Make a Mark at Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration!
Friday 2nd (6-8pm) & Saturday 3rd (11am-4pm) October | Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
The official launch of The Big Draw Festival 2026 will take place at Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, the UK's only public arts organisation dedicated to illustration!
On Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd October 2026, we'll be taking over the Centre with a jam-packed programme of workshops, talks and activities for artists, families, and people of all ages, all exploring this year’s theme ‘Make a Mark’.
'Make a Mark' celebrates drawing as a process and a form of playful inquiry and expression. The theme invites everyone to explore how marks can help us express ourselves, connect with others and see the world in new ways - and we can’t wait to celebrate this at Quentin Blake Centre!
Whether you're a lifelong artist, an enthusiastic doodler or haven't picked up a pencil in years, come along and celebrate with us as we kick start a month-long global celebration of drawing.
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust.
Find out more and join us!
See what activities are taking place as part of the launch, and book your place!
Official Launch Day | Saturday 3rd October, 11am - 4pm
Join us for the official launch celebration of The Big Draw Festival 2026 at Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration! Throughout the day, visitors of all ages are invited to get involved with a joyful and jam-packed programme of artist-led workshops and activities. Check out the full programme here.
Across Quentin Blake Centre you'll find plenty of opportunities to experiment, play and create with an exciting line-up of artists, illustrators, and creative facilitators. With a mix of free drop-in activities, bookable workshops and exhibition tours, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
- Play with Colour | Deeney's Cafe | 11am-4pm | Free, drop-in: Join Marion Deuchars and Thames & Hudson for a drop-in workshop inspired by Marion’s new book ‘Play with Colour’.
- LGBTQIA+ Family Drop-in | Creative Studio | 10:30am-12pm | Free, drop-in: Queer-led and inclusive drop-in session for LGBTQIA+ families to get creative and try illustration.
- Leave Your Mark! | Studio Garden | 11am-4pm | Free, drop-in: Add to a growing collaborative artwork with artist Alex Bowie.
- Walk and Draw | Meet by Amwell Street Gate | 11:30am-1pm | Free: A free Walk and Draw with Gary Andrews, exploring urban illustration in Clerkenwell.
- Storytime & Craft Sessions | Library | 11-11:45am & 2-2:45pm | Free, bookable: Two sessions for young readers and families, bringing a picture book to life through story and art. These sessions are fully booked, but spaces sometimes open up on the day, so feel free to turn up and we'll let you in if there are any drop-outs.
- Pop-up Badge Making Station | Secret location | 1-3:30pm | Free, drop-in: Pop over to our surprise, free creative station with Pita Santos to make your own badge!
- Torn, not Drawn: Collage Workshop | Creative Studio | 1:30-3:30pm | Fully booked: An interactive session with Joey Yu, working with torn and layered paper to build a landscape.
- Exhibition Tours | Multiple times | Free with admission: There will be guided tours of Quentin Blake Centre’s exhibition spaces throughout the day. Tickets are available to book at cost of entry via Quentin Blake Centre’s website.
- Marion Deuchar Book Signings | Bookshop | 12-12:30pm & 2-2:30pm: If you fall in love with Marion's new book 'Play with Colour', this is your chance to purchase a signed copy!
Read the full event programme
See what you can get involved in and Make your Mark at Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration!
FULLY BOOKED Making Your Mark Panel Discussion | Friday 2nd October, 6 - 8pm
Book here | Suitable for ages 18+
Join us for an evening panel discussion, ‘Making Your Mark: Creativity, Impact and Social Responsibility’, exploring the power of creativity to shape communities, influence public conversations and create positive change.
Our panellists are Graphic Designer, Consultant and lecturer Greg Bunbury, London-based illustrator and artist Joey Yu, and illustrator, artist and designer MURUGIAH. The evening will be chaired by Illustrator Ben Tallon.
About The Big Draw Festival
The Big Draw Festival is the world’s largest celebration of drawing! Founded by The Big Draw in 2000, the Festival has championed mark-making as a universal language and a powerful tool for learning, self-expression, and innovation for over 25 years.
Over the last decade alone, the Festival has reached more than 35 countries, bringing together thousands of drawing activities that connect people of all ages with schools, galleries, museums, libraries, heritage sites, village halls, refugee organisations, outdoor spaces, artists, scientists, designers, illustrators, inventors, and each other.
Every October, organisations and individuals around the world take part by hosting events ranging from hands-on workshops and exhibitions to large-scale collaborative projects.
About Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is a charity and permanent public arts space, dedicated to championing illustration in all its forms.
Illustration changes everything. It is a universal language, used throughout the world to tell stories, inform, explain and persuade. The charity was founded in 2002 by much-loved illustrator Quentin Blake and previously presented and toured exhibitions from the smaller House of Illustration galleries in King’s Cross, London.
The new Centre is located in Clerkenwell, within an 18th Century waterworks, beautifully restored by Tim Ronalds Architects. The Centre offers galleries, a free illustration library, gardens, a café and a shop filled with illustration gifts.
Exhibitions and tours will explore the ways that illustration shapes and changes our world, and share highlights from Quentin Blake's archive. Creative projects with schools, community groups and illustrators will promote visual literacy and empower people of all ages to share stories and ideas.
Be part of The Big Draw Festival
This weekend is only the beginning! Our launch event marks the start of the official Big Draw Festival month, which takes place throughout October and sees thousands of visitors worldwide enjoying events hosted by Big Draw co-creators from galleries to libraries to care homes and more. Find more Big Draw events happening near you here, or organise your own here.
Whether you draw everyday, doodle in meetings or haven't picked up a pencil in years, you’re invited to make your mark for this year’s Big Draw Festival!
Logo designed by artist and illustrator Joey Yu