The Big Draw - A Winning Concept
Family fun in an inspiring environment made ECU's award-winning Wild and Wacky Big Draw Holiday Program a big success.
The unique school holiday program involving 330 children and parents was organised by the Museum of Childhood and Edith Cowan University. The program made it possible for the participants to express their thoughts through art.
It was held from September 26 to 30, 2005 and from October 2 to 6, 2006 at the Edith Cowan University Joondalup campus.
Museum director Lyn Williamson said the program had won the inaugural Macquarie University Vice Chancellor’s Drawing Innovation Award in 2005, and another award for the 2006 program.
"In addition we have just won the Museums Australia Partnership Award in 2007 for the same program for our partnership with ECU’s Children and Family Services Childcare course,” she said.
Fiona, a student who helped organise the event as part of ECU's childcare unit Recreation in a Community Setting, said the Big Draw provided fun and unique ways for children to experiment with a range of mediums. They could express themselves and explore their creative potential in a safe and positive environment.
"Children appeared to have had a fabulous time and in many cases returned the following day with their friends, gaining what appeared to be great satisfaction from showing them all the exciting things that can be done,” said Fiona.
The children were asked to use a whole range of daily-living items including potato mashers, toilet brushes, rakes, mops and ropes.
"Children can draw using their knees and elbows, make patterns using a remote control car, and create ‘magic’ drawings … among many others!" said Fiona.
"It provides children and their families an opportunity to meet others from their community," she said. "I personally think that it’s a very fun and worthwhile project - both for the children and the organisers. It was a pleasure to be a part of this program."
The Big Draw is a very affordable holiday outing for families.
The program gives the ECU childcare students the requisite knowledge and skills to be deemed competent in the Recreation in a Community Setting unit of their program.
By organising the event, the Museum of Childhood serves as a role-model for other museums to work closely with tertiary education institutions.
The Museum contributed in the national program, also called the Big Draw, because they wanted to encourage the enjoyment of drawing for all age groups. They also wanted to develop new audiences for their Museum, which consists of the most comprehensive collection of childhood heritage in Australia with approximately 20,000 objects.
With the prize from the Big Draw and the positive participants, they do not only have a great experience to look back on, but also a good inspiration for future projects.
