“You can draw your way out of every situation”

When the UK first locked down in March and it was apparent that we were in this for the long haul, AccessArt decided to take the long view and think about how we could help pupils and teachers return to some kind of education in September 2020, given that we could not know, and still do not know, what shape that education might be.

And so DrawAble was born! Drawing is the perfect tool to help children navigate their way back into the world.

Drawing helps us revisit memories, explore emotions, and re-imagine our life.  Drawing helps bring us back to the moment, keeps us playful and inventive, and helps build and restore confidence. 

DrawAble is also testimony to some of the skills which artists bring to society, ones all too often overlooked.

Artists are brave people. Creativity often flourishes in a slightly chaotic space – artists are skilled at creating just enough chaos in their minds and with their hands to let ideas collide and new solutions emerge. Artists know what it means to say “I don’t know… but I do wonder…”

Artists understand the benefit of collaboration. Artists inspire and feed each other. Their ideas and actions support each other.  Artists remind each other it is ok to follow your instinct, and to have the confidence to form a vision. 

And artists are optimistic people. It is ALWAYS an optimistic act to make things with your hands, and to connect your brain and heart, and to produce, without knowing how it will turn out.

And these skills: bravery, collaboration, and optimism, are the very skills which will help us build our vision for how we would like to live, both as individuals and as a society. These are the skills we need our leaders to have, and these are the skills which make us feel better as individuals. 

Thank you so much to the DrawAble team, who have pulled together with incredible speed and energy to share their passions and create resources which we hope will help enable those skills in others. We also hope that by creating resources for September we can help take some pressure away from teachers – and a big thank you to all our wonderful teachers for all they do. 

All the DrawAble resources will be available free of charge from www.accessart.org.uk/drawable.

DrawAble has been funded by a legacy. Further DrawAble resources will be created in collaboration with other artists in the Autumn term. 

Paula Briggs on behalf of #Team AccessArt