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Creating a sense of community and belonging can be challenging in online education, but it’s something the Open College of the Arts (OCA), an open-access distance learning provider, proves time and time again is possible. By creating opportunities for students to collaborate and build connections within their courses, OCA has made this sense of community central to its mission.
OCA have taken part in The Big Draw Festival for a number of years, and we were delighted to catch up Joanne Mulvihill-Allen, to find out all about their participation in The Big Draw's 25th anniversary year! We spoke with Joanne about how the college nurtures connection across its global student body, why drawing continues to play a vital role in its curriculum, and how initiatives like The Big Draw help strengthen collaborative, accessible, and inclusive creative learning for all.
For readers who might not be familiar, could you introduce the Open College of the Arts and tell us a bit about your role there?
"We are the Open College of the Arts. An open access, distance learning provider of higher education courses based in Barnsley, UK.
"We were created by Michael Young in 1987, one of the founders of The Open University, to offer high quality arts courses as a means to transform lives, with the opportunity to develop and express creative talents under the guidance of experienced artists.
"An OCA qualification, be that a Degree, Certificate or Diploma in Higher Education, can be a huge achievement for many and opens the doors to new careers, or new lifestyles built around the arts.
"Over 2000 people study with us every year as part of a truly global community representing around 67 nationalities worldwide. Our students come from every walk of life imaginable, fitting work, family, caring responsibilities and everything else alongside study and more besides.
"OCA’s community consists of students, practitioners and tutors working together, offering encouragement, creative criticism, hints, tips, insights and ideas.
"As Quality Manager I am responsible for enhancing the quality of student learning experience. I work closely with students, tutors, and external providers to plan, organise, and execute events and bespoke activities that cater to the diverse needs of student groups across multiple communities to foster a strong and vibrant community, facilitating connections between students regardless of location or background. Cultivating a sense of belonging and creating opportunities beyond formal academia and enriching experience through networking, events, bespoke e-learning courses and experiential sessions.
"I have a keen interest in Learning Design developing engaging, open learning, training and resources relating to extra-curricular opportunities and EDI."
You’ve taken part in The Big Draw Festival for a number of years now - what first inspired you to get involved, and how does The Big Draw align with OCA’s mission and values?
"Our core values of innovation, openness, adaptability, sustainability, and inclusivity align really well with The Big Draw’s mission and programme of events championing advocacy, empowerment and engagement. Creative arts for wellbeing also speaks to our ethos. We reach people in every walk of life, with over 50% of our students having a declared disability, and many students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and with no qualifications. If we can be a part of something bigger that brings the arts and people together, then it makes sense for us to participate."
Could you tell us a bit about your Big Draw activities for 2025?
"As an online learning institution, it makes sense to do something that fits in with our pedagogic model. We created an open, online learning space specifically for The Big Draw which has a series of asynchronous learning activities for participants to work through. We’ve designed a collaborative padlet for folk to share their work, research and progress and we’ve also programmed a series of workshops for OCA students and some that are open to everyone. These included speed portrait drawing to music, collaborative drawing and collage facilitated by OCA tutors and external providers. Our Big Draw space will remain open for people to drop in and out of as they wish. You can find out more about the space here.
"I'd like to thank Programme Leader for Drawing Emma Drye, tutors Diana Ali, Bryan Eccleshall, Justine Moss and Caroline Wright and facilitators Beth Suzanna and Kirsty Lockhart for their input, collaboration and expertise in our Big Draw. And finally thank you to all our participants both in our live events and in our online space."
OCA has built a vibrant online community - how do shared creative projects like The Big Draw help strengthen that sense of connection, and what other initiatives do you have to support students in feeling part of the community?
"Creating a sense of community and belonging can be difficult in an online environment. We work hard to create opportunities for students to collaborate and provide ways for them to build connections with people within the same course department through our learning and teaching model, geographically through regional group spaces and with shared interests such as Arts, the Environment and Sustainability. We host collaborative projects such as our EDI Calendar and a recent Cabinet of Curiosity initiative and we have a quarterly community zine which students, staff and alumni can participate in. We also host an annual Student Voice Festival which gives students the opportunity to meet their peers and share their thoughts and experiences on being a student at OCA. Operational and Academic staff also host a variety of activities and events for everyone to participate in."
Looking more broadly, how does drawing fit into OCA’s wider curriculum and approach to creative practice across disciplines?
"For artists who become intrigued by Drawing as a discipline there are a very small number of specialised drawing degrees in the UK. Open College of the Arts delivers one of them and the only one that can be studied in your home or studio without relocating to a campus based institution. The degree attracts artists whose practice has migrated towards drawing over the years and who feel they would benefit from a root and branch examination of what drawing could be for them. It also attracts professionals from other spheres of life that have some kind of transdisciplinary resonance, for example software designers, textile specialists or engineers. For others the decision to focus on Drawing is a more tacit sense of feeling that somehow Drawing is likely to be a good fit for them for one of many reasons associated with its cultures of practice. As an open access art college, we encourage students to assess their own needs and aspirations and support them to make a success of the degree should they feel it is right for them.
