"When I walked into the Institute of Contemporary Arts(ICA) on Wednesday night, a bald man passed me a furry orange pencil case and several sheets of white paper. He fished a crumpled set of instructions out of his pocket. "Free London's Monsters," it said at the top. He pointed up the stairs to the bar, told me to grab a drink and get drawing."
A nice video of people making monsters at the ICA is here.
I went to quite a lot of trouble to get the furry orange pencil case.
I wanted something that was fun, welcoming and made sure that the participants weren't put off by thinking they had to produce fantastic drawings - which was the reason for the glitter glue and big chunky felt tips as well.
I was also careful not to go for a pencil case that seemed ironic and cool - for example I saw some with boy bands on - and would make participants think the event was one in which they might be laughed at by the ironic and cool proper artists.
Handing out felt tips and glitter glue from a furry orange pencil case in the Institute of Contemporary Art, no less, meant that the joke was on me - I was happy to look silly and uncool, and so people would feel comfortable taking part themselves.
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