse forms. The Big Draw was open to every member of the local community, with admission being completely free and suggested donations for some activities going to the NHS Sunshine Appeal, the College’s charity of the year.
To donate to North Hertfordshire College’s fundraiser, please visit our Just Giving page