What if a simple self-portrait could help children and young people build empathy, challenge stereotypes and make friends across borders?

Drawing Hope is a free art and peacebuilding initiative inviting children and young people across the world to create a self-portrait and a message of friendship to “a friend I haven't met yet". Quakers in Britain and Cymru Global are now inviting teachers, youth workers, community groups and peacemaking organisations to take part. Join the project by downloading the resource pack below.

It's a simple, creative project with a powerful purpose: helping us see one another as fellow human beings, and explore empathy, identity, peace and belonging.

Find out more

    Join the project

    Click on the link below to download the free Drawing Hope Resource Pack and run creative sessions with children and young people. The age-specific packs include everything you need to introduce the project, explore its themes and support participants to create their own self-portrait and message of friendship.

    Choose the pack that best suits your group:

    Through the sessions, children and young people explore empathy, identity, peace and belonging, before creating a self-portrait and message to “a friend I haven't met yet".

    Once you have downloaded the resources, register your school or group to take part. Registering helps us support you, keep you updated and include submitted artwork in local and national exhibition planning.

    If you would like guidance on how to lead the sessions, join one of our step-by-step online sessions.

    Click one of the links below to join us on Teams:

    All artwork must be submitted by 31 March 2027, although deadlines for regional exhibitions may fall earlier.

    Exhibitions

    The Drawing Hope coalition is excited to be planning exhibitions across Scotland, Wales and England between September 2026 and May 2027.

    Partner schools and organisations are invited to contribute to local exhibitions that bring together the artwork in public spaces. A selection of self-portraits will then contribute to international exhibitions at Friends House, London and the global Drawing Hope initiative which exhibits artwork around the world.

    There are great initiatives already set up across Britain, including:

    • Citywide exhibitions in libraries, train stations, community centres, cafes or other public spaces.
    • Community exchange exhibitions that bring together artwork from different localities, for example life on a remote island alongside life in a big city.
    • School linking exhibitions that specifically work with communities that have existing conflict or stereotypes.
    • Exhibitions that connect to wider initiatives such as peace festivals or events.

    We are also encouraging schools, organisations, institutions and peace initiatives to set up their own exhibitions, bringing together self-portraits across boundaries. Contact us via drawinghope@quaker.org.uk to receive exhibition guidelines and resources.

    Upcoming Drawing Hope exhibitions

    Birmingham

    • Library of Birmingham – Children's Library
    • Early 2027
    • Coordinators - Peacemakers – info@peacemakers.org.uk
    • Submissions by - tbc.

    Bristol

    • Sparks Bristol
    • February 2027
    • Coordinators – Quakers in Britain – drawinghope@quaker.org.uk
    • Submissions by January 15 2027

    Cardiff

    • The Senedd
    • Early 2027
    • Coordinators – Quakers in Britain and Cymru Global - drawinghope@quaker.org.uk
    • Submissions by – tbc

    Glasgow

    • Venue tbc.
    • Early 2027
    • Coordinators tbc.
    • Submissions by – tbc

    London

    Why this work matters

    We live in a time of increasing division and polarisation, including here in Britain. Children and young people can be drawn into narrow or oppositional ways of seeing others.

    Drawing Hope offers a simple but powerful alternative. By creating and sharing self-portraits and messages of greeting, children are encouraged to recognise their shared humanity with others – locally, nationally and globally.

    This kind of connection is at the heart of peacebuilding.

    The story of Drawing Hope

    Drawing Hope began as a project of solidarity and peace in response to the deep division between the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).

    During the Cold War era, children in South Korea were encouraged to draw pictures of children in North Korea as devils, with horns and tails, fuelling fear and hostility towards people across the border. Since then, the South Korean organisation Okedongmu – whose name describes a friendship that is shoulder-to-shoulder – have invited children to draw self-portraits and send a message to children across the border. Through this simple act, children could portray themselves and therefore share their common humanity. This exchange led to a historic meeting of North and South Korean children.

    The project has since become global, with exhibitions bringing together children's artwork from different countries and contexts, creating spaces of shared humanity.

    Find out more: www.drawinghope.net

    Drawing Hope in Britain

    Following an exhibition at Friends House in London in April 2026, Quakers in Britain's Peace Education team is developing Drawing Hope with partners across Britain.

    Working with schools and communities, we aim to create opportunities for children and young people to connect across differences, share their hopes for the future and contribute to a growing national and international conversation about peace.

    Project aims

    Through Drawing Hope, we aim to:

    • help children recognise their shared humanity with others
    • create opportunities for dialogue about hopes for peace
    • bring people of different generations together through exhibitions and conversation
    • support schools to engage with peace education in meaningful ways
    • build new relationships with schools and communities, strengthening our wider peace education work across England, Scotland and Wales

    Project timetable

    1. School and group sign-ups - summer 2026 - Wales, Scotland and England
    2. School and group delivery - autumn 2026 - Wales, Scotland and England
    3. Local exhibitions - spring 2027 - Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol and more
    4. London exhibition - spring 2027 - Friends House
    5. School and group follow-up opportunities - spring 2027 - Wales, Scotland and England
    6. Trans-local exhibitions - from summer 2027 - global!

    Contact us

    drawinghope@quaker.org.uk