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East Londoners quick on the draw to celebrate start of annual art campaign

Tuesday 2 October 2007

East London residents were dreaming of the past as they delved down to the crypt at St John’s Church in Bethnal Green on Sunday 30 September.

Vikings, dinosaurs and woolly mammoths all featured en masse, as budding artists of all ages picked up a pencil and poured out their imaginative impressions of East London's past on the papered-up walls of the crypt.

The unique ‘Ancient Dreaming’ event marked the launch of Big Draw East, a month-long drawing campaign officially opened by artist and illustrator Quentin Blake and Guardian cartoonist Posy Simmonds at the nearby V&A Museum of Childhood.

The University of East London (UEL) School of Architecture and Visual Arts organised the activity in partnership with Docklands-based Diversity Art Forum and the St Paul's Artspace Project.

Pauline Desouza, senior lecturer at UEL and director of the Diversity Art Forum, said: "Ancient Dreaming was a wonderful event and a great way to kick-off this year's Big Draw East. It's been fantastic to see so many people of all different ages just pick up a pencil and draw!

“That’s exactly what this campaign's all about – giving people the chance to have fun, do something different, and remind themselves how engaging and enjoyable the act of drawing can be.”   Big Draw East volunteer Shelagh French, a mother of three from Bethnal Green who is studying for her BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at UEL said: “Seeing children drawing is an education and a pleasure; they can escape into their imaginations without inhibitions and be happy there for hours.   “Big Draw East is a fantastic opportunity to encourage all ages and abilities to take part in the enjoyment that can be derived from drawing. It also gives me the opportunity to be actively involved in my local community, which is why I jumped at the chance to take part in this year’s event.”   Ancient Dreaming is one of a series of events taking place in Bethnal Green as part of the Big Draw East campaign. On Saturday 6 October, people of all ages are invited to take part in ‘Rumble in the Jumble’ at St.Pauls Artspace. The event will encourage people to explore different modes of drawing as they make their way round a jumble sale.   UEL’s School of Architecture and the Visual Arts welcomes students from all over the world and is among the leading centre for art and design. For further information, visit www.uel.ac.uk/ava.

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For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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