Alice Meets Darwin In Wonderland

The seventh Chislehurst Big Draw built on its successful predecessors to produce another magical day of drawing on the village common and in the neighbouring church and pubs.

Thanks to a committee practised at guaranteeing community involvement in this annual event, supporters included an army of 120 volunteers, the local museum and schools, art groups, Art for the Disabled, the residents’ association, the Commons Trustees, Rotary, Darwin’s Landscape Laboratory and many local businesses.

Over 1,200 people joined in activities at thirty drawing stations (gazebos) across the common:

• drawing Darwin's desk
• creating new species
• playing flamingo croquet and life size chess – Alice versus Darwin
• painting with four foot brushes
• taking a watercolour master class in order to decorate Alice’s tea cups for the Mad Hatters’ Tea Party.

A quiet thinking walk, and a Wonderland puppet show with stilt walkers, offered alternative adventures.

Trailblazers

This award recognises inspirational organisers and institutions that have committed to The Big Draw in the long term, and use it as an experimental platform. They invest energy and imagination into ensuring that the process and results reveal the power of drawing put to excellent use.