Living Lines: the animated Big Draw festival 2017

'Drawing is a universal language' – so says The Big Draw, the arts education charity behind the world's biggest festival of drawing. What began in 2000 as a one-day event is now an annual month-long international festival, with more than 25 countries hosting some 1,000-plus events that have so far encouraged four million people to pick up pencils.

This year the theme is animation. The festival will be celebrating everything from Mickey Mouse cartoons to modern (Computer Generated Images) CGI by bringing animation events to the community. From tiny workshops to full-scale national drawing parties, there's sure to be an event taking place near you.

No previous drawing or animation experience is required, although well-known artists, such as Sir Quentin Blake and Children's Laureate Chris Riddell, do take part. At heart this is an event open to anyone who loves to draw, as well as those who think they can't!

Registration for both attending and hosting events is open now.

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Origami, Dance Umbrella 2017
11 October - 15 October
Origami performances: 13:30 - 18:30
Fold Your City: 14:30 - 16:30

Dance Umbrella and the Big Draw have teamed up to bring you the Origami Challenge. Drop by one of Dance Umbrella's five gravity-defying Origami performances, which sees a dancer partnered with a shipping container. Draw the show as it unfolds, and share your work on social media for the chance to be featured on the Big Draw website for the duration of October.

Origami will be performed in five locations along the river Thames, from Battersea Power Station to the Greenwich Peninsula, so there are no excuses for missing this free acrobatic dance piece.

Fold Your City, a free origami workshop, will be taking place on Sunday 15 October. Families are invited to contribute to a large origami model city inspired by the skyline surrounding Trinity Buoy Wharf.

Tickets: Free
Recommended for all ages

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Adventureland, Royal Academy of Arts
Sunday 15 October, Sunday 22 October
11:00 - 15:00

Visit the Royal Academy of Arts for a crash course in animation under the tutelage of expert artists. Children can create and animate drawings of dream playgrounds and then use recycled objects to bring their drawings to life. Get inspired by the exhibition Jasper Johns: Something Resembling Truth and transform everyday objects into interactive works of art.

Tickets: Free admission
Recommended for all ages

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Animation at the Palace, Kensington Palace
Sunday 22 October - Saturday 28 October
11:00 - 15:00

Kensington Palace will be hosting a series of events aimed at teaching young ones the history of the palace and of animation itself. Activities include creating your own moving pictures, playing with Victorian toys, and watching a special performance of Isaac Newton’s demonstration of the refraction of light to Queen Caroline.

Tickets: Included in palace admission
Recommended for all ages

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Wild Life Drawing, British Society of Sculptors
Friday 27 October
11:00 - 13:00, 14:00 - 16:00

The Royal Society of Sculptors have organised a delightful life drawing session, where families are invited to meet and draw creatures including meerkats, hedgehogs, and rabbits. The class aims to connect children with the natural beauty of the countryside. Classes will be conducted by experts, offering advice on both the animals and your drawings of them. Classes are open to all abilities and materials will be provided.

Tickets: 1 adult £20, 1 adult + 1 child £25, 1 adult + 2 children £40. Eventbrite booking fee not included
Recommended for all ages