MORE than 55,000 people have now downloaded a gallery’s coronavirus project backed by big name artists.

Colchester’s Firstsite gallery teamed up with award-winning artists such as Sir Antony Gormley to launch Art is Where the Home is.

The third version of the project includes an activity designed by Essex pottery artist and Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry, 60, called The Character Game.

The idea involves thinking of a character and drawing them, then you draw who they live with, where they live, inside their home, drawing them on a journey, at work and on holiday.

He said: “This is a drawing game that my daughter Flo loved to play when she was young between the ages of maybe eight and 12 but I loved playing it too so it’s for any age! Draw each step on a separate piece of paper, fill the page and draw quite fast, don’t over think it just lose yourself in the story and the detail.

“Talking about it with someone else while you are doing it also adds to the fun, it helps to build the character.

“Tomorrow you can do the whole thing again with a new character who is very different and may take you to different places and introduce you to new characters.

“Keep all your drawings, and then maybe you could illustrate a story with all the characters together. Before you know it, you may have a book.”

The gallery asked a selection of artists - including Jeremy Deller, Gillian Wearing, Michael Landy, Ryan Gander, Idris Khan and Annie Morris - to create a fun activity that doesn’t require special equipment.

Combined the activities create downloadable activity packs which is available for free.

Sally Shaw, Firstsite director, said: “With more than 55,000 packs distributed in total now it’s wonderful to see that creativity in all its forms is alive and well.”