The Courtauld is thrilled to, once again, be taking part in The Big Draw! The 2023 Big Draw Festival theme #DrawingwithSenses changes the focus from external to internal, exploring the way we personally process the world and internalise our experiences through our senses.
This is a great year to look at the 5 basic senses: Touch, Sight, Sound, Taste and Smell and experiment with these and those you are less familiar with to transpose your experiences into creative work and drawings in 2023.
Join The Courtauld for drop in family friendly workshops focusing on our senses, explore the exhibition Claudette Johnson: Presence and get rare back of house access to our prints and drawings study room. In this special Open House, attendees will be able to get up close to rarely displayed works on paper and hear from our experts on the techniques, materials and histories of these objects. This event is suitable for all ages and all materials will be supplied!
Book your ticket to The Courtauld Gallery on 25 October, 11:00 – 15.00 and be part of The World’s Biggest community of drawing enthusiasts!
Programme
- Entrance (Ground Floor), 11.00 – 3.00: Pick up special postcards, clipboards, sketching paper and pencils and curate your very own Big Draw!
- Blavatnik Fine Rooms (Third Floor): Join members of our Learning Team to explore a small selection of art works using touch, sound and smell. Touch a bitten apple inspired by a well known painting, listen to a magical moonlit landscape and experience the power of smell to awaken emotions. Artist educator, Toya Walker, will give you all the drawing encouragement you need!
- LVMH Great Room (Third Floor), 11.00 – 3.00: Nicolette Macleod will be composing live soundscapes drawing inspiration from The Courtauld’s Impressionist works in The LVMH Great Room. Nicolette is a vocalist and composer with a strong improvisational practice who creates bespoke scores for theatre, film and artworks. www.nicolette.me
- Katja and Nicolai Tangen 20th Century Gallery (Third Floor), 11.00 – 3.00: Visitors are invited to take part in a collaborative drawing experience. Add to our large-scale ‘work in progress’ with your own reinterpretation, additions or highlights inspired by the artworks on our ceilings.
- Prints and Drawings Study Room (East Wing), 1.00 – 3.00: Join our prints and drawings experts for this back of house gallery experience. Granting special behind the scenes access, this ‘Open House’ will allow rare in person object study sessions of little known works on paper housed in The Courtauld collection. Ask questions, get up close and learn more from about hidden details and techniques.