"The Drawing degree has been praised for its inventiveness and academic currency by visiting artists and academics and we are enormously proud of it and its students. Currently we have 6 students in their final graduating year at OCA and between them they give a great snapshot of what the degree can be for artists:
[above]: Gillian Holmes
Gillian Holmes
Gillian is using the signifier and motif of hands to examine our relationship with the other than human co inhabitants of our planet and how our ability to manipulate matter has affected our sense of ourselves as socio cultural beings; our own dominance and relations of care, in positive and less positive ways.
[above]: Janette Stevens
Janette Stevens
Janette has been honing a Trompe L’oiel practice using pencils, exploring texture and tone. The work plays with notions of labour and time so central to many forms of Drawing practice but also makes playful reference to art history and the implicit deceit of representation.
[left] No 5, [right]: No 4, Peter Canter
Peter Canter
Pete works in both 2D and 3D. He is currently working on a series of sculptures which explore the idea of a 3D line in space and which, to varying degrees, are determined by random integer algorithms. In parallel, he is pursuing his interest in kinetic sculpture and drawing machines by working on a large, outdoor piece based on compound pendulums. This work will make musical sounds and also draw. On rainy days, Pete works on his large, composite drawing of blind-drawn figures.
[above]: 'Writhe', Laurie Bradshaw
Laurie Bradshaw
Laurie is using her own phenomenological sensitivities to drive her relationships with materials in ways that are intimate and fleeting. Looking at the seduction of encounters with moments of experiential intensity such as the lapping of the edge of an ocean, Laurie’s work across a range of media provides those moments of intensity for a viewer.
[top]: Screen capture from practice session. Digital. Steve Meyfroidt.
[bottom]: Photo of workshop, Cork School of Music Stack Theatre, June 2025. Steve Meyfroidt and musicians Ioana Petcu-Colan, Ross Lyness, Alex Petcu, Lina Andonovska.
Steve Meyfroidt
Steve has developed software that can be part of a dialogic improvisation with musicians. Working with orchestral players in Belfast and Cork he has staged performances and workshops where musicians can direct a live drawing being created algorithmically by the software, but equally can shift their own music to respond to what they see emerging before them.
[top]: Drawing Green Lanes project, drawings 3 to 6, 2025, Martin Hoare
[bottom]: Drawing Green Lanes project, drawings 15 to 17, 2025, Martin Hoare
Martin Hoare
Martin has been chronicling the streets where he lives in Tottenham for several years. He has hundreds, if not thousands, of drawings of the urban landscape and how it is shaped by the people who live and work there. His focus is on daily encounters with the people we pass daily on the street. It speaks of the bustle and transience of the street. It’s the rumbling of traffic, a street sweeper going past, the noise of a bus, a busker, somebody shouting, a dog barking and someone singing in the background. It’s all of these things overlapping.
"As well as the Drawing degree, OCA has degrees in Graphic Design, Fine Art, Illustration, Interior Design, Creative Arts, Painting and Visual Communication with drawing being a significant and valued element of the course content.
"Open College of the Arts also has a range of skills based and other short courses where drawing plays an important part. For example, at least as many students in the Drawing Department are currently studying our Foundation Drawing course as are studying undergraduate Drawing. This makes for a nice community of practice that spans all levels of ability.
"For more information about our full range of courses, please check out our website."
What do you hope participants will have taken away from your Big Draw activities this year?
"We hope participants will leave with a powerful sense of connection and community, proving that drawing is anything but a lonely pursuit. Our goal is for them to gain a deep sense of belonging by realising that when they share their art and stories, they connect with others who may feel the same way. They will also gain an appreciation for the joy of collaboration, understanding how drawing can unite and bring people closer as they communicate emotions and share experiences. Finally, we want them to take away a sense of fun and accessible enjoyment, showing that anyone can get satisfaction from drawing, and the satisfaction of having tried something new and had a good giggle along the way."
And finally, looking ahead, are there any upcoming OCA projects or collaborations that you’re particularly excited about?
"We have a couple of projects we’re excited to launch. We are investigating the idea of building a unique and authentic stock library of visual and audio work using the talent of our own students. We understand the dangers, impacts and ethical implications around using AI generators to produce images both for the environment and artists and designers. We don't want to be a part of the problem. We’re also hoping to launch a student led podcast to build community and showcase talent.
"We have a suite of short courses which focus on a single topic and run for 8-10 weeks. Designed and led by OCA’s expert tutors, students have the opportunity to go deep into a topic and develop expertise in topical issues. All our art short courses are CPD accredited.
"We also offer a range of Foundation courses designed for those who want to develop skills and understanding before embarking on degree level study, or as interesting courses in their own right."
Thank you, Joanne!
To find out more about The Big Draw Festival and how you can get involved, click here.
