The old Wilkos in Hillsborough is now home to The Drawing Shop, a free drawing space where you can let your creativity run wild. Floors and walls are covered in paper, chalkboard and canvas, so that you can make your mark on the ever expanding collection of art that makes up The Drawing Shop. All materials are provided, as is protective clothing if needed! The Drawing Shop is free, and is for everyone.

Behind The Shop

Sheffield artist Johnsey is the driving force behind The Drawing Shop, and works in close collaboration with ArtWorks South Yorkshire, a group of artists who have a learning disability, are autistic, or both.

The Drawing Shop in Hillsborough is presented in association with Hypha Studios, a charity matching creatives with empty spaces & regenerating the high street with cultural hubs & events for local communities.

We work in ongoing collaboration with the public, schools and other community groups, to create an ever growing archive of drawings, paintings and sketchbooks with the starting point of mark-making.

Our collaborative practice has generated over 1000 drawings, paintings and sketchbooks of works in progress which make up ‘The Drawing Shop’ which we invite the public to collaborate on.

We aim to blur the boundaries between artist, participant and audience through active involvement and responsive collaboration. The works are an explosion of abstract forms and colour, whilst the process invites collaborators to draw and paint intuitively in response to music.

‘The Drawing Shop’ is an inclusive and accessible open-studio environment where the public are invited to engage in free creative sessions with ‘The Drawing Shop’ team, and everyone is welcome.

The Drawing Shop is a CIC - a community interest company - which means our primary goal is benefiting the community, rather than making money.