CREATIVE mania hit the Alton School last week when it hosted a series of community art activities for The Big Draw, the world’s largest drawing festival.

This year’s festival theme was ’play’ - and there was certainly plenty of that.

Pupils from the school’s nursery right through to its sixth form drew all over the school, colouring the paths and playgrounds with chalk murals, doodling on graffiti boards along the corridors, and creatively adorning trees throughout the grounds.

Imaginations fired, enthusiastic drawing continued in lessons, from maths through to French, and carried on over lunchtimes with portraits drawn of teachers and much fun guessing who was who.

Parents and staff joined in the burst of creative energy with an inspiring evening of drawing in response to music.

Particularly empowering for those who feel lacking in artistic ability, they learnt about drawing as a means of communication and were encouraged to be brave, to collaborate and to express themselves freely.

It was such a success that the Art Department is being lobbied to run drawing evenings every week.

Pupils from St Polycarps and Rowledge Primary Schools came to join in the creative fun and contributed to a communal artwork which is on display in Alton School’s Drama Studio. It will be exhibited again in the Allen Gallery over Christmas.

The school has expressed to GreatArt for supporting this community project.

Next year, the intention is to invite the whole town to come and get involved in an Open Drawing Saturday at the school.