Drawn Together a Huge Success in the UK

Drawn Together is a WMF Britain initiative to cultivate care for historic environments by engaging children. A junior and high school education usually does not extend to an appreciation for the built environment, but young people routinely process their curiosity and understanding of the world through drawing, establishing a basis for lifelong interest. Drawn Together inspires family creativity in historic places via the WMF Art Cart: a box on wheels with a hinged lid to draw on or sit on. It's proved a huge success.

In June, Auckland Castle and Hexham Abbey hosted two weekends in the North East of England—the most economically depressed area of the country, but one rich in historic sites. Four Artists-in-Residence encouraged public participation and produced eight fabulous works that will be auctioned to raise funds needed to perpetuate the program. Starting in July, those pieces as well as a selection from over 100 drawings made by the public will fill display boards in Durham Cathedral, where the monastic kitchen has been made available to continue the initiative for three months. Through Drawn Together, 250,000 visitors to the eighth-century art of the Lindisfarne Gospels on temporary exhibition nearby will be able to see the very latest art inspired by the region's heritage.

With thanks to the Paul Mellon Estate, the Festival of the North-East, Auckland Castle Trust, Hexham Abbey, Durham Cathedral, coordinator Andie Harris, the Artists-in-Residence, and to everyone who has joined in.