Supporting access to the arts and sharing the love
Drawing is fundamental.
Before we write, we draw. We make marks instinctively, for pleasure, curiosity and connection. Somewhere along the way, many of us are told - or we decide - that drawing isn’t for us.
dRAWing Space exists to challenge that idea.
Drawing isn’t a talent reserved for a few. It’s a practice - something you learn by doing. The more you work the line, the more you discover.
All you need is a surface, a mark-making tool and the willingness to begin.
dRAWing Space offers live drawing sessions and events that open up drawing as an accessible, shared and exploratory activity. Working with artists, cultural venues and community organisations across the South West, we create spaces where experimentation is encouraged, confidence grows and everyone is welcome.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A dRAWing SPACE SESSION?
Sessions usually begin with a short introduction and a simple drawing prompt to get everyone started. I introduce a range of materials and approaches, often working at different scales, and encourage participants to experiment without worrying about right or wrong outcomes.
Activities might include:
mark-making exercises to loosen up and build confidence
a short introduction to other artists’ work, offering inspiration and showing different approaches to drawing and materials
observational drawing or imaginative prompts
working from objects, images, stories or place
drawing alone, alongside others, or collaboratively
I offer guidance and demonstrations throughout, but participants are encouraged to work at their own pace and follow what interests them. Conversation, reflection and curiosity are as important as the drawing itself.
Sarah Chapman, f
ounder of dRAWing Space
I love drawing.
It really is that simple. I see drawing as fundamental to creativity and believe it should feel as natural as speaking or writing. Yet after more than twenty years working in arts education, I’ve come to realise that many of the structures we’ve built around creativity often limit, rather than expand, what drawing can be.
I set up dRAWing Space to challenge this; to rethink how drawing is understood and to make it more accessible, open and generous.
From 2010–2021, I directed the Arts Institute at the University of Plymouth, where I worked with an extraordinary range of international, national and local artists across visual art, music, film and literature. Alongside this, I have curated and co-curated regional, national and international projects and festivals, including The Moby-Dick Big Read and The Ancient Mariner Big Read, and have worked with institutions such as the Royal Academy, Artangel and the Arts Council National Collection.
A core part of my work has been creating pathways for emerging artists, including founding initiatives and contributing to the development of the visual arts sector in the South West.
More recently, my focus has shifted toward opening up drawing and creative practice to new audiences. I work with homelessness agencies and community-based social enterprises, delivering drawing workshops that support people to explore materials, build confidence and find their own creative voice.
I am an alumna of the Royal Drawing School, London, and exhibit regularly across the UK. My recent work is included in the nationally touring Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, travelling during 2025.