The Royal Drawing School
Analysis
The Royal Drawing School is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in January 2004, 22 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04971133). It says it makes grants to individuals, provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.
In the financial year ending August 2025, The Royal Drawing School reported income of £4.5m and spending of £5.1m, spending 112% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from August 2021 to August 2025, income grew from £2.6m to £4.5m (+75%), an average of +15% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to August 2022, when income rose by 23%. Over the whole period it spent 104% of the income it received.
Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, The Royal Drawing School sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Charleston Trust (Bloomsbury in Sussex) (£4.5m), Portsmouth Historic Quarter Trust (£4.6m) and Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration (£4.5m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 55%, charitable activities 41% and investments 3.7%. Charitable activities took 84% of spending and raising funds 14%. Reserves of £3.7m would cover about 9 months of spending at that rate. It employed 53 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 55%
- Charitable activities 41%
- Investments 3.7%
In the charity's own words
To facilitate and promote the practice of drawing from observation; we believe that this is crucial for all aspects of visual learning, thinking and practice. We aim to fill a gap left by the steady erosion of observational drawing from the study of art in higher education and in schools by offering tuition and resources to art students, artists, children and the public.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The Charleston Trust (Bloomsbury in Sussex) | Lewes | £4.5m |
| Portsmouth Historic Quarter Trust | Hampshire | £4.6m |
| Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration | London | £4.5m |
| Battersea Arts Centre | London | £4.6m |