Draw to Perform Festival spotlights the creative relationship between drawing, performance & disability
Draw To Perform Festival 2026: Drawing On Disability
25-26 July 2026
Dream Centre, Chailey Heritage Foundation
Draw to Perform and Chailey Heritage Foundation are proud to announce the launch of Draw to Perform Festival 2026: Drawing on Disability, a two-day festival celebrating the endless possibilities of drawing, mark-making, performance, and disability.
Taking place on 25-26 July 2026 at the Dream Centre, Chailey Heritage Foundation, the festival will bring together professional disabled artists, young people, and members of the public for a unique weekend of live artistic experiences and creative participation.
Featuring artists: Meg Fozzard, Rachel Gadsden, Laura Greenway, Jennifer Light, Connor McCarthy, Matilda Sharpley and Jody Xiong.
Drawing on Disability is the seventh Draw to Perform festival dedicated to performative drawing. Building on a growing international programme of festivals, events, and collaborations, this edition places disability at the centre of the conversation, celebrating the creativity, innovation, and diverse artistic practices of disabled artists.
Founded by artist and researcher Ram Samocha, Draw to Perform explores drawing as a live, performative practice. Since its inception, the project has brought together artists from diverse backgrounds to challenge traditional understandings of drawing and expand the possibilities of mark-making through movement, performance, and audience engagement.
The 2026 festival focuses on disability as a source of creativity, innovation, and artistic knowledge. Through one day of live performances and one day of participatory workshops, the festival aims to create opportunities for disabled artists to share their practices while fostering dialogue between artists, audiences, and communities.
Ram Samocha, Founder of Draw to Perform, said:
“Drawing is one of the most immediate and accessible forms of creative expression. Through this festival, we want to celebrate the rich and diverse ways disabled artists engage with drawing and performance, while creating opportunities for audiences to experience drawing as a living, evolving practice.”
The first day of the festival, Saturday 25 July, will feature a programme of live drawing performances by professional disabled artists. Throughout the day, audiences will be invited to witness drawing as an active and dynamic process, experiencing a range of approaches to mark-making, movement, and visual expression.
The second day, Sunday 26 July, will offer a series of performative drawing workshops designed for disabled participants. Led by professional artists, the workshops will encourage creative exploration, experimentation, and participation in an inclusive and supportive environment.
Draw to Perform: Drawing on Disability is presented in collaboration with Chailey Heritage Foundation, a leading charity supporting children and young people with complex disabilities and health needs. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to accessibility, inclusion, artistic excellence, and the celebration of diverse creative voices.
The event is open to members of the public, the Chailey Heritage Foundation community, artists, educators, and anyone interested in drawing, disability arts, and contemporary performance.
Tickets for Day 1 – Live Drawing Performances
Tickets for Day 2 – Workshops
