The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers

What The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers does

The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers is the fifth oldest of the 113 City of London Livery Companies, with origins traced to a Painters Guild first referenced in 1283 and the separate Stainers Guild formed around 1400. The two guilds merged in 1502 and received their first Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1581; subsequent charters were issued by James II (1685), George VI (1939), and Elizabeth II (1981). Today the Company is a non-profit membership organization administered by an annually elected Master and two Wardens, supported by the Court of Assistants. It comprises working fine and decorative artists (Freemen) and full Liverymen with voting rights in City of London elections, including those for Lord Mayor and Sheriffs.

The Company's service portfolio has two pillars: commercial venue operations and charitable educational activity. Commercially, it operates Painters' Hall (9 Little Trinity Lane, London EC4V 2AD, rebuilt 1961) as an event venue for meetings, dinners, and business functions, with three areas of varying capacity and bookings handled via 9littletrinitylane.co.uk. On the charitable side, it runs the Painters' Company Scholarships (£5,000 annually to undergraduates at London art colleges), the Decorative Surfaces Fellowship (£10,000 one-year postgraduate programme at City & Guilds of London Art School), School Art Prizes for state schools in Inner London, the annual Art in the City exhibition, London Craft Week demonstrations, the Painter-Stainers' Craft Awards, and a Fine Art Appreciation Group. The Company also maintains military affiliations with 3 Military Intelligence Battalion (since 1967), the Intelligence Corps (since 1996), 51 Squadron RAF (since 2010), and HMS Stirling Castle (since 2023).

The Company generates revenue from two streams: hall hire (bookings for events) and membership contributions (a lower 'Service Charge' for Freemen and a higher 'Quarterage' for Liverymen, plus initial joining fees and voluntary charitable donations). It is supported operationally by a small staff of 9 and led by Master David Hitchcock OBE, Upper Warden Mrs Buzz Coster (the first woman in the role), Renter Warden Ben Pryor, and Clerk Alice Pearson. There is no commercial technology product, no AI/ML capability, and no external parent or ownership structure; the Company operates as an independent charitable organization.

Name

The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers

Legal name

The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers

Website

https://painter-stainers.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers is a 700-year-old City of London Livery Company and non-profit that supports fine and decorative arts through scholarships, fellowships, exhibitions, and craft awards, while operating Painters' Hall as a venue for events and serving artists, art students, and the London civic community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Hall Hire: The Company offers Painters' Hall as a venue for meetings, dinners and business functions. The Hall combines traditional elegance with modern facilities, featuring three areas for events with varying capacities.
2. Membership Contributions: Both Freemen and Liverymen pay annual contributions - a lower rate 'Service Charge' for Freemen and a higher rate 'Quarterage' for Liverymen, plus initial joining fees. Regular donations to the Company's Charities are also encouraged.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers is a City of London Livery Company (non-profit membership body) that exists to support fine and decorative artists and craftspeople. It administers charitable educational programmes (scholarships, fellowships, school art prizes), operates Painters' Hall as a hire venue for events, and convenes artists via the Painter-Stainers' Arts Society, exhibitions (Art in the City, London Craft Week) and craft awards.

