Shoppers, students and families came together to turn part of Wolverhampton city centre into one giant artwork as part of a national celebration of drawing.
The Mander Centre was transformed into a giant art canvas as members of the public were invited to put pen to paper during a three-day creative event. Held between 27 and 29 October, the project was organised by the University of Wolverhampton in collaboration with The Big Draw, an annual international celebration of drawing.
Five rolls of Fabriano paper were joined together and laid across the floor of the shopping centre, creating a large-scale canvas for people of all ages and artistic abilities to contribute to. The event began with informal drop-in sessions, allowing visitors to draw freely, before moving on to more structured workshops covering experimental mark-making and portraiture.
Simon Harris, senior lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Wolverhampton, said the aim was to create what organisers believed would be the largest public drawing Wolverhampton had seen.
“People could just come and join us and draw away,” he said.
“There is no age limit. This is for both adults and children, and we’ve had really great engagement across all age ranges.”
He said the event demonstrated how creativity could bring people together, encouraging conversations, building a sense of community and giving people the opportunity to express themselves.
Harris also highlighted the importance of creative courses at university level, particularly at a time when creative industry programmes are facing challenges across the UK.
“What we’ve shown here is actually the significance that the creative programmes have,” he said.
“The amount of people that have come in and joined in with it, who have really started to express themselves and develop their visual language, has been great.”
Lindsey Chambers, head of the University’s School of Social Science, Humanities and Creative Industries, said the project was an opportunity to bring staff, students and Wolverhampton residents together on an “epic scale”.
She said: “This is about showing what we can do when we get together as a community, how we can work together across lots of different backgrounds and ages, and have a lovely time being creative together.”
Chambers said Wolverhampton’s history of supporting representation, inclusion and diversity within the creative industries made it an ideal location for the project. She described seeing members of the public take part as “really uplifting”, adding that the event helped break down barriers between people who might not otherwise have spoken to one another.
“It just reminds us of what it is to be human,” she said.
People taking part said they enjoyed the chance to get creative, with one describing how the event brought the community together.
They said: “I think this event’s great because it brings the community together and it’s not based on how well you can draw. All levels are appreciated, whether you be beginner, advanced. It’s nice to see everybody coming together and do something, because there is a lot of violence in the area, so it’s nice to see everybody happy, letting them be themselves, everybody chatting to each other, getting along.”
A university student said it offered a welcome break from studying.
“It’s great, it’s refreshing after finishing our assignments. You know, we get to do this, which is something new, and we feel more relaxed because there’s no deadline, really, and we get to do what we want.”
Another person taking part said: “The event is quite fun. It’s really great to just go out in public and do, like, public drawings and express yourself in.”
Drawing is often dismissed as “just a hobby”, but its benefits can extend beyond artistic expression. Skillshare’s 2025 discussion of drawing highlights research into how the activity may support mental wellbeing, including reducing stress, improving memory, encouraging creativity and sharpening focus. It suggests that putting pen to paper can offer benefits for the mind as well as providing a way to express ideas.
The university plans to continue its drawing project in Wolverhampton next year, although the format may change. Chambers said she would like the event to inspire people to keep drawing in their everyday lives.
“I’d like them to carry on drawing,” she said. “They’ll get a bit of white paper, scribble on the back of a cardboard box, get their pens out and just remember that scribbling and doodling is good for your soul.”