Quentin Blake Centre For Illustration

What Quentin Blake Centre For Illustration does

Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is a UK registered charity (no. 1095210) founded in 2002 by the illustrator Quentin Blake to create the UK's first dedicated centre for illustration. Following a first iteration as House of Illustration in King's Cross (2014-2020) and subsequent operating period focused on touring exhibitions, the organisation is opening its permanent home at New River Head, a restored 17th-century waterworks in Clerkenwell, London, on 5 June 2026, positioning itself as the world's largest dedicated space for illustration.

The Centre's core products span ticketed exhibition galleries (including the Quentin Blake Gallery drawing from a 40,000-work pledged archive), free public spaces (gardens, illustration library with 1,800+ volumes, café, shop, Quiet Space), venue hire (Boiler Room, Engine House Galleries, Creative Studios, Windmill Base), school workshops delivered by professional illustrators, community co-production projects, and a touring exhibitions programme that has reached over one million people at 60+ venues since 2015. Revenue streams include ticket sales (£15-£16.50), school workshops (£150-£575 per session), corporate venue hire (from £225/hour to £3,500+ per evening), retail, touring exhibition hire, and philanthropy via the Illustration Angels membership. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offer is content, space and educational services.

The organisation is funded through grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and Islington Borough Council, corporate supporters including Thames & Hudson, Moomin Characters and Pentagram, and individual philanthropy. It operates with ~30 staff across visitor welcome, exhibitions, participation, marketing, fundraising, finance and operations, and is governed by a board chaired by John Kampfner with trustees drawn from Stripe, Kirkland & Ellis, PwC and Condé Nast alumni.

Name

Quentin Blake Centre For Illustration

Legal name

Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration

Website

https://qbcentre.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Arts Centre

NAICS

Museums (71211)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

Keywords

• Illustration exhibitions
• Arts education programmes
• Community arts engagement
• Cultural venue hire
• Illustration reference library

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticketed special exhibitions. Standard adult tickets priced at £15 or £16.50 (inc. donation) with concessionary rates available. Income supports community arts programmes, creative workshops and outreach activities.
2. Venue Hire: Hire of event spaces including the Boiler Room Cafe, Engine House Galleries, Creative Studios and Windmill Base for corporate events, receptions, conferences, dinners, and filming.
3. Education Programmes: School workshops delivered at schools and at the Centre. State schools pay £400 per day for two 90-minute sessions; Centre-based sessions are £200 per 90-minute session.
4. Memberships and Donations: Charitable donations and membership programme (Illustration Angels) providing ongoing support. Registered charity 1095210, dependent on philanthropy and grants.
5. Retail Sales: Shop selling illustration prints, books, gifts, cards and making materials.
6. Touring Exhibitions: Hire of touring exhibitions to museums, galleries, libraries and festivals internationally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is the UK's only permanent place for illustration, located at New River Head in Clerkenwell, London. It runs three ticketed exhibition galleries, free public spaces including an illustration library, gardens and displays, alongside a cafe and shop. The charity also delivers school workshops, touring exhibitions to museums and galleries, community co-production projects, and an illustrator residency programme.

