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Drawing Dragons, a KS3 & KS4 school group session in the Royal Pavilion. A group of school children sit on the floor in the Music Room of the Royal Pavilion. They have A4 notepads and pencils and are drawing. The teacher sits with them, looking up at the ceiling.

Drawing Dragons

45 minutes, KS3 or KS4

The Royal Pavilion

In this session, students will have time to look closely at the beautiful Music Room in the Royal Pavilion and find out that there are over 100 dragons in this room alone! Through guided discussion, students will learn about some of these dragons and discover why so many appear in the Pavilion’s interior design.

Students will look carefully at the colours, patterns, and mythical creatures in the Music Room. They will think about how these details make the room feel dramatic and magical. Using what they see as inspiration, they will create their own dragon drawings on metallic painted paper. With colouring pencils and step-by-step guidance, they will use bold colours to capture what they see.

While drawing, students will listen to exciting stories about dragons and the history of the Pavilion. The session will encourage careful looking, creativity and confidence, while helping students connect art, storytelling and history in a fun and inspiring way.

Drawing Dragons, a KS3 & KS4 school group session in the Royal Pavilion. A group of school children sit on the floor in the Music Room of the Royal Pavilion. They have A4 notepads and pencils and are drawing. The teacher sits with them, looking up at the ceiling.

Good to Know

  • The session lasts 45 minutes
  • Adapted for KS3 or KS4 groups
  • Up to 30 places per session

What You Will Learn

  1. Develop careful observation skills – Study the Music Room closely, identifying details such as colour, pattern and the repeated use of dragons.
  2. Understand the use of symbolism in design – Explore why dragons appear throughout the Pavilion and what they might represent.
  3. Explore how design creates atmosphere – Consider how colour, pattern and decoration make the Music Room feel dramatic and magical.
  4. Develop practical art skills – Experiment with bold colour, pattern and drawing techniques using metallic paper and colouring pencils.
  5. Connect art, history and storytelling – Stories about dragons and the Pavilion help students understand how art and history together can tell powerful stories.

Decolonising

  • Students learn about the global influences behind the Pavilion’s design and consider how European designers interpreted ideas from other cultures.
  • Students are encouraged to make their own connections, interpretations, and artwork.

This approach values diverse perspectives, encourages critical thinking about history, and allows students to actively shape their own learning – supporting a more inclusive and thoughtful experience.

Links to Curriculum

  • KS3 and KS4 Art & Design
    • Students develop observational drawing skills through first-hand study of the Music Room, recording ideas inspired by colour, pattern, and symbolic dragon motifs.
    • They explore how art reflects historical and cultural influences, analysing how design creates atmosphere and meaning.
    • Supports GCSE assessment objectives: developing ideas (AO1), refining work (AO2), recording observations (AO3)
  • Cross Curricular links D&T, History, Geography

Cost

  • Up to 30 students £150
Dragon Drawings from a KS3 & KS4 school group session in the Royal Pavilion. Three line and watercolour drawings of different dragons inspired by the Pavilion are displayed against a backdrop of Pavilion wallpaper.