Draw On Life at the Wellcome Collection's family festival

London gem The Wellcome Collection and its neighbour UCL are playing host to a fascinating free interactive festival celebrating drawing and life as part of the launch of The Big Draw, the national campaign that encourages frustrated doodlers to sharpen their pencils and get sketching.

Supported by the Bow Arts Trust, Drawing On Life kicks off on the evening of Friday 26th September at 7pm, and over the weekend the whole family can get involved in creative workshops and talks, all designed to enlighten visitors about the mysteries of the human mind and body while getting the creative juices flowing.

Highlights include illustrator Steven Appleby 'drawing to music' provided by Nathan 'Flutebox' Lee, while those keen to get involved can invent crazy prosthetics, design sets for a production at the ghoulish Little Theatre of Disease and Desire or take in screenings of short animations about the life cycle.

For the more scientifically minded Professor Ray Dolan muses over the connection between emotion and cognition, world-renowned geneticist Professor Steve Jones gives a talk about snails, science historian Professor Arthur Miller compares the thought processes of scientists and artists, and artist Richard Wentworth and scientist Mark Lythgoe walk, map and re-draw their environment. But that's just the tip of the ice-berg.
Sign up to Wellcome's alerts service for more details as they are revealed.

Launch: Friday 26th September, 7-10pm
Activity days: Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th September, 11am -5pm

How to get there:

The nearest tube stops to the Wellcome Collection are Euston Station, Euston Square Station, Warren Street Station and Kings Cross.

If travelling by bus you can jump on the 10, 18, 24, 27, 29, 30, 59, 68, 73, 88, 91, 134, 168, 205, 253 and 390.