Product overview

Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is a single-location arts centre and registered charity offering a unified visitor experience combining ticketed exhibition galleries with free public spaces. The portfolio includes three ticketed galleries showcasing rotating exhibitions of illustration art (including the Quentin Blake Gallery), a free-access illustration reference library, café and shop amenities, and venue hire services. Educational offerings encompass school workshops delivered by professional illustrators and community co-production projects. The Centre also operates a touring exhibitions programme and online digital collections resource. The portfolio is unified under one venue at New River Head, with all elements serving the mission to celebrate and empower illustration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ticketed Exhibition Galleries Three ticketed galleries showcasing changing exhibitions of original illustration from around the world, including the Quentin Blake Gallery housing works from the founder's 40,000-work archive. For general public and culture enthusiasts.
• Illustration Reference Library Free-access reference library with over 1,800 books covering animation, graphic novels, fashion illustration, children's books, and illustration history, with materials in multiple languages. For researchers, students, and visitors.
• Illustration Shop Retail shop selling illustration prints, books, gifts, cards and making materials, supporting the local creative economy. For general consumers.
• Corporate Venue Hire Hire of multiple event spaces including the Boiler Room cafe, Engine House Galleries, Creative Studios, and Windmill Base for corporate receptions, conferences, private dinners, product launches, and filming. For corporate event clients.
• School Workshops Professional illustrator-led workshops for primary and secondary schools covering character design, sequential illustration, and mood creation. Delivered at schools in Greater London and nationally, or at the Centre.
• Community Co-Production Projects Co-produced illustration projects with local communities, families, older adults, and marginalised groups exploring heritage and personal stories through creative workshops. For community groups and under-represented audiences.
• Touring Exhibitions Hire Hire of touring illustration exhibitions to museums, galleries, libraries and festivals across the UK and internationally. Since 2015, exhibitions have been seen by over one million people at 60+ venues. For museums, galleries and cultural institutions.
• Illustration Residency Programme Annual residency programme providing dedicated space for illustrators to create and display their work, with applications reopening in late 2026. For practising illustrators.
• Illustration Collections Online Online database featuring curated stories and searchable items from UK-based illustration collections, with material from the 1900s onwards including public domain, Creative Commons licensed, and copyrighted works.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million people have viewed touring exhibitions since 2015
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tim Ronalds ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject architects appointed through architectural competition. Specialists in arts, education and public projects with experience on listed buildings including Wilton's Music Hall and Hackney Empire
• All Things StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallery designer (3D) creating exhibition spaces for museums and cultural institutions. Previous clients include Design Museum, British Museum, Manchester Jewish Museum
• Wolfe HallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallery designer (2D) creating narrative and research-led exhibition designs. Recent work includes Wellcome Collection's Cult of Beauty and Barbican's Alice Neel exhibition
• Max FordhamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding services engineers focusing on sustainable, low energy design. Projects include Tate Britain, Tate Modern Switch House, Courtauld Gallery
• Eckersley O'CallaghancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStructural engineers delivering intelligent engineering solutions. Recipients of IStructE Award Winners for Construction Innovation and Queen's Award for Enterprise
• Earnscliffe AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccess consultancy ensuring Centre and programmes are welcoming and accessible. Clients include V&A, Design Museum, Tate
• Fraser Muggeridge StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWayfinding and graphic design. Previous clients include Jeremy Deller, Tom Odell, Matt's Gallery, Focal Point Gallery
• Core FiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent award-winning cost consultancy supporting the capital project
• Aberdeen Art GallerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTouring exhibition partner hosting illustration exhibitions as part of the Centre's national touring programme
• Cambridge University LibrarycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTouring exhibition partner hosting illustration exhibitions
• National Museum WalescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTouring exhibition partner hosting illustration exhibitions
• The Bowes MuseumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTouring exhibition partner hosting illustration exhibitions
• Huis van het BoekcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational touring exhibition partner in the Netherlands
• Hongik Art CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational touring exhibition partner in South Korea
• Lily Ash SakulaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSchool workshop facilitator delivering illustration workshops to schools
• Grace HollidayminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSchool workshop facilitator and illustrator delivering workshops
• Jhinuk SarkarminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSchool workshop facilitator and illustrator
• Julie VermeilleminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSchool workshop facilitator and illustrator
• Toya WalkerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSchool workshop facilitator and illustrator
• Thames & HudsonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter and publisher of illustration books
• Moomin CharactersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter
• PentagramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter and design firm

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tate Modern: Major London modern and contemporary art museum. Comparable as a large-scale ticketed gallery venue with extensive learning and community programmes, though focused on modern/contemporary fine art rather than illustration.
• Design Museum: London museum dedicated to contemporary design and architecture. Comparable as a London design/visual-arts venue with ticketed exhibitions, learning programmes, and retail; broader scope than illustration-focused Centre.
• Victoria and Albert Museum: UK's national museum of art and design with significant illustration holdings and rotating exhibitions. Comparable as a major London arts institution and exhibition venue, but vastly larger in scope, scale, and resources, with illustration as one of many collections rather than the focus.
• Royal Academy of Arts: London artist-led institution hosting major ticketed exhibitions, learning programmes, and artist development opportunities. Comparable as a London arts venue with an exhibition-led model, though operating across fine art disciplines rather than illustration.
• National Gallery: UK national art museum in Trafalgar Square housing one of the world's major fine art collections. Comparable as a major London ticketed gallery with learning programmes and retail; vastly larger and broader scope than the Centre.

Direct peers

• Serpentine Gallery: London contemporary art gallery in Kensington Gardens with ticketed exhibitions, public programmes, and venue hire. Comparable in scale and London gallery operating model, though focused on contemporary fine art rather than illustration.
• Whitechapel Gallery: East London gallery with a long-running programme of ticketed exhibitions, free public spaces, learning programmes, and venue hire. Comparable in gallery operating model and London scale, though broader contemporary art focus rather than illustration.
• Illustration Cupboard: Specialist London gallery exhibiting original illustration art. Closely comparable given its illustration-exclusive focus and London gallery model, though it operates as a commercial gallery rather than a charity and at a smaller scale than the new Centre.
• Hayward Gallery: Southbank Centre's contemporary art gallery hosting major ticketed exhibitions and learning programmes. Comparable as a London visual-arts venue with similar programming model and audience, though it operates as part of a broader cultural complex.
• Cartoon Museum: London-based museum dedicated to British cartoon, comic, and illustration art. Direct peer given the shared focus on illustration/cartoon art, similar small-museum scale, and London location, though the Cartoon Museum's collection is broader (cartoons, comics) while the Quentin Blake Centre is illustration-specific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/QuentinBlakeCentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qbcentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/qbcentre

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Quentin Blake Centre For Illustration