The Big Blue Draw

Priors Court is at the forefront of education for children and young people with autism, and has its own remarkable art collection.

Two artist workshop leaders designed activities involving all 63 students in the composition of a collective banner based on the school’s emblem – a blue dove.

The older students made printing blocks from foam on hand-sized wooden boards.

Students were able to exercise freedom of choice and independence in selecting from a range of blues and deciding where and how to add their individual dove to the flock.

Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust Awards

The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust aims to increase public appreciation of the arts and music. Their awards recognise educators, artists, teachers and others who use The Big Draw to extend their audience’s perception of drawing and to engage them in innovative activities. They reward organisers whose events relate to their setting, local environment or community, show a clear purpose and good results. Individual drawings may have been used to create a collective artwork, or a public display to celebrate participants’ achievements.