Laura Drever

Delivering workshops to 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.  Each young person was accompanied by family members (parents/carers and/or siblings) allowing time for everyone to be creative, have fun and learn something new. 

Over the course of the workshops a series of activities were delivered to ensure there was activity suitable for everybody. Each session was divided into 20 minute sections to allow time to reflect, learn new things, build confidence and encourage getting involved. Activity was tailored to ability which included observational drawing, mark making and using a selection of art materials.

As well as creating individual artworks, the group were encouraged to contribute to a collaborative artwork which involved mapping out a journey.  Everyone was invited to find where they lived on the map and draw the thing they love to see. Some drew a walk they enjoyed, while others took their pen on a journey to where they liked to visit.  One of my favourites was the marks representing birds in flight from Stromness to Rousay.  

Do you have a favourite detail?

Encouraging creativity and sharing ideas with participants has been very rewarding.  When gathering feedback, it was wonderful to hear that activity allowed them to be “captured by drawing” and that it had “boosted confidence”.  One parent commented that “given they have been assessed having a 20 minute attention span, they did really well”.  It was a delight to hear from one peedie lass that “it’s a dream!”

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.