An online workshop for Crisis...
When I volunteered for Crisis in 2019 at its Homerton day centre, one of the big surprises was how much creative talent walked through the door. It was a privilege working with guests and whenever I had posters to rustle up for the entertainments and catering teams, I had willing helpers for colouring-in.
In 2020, because of the pandemic, events moved online. I was asked to design a workshop that could be done with the simplest of materials. Everyday Art showed how to make marks with a pencil or biro, how to get colour for nothing from readily-available kitchen supplies, how to use drawing to look at an object – and there’s some fun drawing without looking at the paper. Originally briefed as a Zoom workshop, we decided to make it pre-recorded so that guests could, if they wished, watch the workshop and then draw in their own time. I also made a one-page activity PDF.
Whenever I make a workshop for other people, I learn something myself – and the prep for this made me appreciate all the more the simple things at the heart of drawing.
India Lovett from Crisis says: "We know that for people stuck in temporary accommodation boredom and social isolation are big issues so our Christmas programme helped to address that with a range of online activities for people to do each day. Lydia’s workshop helped to inspire people to take up drawing and showed that it can done with the most basic of materials."
Watch the video here. Code: Teabag21