Product overview

The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers is a historic Livery Company operating as a non-profit membership organization rather than a commercial enterprise. Its offerings center on Painters' Hall venue hire, combined with charitable educational programs supporting fine and decorative arts: the Painters' Company Scholarships (undergraduate support at £5,000 annually), the Decorative Surfaces Fellowship (£10,000 postgraduate award), and School Art Prizes. The Company also organizes member exhibitions through the Painter-Stainers' Arts Society including the annual Art in the City exhibition, participates in London Craft Week with demonstrations, and administers the Painter-Stainers' Craft Awards recognizing professional excellence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Painters' Hall Venue Hire Historic City of London Livery Hall available for meetings, dinners and business functions. The Hall, completed in 1961, combines traditional Livery Hall elegance with modern facilities across three event areas of varying capacity, and is offered as a venue hire product to corporate and private clients.
• Painters' Company Scholarships Annual £5,000 scholarship programme for undergraduate students at London Art Colleges, providing financial support from second year until graduation together with mentoring and exhibition opportunities for fine and decorative art students.
• Decorative Surfaces Fellowship Postgraduate Fellowship at the City & Guilds of London Art School awarding £10,000 for one year to explore specialist decorative surface techniques including gilding, marbling, wood graining, trompe l'oeil and japanning, with work base at the Art School, skills-based teaching and one-to-one master classes.
• School Art Prizes Annual art prize programme awarding certificates, art books and vouchers for art materials to encourage budding artists in state schools in Inner London boroughs surrounding Painters' Hall; prize winners represent their schools at Company-hosted events.
• Art in the City Exhibition Annual three-day exhibition showcasing works by Company artists, featuring over 100 works by graduates through to established artists across diverse artistic practices; 2025 edition 'London's Dreaming' featured 38 artists with over £12,000 of work sold.
• London Craft Week Events Annual programme of demonstrations, panel discussions, artist talks and tours held during London Craft Week at Painters' Hall, showcasing member expertise across wood graining, marbling, gilding, trompe l'oeil and painted cloth.
• Painter-Stainers' Craft Awards Annual Master Certificate Awards ceremony celebrating excellence at Apprentice, Journeyman and Master levels within industry and profession.
• Painter-Stainers' Arts Society Member society of the Company that hosts exhibitions and promotes fine artist and decorative craftsman traditions, running the Art in the City exhibition and participating in London Craft Week.
• Livery and Freedom Membership Two-tier membership of the Company for fine and decorative artists and craftspeople: Freemen pay an annual Service Charge and Liverymen pay annual Quarterage, both with initial joining fees. Liverymen have voting rights in City of London elections for Lord Mayor and Sheriffs.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HMS Stirling CastleminorOthers · 1 January 2023Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel affiliation established in 2023. Operates 365 days a year with two rotating crews of 28 personnel each.
• 51 Squadron RAFcoreOthers · 21 September 2010Formal affiliation completed 21 September 2010. Originally formed 15 May 1916, the Squadron operates highly specialised surveillance as part of No 2 Group, based at Waddington.
• The Intelligence CorpscoreOthers · 4 July 1996Association formed 4th July 1996 with the Regular Army's Intelligence Corps. Painter-Stainers Enterprise Trophy (silver) awarded annually to Corps member showing enterprise. An engraved dress sword presented by Colonel Commandant is placed before Master at formal dinners.
• 3rd Military Intelligence BattalioncoreOthers · 27 April 1967Affiliation since 27 April 1967 following earlier association with predecessor unit HQ Army Photographic Intelligence Section (Territorial Army). The Master's Company Competition awards a silver rose bowl (presented 1967) to winning company annually. Battalion based in London and Cambridge.
• Seasoned EventsminorOthersCatering partnership established in April 2024. Seasoned Events provides catering services for events at Painters' Hall, supporting the Company's hall hire operations.
• City & Guilds of London Art SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership supporting the Decorative Surfaces Fellowship (£10,000 one-year postgraduate programme) and scholarship programmes. Fellows receive work base at the Art School, skills-based teaching, and one-to-one master classes. Company also supports City & Guilds' technical education initiatives dating back to 1872 founding committee.
• Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)minorOthersBanking partnership - Company switched one of its charity bank accounts from a high street bank to CAF's banking services as part of sustainability efforts.
• First MileminorOthersWaste management partnership supporting the Company's environmental sustainability goals. First Mile provides waste management services with focus on recycling and environmental impact reduction.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths: Another City of London Livery Company with a craft/trade heritage (goldsmithing), charitable educational programmes, hall hire (Goldsmiths' Hall), and active participation in Lord Mayor and Sheriffs elections. Operates on the same Livery Company model as the Painter-Stainers.
• Worshipful Company of Haberdashers: Long-established Livery Company running Haberdashers' Hall, educational and charitable programmes, and City of London civic engagement; a near-perfect structural analogue to the Painter-Stainers.
• Worshipful Company of Fishmongers: One of the senior City of London Livery Companies, combining hall hire, charitable giving, educational support, and statutory City of London civic functions, structurally identical to the Painter-Stainers.
• Worshipful Company of Skinners: City of London Livery Company with skinner trade heritage, Skinners' Hall venue, significant charitable foundation, and civic voting role. Mirrors the Painter-Stainers' blend of heritage, charity, and venue hire.
• Worshipful Company of Drapers: Historic City of London Livery Company with major charitable educational trusts, premium Drapers' Hall venue hire, and civic governance role. Closely mirrors the Painter-Stainers' charitable and membership operating model.
• Worshipful Company of Vintners: Senior City of London Livery Company with Vintners' Hall as a hire venue, charitable activities, and statutory participation in City governance; comparable in scale and operating model to the Painter-Stainers.
• Worshipful Company of Ironmongers: City of London Livery Company with Ironmongers' Hall venue, charitable grants (notably in education), and traditional civic functions. Operates on the same Livery Company framework as the Painter-Stainers.
• Worshipful Company of Clothworkers: City of London Livery Company with clothworker trade origins, Clothworkers' Hall, major educational charitable trust, and civic governance role; comparable in scale and remit to the Painter-Stainers.
• Worshipful Company of Mercers: Premier City of London Livery Company operating Mercers' Hall as an event venue, administering large charitable and educational programmes, and participating in City governance; directly comparable in operating structure to the Painter-Stainers.
• Worshipful Company of Salters: City of London Livery Company with a science-focused educational charitable mission, Salters' Hall venue, and civic role; a comparable peer in Livery Company operating structure though more STEM-oriented.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers