Jump to content

Royal Drawing School

Edit links
Coordinates: 51°31′33″N 0°04′53″W / 51.5257°N 0.0813°W / 51.5257; -0.0813
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Royal Drawing School
Royal Drawing School
Location
Map
London Borough of Hackney

United Kingdom
Coordinates51°31′33″N 0°04′53″W / 51.5257°N 0.0813°W / 51.5257; -0.0813
Information
TypeEducational organisation
Established2000 (2000)
FounderHM King Charles III
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Royal Drawing School (RDS) is an independent, not‑for‑profit educational organisation and registered charity based in Shoreditch, London. It was founded in 2000 by HM King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and artist Catherine Goodman as the Prince’s Drawing School; the school received permission to adopt its current name in 2014.[1]

RDS teaches observational drawing at all levels and, by its 25th anniversary, was running more than 350 courses annually, from drop‑in sessions to its postgraduate programme, the Drawing Year.[2]

History

[edit]

RDS was established in 2000, during a period when the role of traditional draughtsmanship in UK art education was widely debated.[2] In 2025, the school marked its 25th anniversary with The Power of Drawing: Marking 25 Years of the Royal Drawing School, an exhibition at its Shoreditch studios that included works by David Hockney, Antony Gormley, Tracey Emin, Tim Burton and Quentin Blake, alongside a pencil sketch by HM King Charles III.[2][3]

Programmes

[edit]

The Royal Drawing School runs short and term‑length public courses for adults, as well as online options.[4] Its postgraduate programme, the Drawing Year, is a fee‑free (full‑scholarship) course that includes studio provision and professional development; places are limited to around 30 students.[5] The school also teaches Young Artists aged 10–18, both in‑studio and online.[6] As part of widening access, the school has expanded online provision and piloted livestreamed classes from museums and galleries.[2]

Facilities

[edit]

The school is based at Shoreditch Studios, a converted 19th‑century warehouse on Charlotte Road comprising four drawing studios, a basement intaglio print room, the ground‑floor Maria Manetti Shrem Gallery Studios, and a digital studio for live‑streamed teaching, with step‑free access and hearing loops in all teaching spaces.[2][3][7]

Exhibitions and events

[edit]

Alongside student and alumni exhibitions, the school presents public talks and collaborations. Its 25th‑anniversary series and The Power of Drawing exhibition highlighted drawing’s role across creative disciplines and featured figures from art and design, including Hockney, Emin, Gormley and Jony Ive.[2]

Identity

[edit]

In 2025, Pentagram partner Harry Pearce created a new visual identity for the school, titled "Drawing from the Source", launched during the 25th‑anniversary year.[8]

Governance and status

[edit]

The Royal Drawing School is a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 1101538).[9] The school’s Royal Founding Patron is HM King Charles III; the Vice President is The Lady Sarah Chatto. The founding artistic director is Catherine Goodman CBE LVO and the principal is Harry Parker.[2]

Notable alumni

[edit]
  • Alicja Biała, artist (Drawing Year alumna 2022)[10][11]
  • Daniel Blumberg, artist, musician, songwriter and composer (Drawing Year alumnus, 2016)
  • Somaya Critchlow, painter (Drawing Year alumna, 2017).[12]
  • Liza Dimbleby, (Drawing Year alumna, 2005[13])
  • Clara Drummond, artist (Drawing Year alumna 2005[14]); winner of the BP Portrait Award in 2016.[15]
  • Jake Grewal, painter (Drawing Year alumnus, 2019).[2]
  • Richard Ayodeji Ikhide, artist (Drawing Year alumnus, 2017[16])
  • Claerwen James, painter (Drawing Year alumnus, 2004).[17]
  • Olivia Kemp, artist and draughtswoman (Drawing Year alumna, 2004[18])
  • Christina Kimeze, painter (Drawing Year alumna, 2022).[19]
  • Jessie Makinson, artist (Drawing Year alumna, 2012[20]); winner of Marmite Prize for Painting.[21]
  • Kathryn Maple, painter (Drawing Year alumna, 2013); winner of the John Moores Painting Prize (2021).[22]
  • Francesca Mollett, painter (Drawing Year alumna, 2015).[23]
  • Louis Pohl Koseda, artist (Drawing Year alumnus, 2023); winner of the inaugural Christie’s Drawing Award.[24]
  • Carl Randall, painter; BP Portrait Award Travel Award (2012).[25]
  • Alice Shirley, artist and scarf designer for Hermès[26] (Drawing Year alumna 2010[27])
  • Stuart Pearson Wright, portrait artist (Drawing Year alumnus 2003[28]); winner of the BP Portrait Award in 2001.[29]
[edit]

Official website

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Brown, Mark (18 November 2014). "Art school founded by Prince Charles renamed Royal Drawing School". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "25 years of the Royal Drawing School". Christie’s. Christie’s. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b Ward, Victoria (21 June 2025). "King's sketch to go on display alongside works by David Hockney". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Courses". Royal Drawing School. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  5. ^ "The Drawing Year". Royal Drawing School. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Young Artists". Royal Drawing School. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Facilities: Shoreditch". Royal Drawing School. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  8. ^ "Drawing from the Source – a bold new identity for the Royal Drawing School by Harry Pearce and Pentagram". Creative Boom. 20 June 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Royal Drawing School — Charity overview". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  10. ^ "Alicja Biała". royaldrawingschool.org. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  11. ^ "Alicja Biala - Overview". Berntson Bhattacharjee. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  12. ^ "25 years of the Royal Drawing School". Christie’s. Christie’s. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  13. ^ "Liza Dimbleby". royaldrawingschool.org. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  14. ^ "Clara Drummond". royaldrawingschool.org. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  15. ^ Brown, Mark (21 June 2016). "Clara Drummond's Girl in a Liberty Dress wins BP portrait award". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  16. ^ "V.O Curations – Richard Ayodeji Ikhide". V.O Curations. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  17. ^ "Claerwen James — Alumna". Royal Drawing School. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  18. ^ "Olivia Kemp – James Freeman Gallery". www.jamesfreemangallery.com. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  19. ^ "Christina Kimeze". Hauser & Wirth. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  20. ^ "Jessie Makinson". royaldrawingschool.org. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  21. ^ "Jessie Makinson - Overview". Frestonian Gallery. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  22. ^ "Under Hot Sun: Kathryn Maple — John Moores Painting Prize". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  23. ^ "Francesca Mollett". GRIMM Gallery. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  24. ^ "25 years of the Royal Drawing School". Christie’s. Christie’s. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  25. ^ "BP Portrait Award 2012 — Travel Award". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  26. ^ "Alice Shirley - Hermès Scarf Designer Profile". Scarf Sage. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  27. ^ "Alice Shirley". royaldrawingschool.org. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  28. ^ "Stuart Pearson Wright". royaldrawingschool.org. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  29. ^ "Stuart Pearson Wright - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Drawing_School&oldid=1319634852"