Welcome to Indie Oxford Stories, our series celebrating the incredible people behind Oxford’s independent businesses.
These are the makers, bakers, creatives, and community builders who bring so much heart to the city. Each story offers a personal story about what inspired them to start, what keeps them going, and how you can support the local businesses that matter so much to life in Oxford.
You can explore more features in the full Indie Oxford Stories collection, browse our Directory of Independent Businesses, or find your nearest indie on our Interactive Map.
How would you describe your business in a sentence?
What first inspired you to start your business – was there a lightbulb moment?
I was working at the Old Fire Station (OFS) arts centre, in the Cafe at the time. I was on shift with a wonderful colleague, Lydia, who also had a visual arts background. We were chatting through ideas about how we could boost the number of people in the Cafe during the pockets of time when we were staffed but really quiet. I had previously run experimental drawing workshops when I worked at OVADA (an artist-led space), and I was saying how much fun I’d had doing it! Lydia said, “Let’s do it here” and we did. The next time I saw Lydia, they said, “It’s booked in, and we’re doing it.”
How did you actually get started?
Initially, Lydia and I were encouraged to use quiet moments in our Cafe shifts to plan the sessions. We ran them for free and brought in our own art materials for people to use. Lydia set-up the Instagram account, I listed everything on free platforms like OxonArts & Daily Info and actually the Indie Ox events listings as the OFS Cafe was a member. We used the OFS Canva account to make the posters and printed them on the very temperamental staff printer. We asked another colleague who worked in the Cafe with us, Syrie, to be involved. She has a fashion background, and we knew that she’d made some incredible pieces for her degree show. We asked if she would model some pieces from her graduate collection for our first session, ‘Fashion Illustration’.
Lydia is an amazing illustrator, and I am an Artist who has always said “I can’t draw” but love doing it anyway. That Summer, after just three Drawing Club’s, Lydia moved to study illustration at Glasgow’s revered School of Art. I absolutely loved running Drawing Club and really wanted to keep it going. Moving forward, I designed the sessions to be experimental – for people who think they can’t draw (like me) and would be a fun challenge for the people who think they can draw. Three years on, this is still how I approach designing each session.
What felt most daunting about starting out, and how did you overcome it?
To be honest, when I started running it on my own, the most daunting thing was overcoming the imposter syndrome. I was someone who actively said “I can’t draw” whilst running a public facing drawing workshops, that ultimately people were paying to attend. Over time, I’ve been really mindful with wording and visuals that I use to position what we do as experimental… it’s not a traditional drawing class, it’s anything but. I grow in confidence with each session and the people that attend Drawing Club are so lush, it’s a real pleasure.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Continuing to build Drawing Club as a business, independently, whilst working in multiple freelance roles.
What has been your proudest moment?
After running the first Drawing Club at the beautiful Worton Kitchen Garden, I felt like what I imagine a pop star feels when they’re coming off-stage – full of adrenaline from the amazing energy in the room, a great sense of achievement and huge relief that it all went so well. I had pitched the idea of seasonal workshops to Worton Kitchen Garden, and when that first one went well, I was incredibly excited to build on its success.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned about running a business?
There are so many hidden but essential costs to running a business from website fees to insurance, material costs, marketing and a great deal of time spent on admin, creative development and production behind each event. Charging the right amount for the events is essential to running a viable business and my goal is to make this sustainable.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting out, what would it be?
“Build something you believe in and that aligns with your personal value systems – this should give you a good anchor whenever things get stormy.”
What’s next for you and the business?
We have a really exciting programme of events lined up for the autumn, across four fab venues in Oxfordshire, including our first Drawing Club at Modern Art Oxford, which I’m really excited about.
Building on this, I’d love to keep growing Drawing Club in ways that feel collaborative. I’m keen to work with organisations and businesses to offer Drawing Club as part of team days and creative away days, as well as exploring partnerships with other creative disciplines — cinema is one I’d particularly love to connect with.
I’m also researching ways I can create Drawing Club companion products and fun merch, so that people can have a bit of the Drawing Club experience at home.
How can people support you right now?
Come along! We’ve got a range of experimental drawing workshops gently flipping the script on what drawing is supposed to look like. No pressure. No perfection. No rubbers required. Just come as you are.
Sign up to the Drawing Club mailing list for exciting updates and follow us on Instagram @dr4wing_club to see what we’re all about.
Who in the Independent Oxford community inspires you?
Eden Fay! I first worked with Eden as an exhibiting Artist during my time as the ‘Exhibitions and Workshop Manager’ at the Old Fire Station Gallery. We connected again through Drawing Club. I feel like we are two kindred spirits, aligned in the belief that play and mindfulness through creativity is beneficial for our wellbeing. Eden has such a fantastic energy and is a brilliant facilitator.
What does being part of the Independent Oxford community mean to you?
Community, knowing that there’s always someone there to ask. The team at Indie Oxford are so supportive and incredibly responsive, it’s a lovely feeling to feel you’re part of a community that wants to uplift and champion what you’re doing. It’s very special.
What’s a fun fact about you that people might not know?
As well as facilitating, I’m a practising artist and image-maker, drawn mainly to analogue processes because they require patience, presence and care, values that underpin both my artistic and participatory practice. Being in the darkroom printing, is my happy place.
Tea or coffee? Tea 🫖
Early bird or night owl? Early Bird 🐥
Book or film? Film 🎬
