Tom’s Tuesday: The Big Draw 2026

Tom’s Tuesday: Make a Mark!

As part of this year’s The Big Draw Festival, Gainsborough’s House is teaming up with artist Anna Brass to create an interactive drawing installation, inviting young people to get creative, experiment with mark-making and make their mark on the museum!

The Kemp Room, our former shop space, will be transformed into a 360-degree drawing installation, shaped by the creativity and contributions of the week’s Big Draw participants.

Taking inspiration from the silk-lined walls of the Gainsborough Gallery, the installation will explore Thomas Gainsborough’s techniques and subject matter, alongside Sudbury’s rich silk heritage.

We’ll begin by heading outside into the autumn air to draw the 400-year-old mulberry tree, alongside the beautiful medlar, quince and fig trees in Gainsborough’s Garden (a weather-dependent alternative is planned).

Back in the Kemp Room, we’ll use our garden drawings as inspiration to experiment with mark-making, patterns and drawing on fabric. We’ll enlarge and transform our designs onto fabric, creating our own botanical patterns and wallpapers.

To finish, we’ll hang our completed fabric panels around the room, bringing our drawings together to create an immersive, 360-degree installation inspired by the green silks in the Gainsborough Gallery and Sudbury’s silk-making heritage.

Come along, get drawing and help us transform Gainsborough’s House, one mark at a time!

Materials kindly donated by Sudbury Silk Mills.

Book your space now.
Tickets for this Event can be cancelled up to one week beforehand. Refunds will be given after this date only if the ticket is re-sold.

Enjoy a special treat on us by collecting a voucher from your session to claim a FREE child’s meal at The Watering Place café with every adult meal purchased.

• Morning session only: 10am–12pm

Family drop-in sessions
£5 per child with up to two accompanying adults
Recommended age from 3–12 years
All children must be accompanied by an adult