Delivering Art Workshops that encourage inclusivity, creativity and fun is an important part of my practice.
The most recent series of workshops are underway. Working alongside participants from Upside Downs Orkney : a group for young people with Downs Syndrome and Inclusive Orkney : who support children with additional support needs and their families, has been fantastic for all involved. Activities have allowed for expressive mark making and imaginative thinking. Most notably, some time to relax and unwind, take a moment.
A participant commented before starting that “I can’t draw”. This is something we (artists) hear quite often when delivering workshops. I always explain that everyone can draw, in a workshop setting it is not about completing a picture-perfect finished artwork, it is about taking part and enjoying the process. With gentle encouragement the drawing created was full of colour, textures and felt like Orkney.
Other group members spent time carefully looking at Groatie Buckies through magnifying glasses while drawing exercises were given with gentle instruction. I love how everyone was given the same materials and instruction but came up with different drawings. To me this is a great example of how we are all different and fabulous in our own way.
At the end of each session everyone was asked how they felt – happy to report everyone, including me, picked the sunshine! The next weekend of Drawing Orkney will be delivered in March 2024 and promises to be just as much fun.
Drawing Orkney was funded by the Youth Art Fund. The fund is a Creative Scotland fund administered by Youthlink Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government. Funding awarded to The Pier Arts Centre to deliver workshops locally.
Laura Drever 