| Royal Drawing School | |
|---|---|
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 Royal Drawing School | |
| Location | |
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London Borough of Hackney United Kingdom | |
| Coordinates | 51°31′33″N0°04′53″W / 51.5257°N 0.0813°W /51.5257; -0.0813 |
| Information | |
| Type | Educational organisation |
| Established | 2000 (2000) |
| Founder | HM King Charles III |
| Website | Official website |
Royal Drawing School (RDS) is an independent, not‑for‑profit educational organisation and registered charity based in Shoreditch, London. It was founded in 2000 byHM King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and artistCatherine 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]
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 withThe Power of Drawing: Marking 25 Years of the Royal Drawing School, an exhibition at its Shoreditch studios that included works byDavid Hockney,Antony Gormley,Tracey Emin,Tim Burton andQuentin Blake, alongside a pencil sketch byHM King Charles III.[2][3]
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]
The school is based atShoreditch 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]
Alongside student and alumni exhibitions, the school presents public talks and collaborations. Its 25th‑anniversary series andThe Power of Drawing exhibition highlighted drawing’s role across creative disciplines and featured figures from art and design, includingHockney,Emin,Gormley andJony Ive.[2]
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]
The Royal Drawing School is a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 1101538).[9] The school’s Royal Founding Patron isHM King Charles III; the Vice President is TheLady Sarah Chatto. The founding artistic director isCatherine Goodman CBE LVO and the principal is Harry Parker.[2]
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