Drawn Together at Charlton House Library

This year, Charlton House Library is once again taking part in The Big Draw Festival, bringing creativity and community together in a special way. At the heart of it all is Sarah Davis, Reader Development Librarian at Greenwich Libraries, who has been inspiring a love of reading and creativity for over 15 years. From curating author events and judging major book prizes, to leading inclusive, hands-on creative workshops, Sarah’s passion for books, art, and community really shines through. We spoke with Sarah about Charlton House Library, her own journey with drawing, and her experience of hosting Big Draw events that bring people of all ages together...

Hi Sarah, thank you so much for speaking with us! Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and your role at Charlton House Library?

I have worked in several different libraries in Greenwich for several years. My current role, which I have been doing for 15 years, is Reader Development Librarian. It’s a varied and exciting role delivering reader development, liaising with the reading agency to promote books, reading schemes, library displays, reviewing new books for the radio 2 book programme. I have been on the judging panel for books awards including the Wainwright nature and ecology book prize, and the Wilbur Smith adventure writing prize. I also source some author events. It's an interesting role that I really enjoy as I am committed and passionate about libraries and sharing reading with library users. 

And could you also tell us more about Charlton House Library itself - its history, the community it serves, and what kind of activities or programmes you typically run?

Charlton Library is a unique library within an historical listed Jacobean building built around 1607. The library has an original Inigo Jones fireplace; a replica of the fireplace is in the Queens House Greenwich. We often get visitors coming in to look at the fireplace and take photographs of it, and I really enjoy telling them its history. I have also sketched the fireplace. Charlton House is now used as a community venue and has its own tea rooms; The house is also set within Charlton Park and gardens, again a wonderful source for drawing - I usually sketch in my lunch break. The library is small but very welcoming. We offer something for everyone from children to older people. We run regular sessions with children including craft sessions, colouring and baby rhyme times. For adult library users we have two reading groups, and we offer free internet access. We have coffee mornings and offer a quiet mindful space with creative activities. Greenwich Libraries are very much the heart of the community, and the staff are very creative.

This year marks your third time taking part in The Big Draw Festival! What inspired you to get involved with The Big Draw in the first place?

I attended one of the very first Big Draw events 20 years ago when my daughter was aged ten, we also attended a session at the painted hall in Greenwich and I was surprised to see a photo of us drawing in one of their booklets!

I have always loved drawing; I am dyslexic, and when I was 8 one of my school reports said that I cannot write, cannot read well, but can draw beautifully (I still have the report). I have just graduated from the Open College of the Arts with a BA in drawing which I really enjoyed and it has made me aware of the benefits of being creative and how important drawing is to me. 

During the pandemic and lockdown I was unable to visit art galleries or go outside to draw so I attended the online Big Draw events, I have also attended some of the London based Big Draw Sketchcrawls. I felt that I wanted to give back to the big draw so I was inspired to lead drawing events in libraries as I firmly believe that drawing is an activity that everyone can do and enjoy. I also feel drawing not only allows you to explore creativity but is also a relaxing and mindful activity.

What have you done for your Big Draw events in the past? Have there been any particularly memorable or standout moments for you?

Our first event that happened after the lockdown at Blackheath Library was a special event for me. The theme was ‘Come Back to Colour’, which felt so relevant during the post pandemic time. I made some sheets on colour theory and we did simple drawing exercises such as blind and continual line drawings before sketching pineapples in colour.

We did a wire sculpture workshop at Eltham library, and had all ages joining together. One of the children made me a wire bracelet.

Last year's event was a family sketch walk in Charlton Park, and everyone had their own little sketchbook. It was lovely to see the children not only being creative but using their imagination and adding stories to their drawings. One of them, who is a regular library user, brings in her sketchbook and shows me the drawings she is working on. So, I guess all these events in their own way have been special.

Why do you think it’s important to offer creative opportunities in community settings such as libraries?

Libraries are warm spaces; they are free and available for everyone. Greenwich libraries offer something for all our users and communities. We are a rich, colourful, multi-cultural and very exciting borough and we all like to celebrate different cultures.

Being creative can be uplifting and mindful. We are lucky in Greenwich libraries as we have a fantastic, dedicated and creative staff force who enjoy sharing talents with all our library users. We offer craft activities for all ages, knitting and crochet sessions, mindful colouring, drawing classes, creative writing sessions and Lego for both children and adults and much more all led by the library staff. We do a yearly user survey where libraries can have a say about their library experience, and our activities are very popular.

This year’s Big Draw Festival theme, ‘Drawn Together’, is all about how creativity unites us, placing collaboration and connection at the heart of making and creating. What does ‘Drawn Together’ mean to you? How does it resonate with Charlton Library?

‘Drawing together’, for me, means coming together to learn; it offers a sense of belonging. It's a way to enjoy sharing our life experiences and to make new friends and connections in a positive and welcoming way. It's important to be supported and to have the opportunity to belong to something important that can be beneficial for your personal wellbeing. I feel creativity is so important and can be enjoyed by everyone. For me personally being part of The Big Draw feels like being part of something very special, part of a creative family, and feeling valued. This is what I believe is the true meaning of ‘Drawn Together’.

We’d love to hear about your plans for The Big Draw Festival 2025!

We have 2 activities planned: like last year we will start with a sketchbook walk for all ages. Then everyone will be encouraged to share their work with each other and if they want to, they can share what they enjoyed the most and what inspired them.

The second part of the workshop will be back in the library space where everyone will make a drawing using their sketches for inspiration: these drawings will be joined and connected to make a shared collaborative drawing based on the experience of sharing. There will also be some recycled collage materials available for the collaborative drawing.

Do you have any advice or top tips for other organisations considering hosting a Big Draw event for the first time?

My advice would be just have a go, and have fun. Being part of the festival of drawing is an uplifting and rewarding experience. There is lots of useful content and blog posts on The Big Draw website, and they also have a very good social media presence. You can also sign up for their regular email newsletter which also has links to other events as well as useful information for creatives. They are also offer support via email. Remember you are not alone but part of something very big and exciting.

And finally, for someone who hasn’t visited Charlton Library before, why should they make a visit?

Charlton house library is tiny but a very beautiful and relaxed space with a view over the park and gardens. We are based inside a Jacobean manor House which makes it unique. We are a friendly and welcoming library and offer activities for all ages, we can even tell you some of the fascinating history of Charlton House. After viewing the library, you can visit the fantastic tea rooms for sandwiches, drinks and homemade cake. Finally, have a walk through the park. There is a fantastic walled Amnesty international peace garden, a tranquil space where you can sit and relax. 

Thanks so much, Sarah!

To find out more about The Big Draw Festival and how you can get involved, click here.