The Big Draw
The Big Draw is a UK arts education charity operating the world's largest annual drawing festival in October, with tiered organizer subscriptions, donations, and sponsorship supporting events across 35+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Big Draw does
The Big Draw is a UK-registered arts education charity (charity no. 1114811) founded in 2000 by the Guild of St George as the Campaign for Drawing, operating from a single office in Trinity Buoy Wharf, London with a team of 1–10 employees. Its core offering is The Big Draw Festival, held annually every October and described as the world's largest celebration of drawing, in which subscribing organizers — ranging from independent artists at £12/year to institutional Festival Partners at £480+/year — list events promoted through thebigdraw.org. The organization also operates The John Ruskin Prize (a multi-disciplinary art prize launched in 2012 in partnership with the Guild of St George that has attracted over 10,000 cumulative entries from 53 countries) and the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize (the UK's leading open exhibition for contemporary drawing), alongside year-round programmes such as Walk and Draw and Drink and Draw.
The revenue model is a combination of three streams with no statutory funding: tiered annual subscriptions from organizers (individual, schools freemium, and partner packages), one-off donations processed through PayPal, and sponsorship/awards sponsorship (headline festival sponsorship plus targeted prize funding from foundations including The Alan Davidson Foundation, The Arts Society, and The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Foundation). A small portion of event listings carry ticketed admission ranging from free to £30. Events have been hosted by organizations in over 35 countries — including museums (Courtauld, The Box Plymouth, The Burrell Collection, Walt Disney Family Museum), galleries (Hauser & Wirth across 8 international locations), heritage sites (National Trust Knole), libraries/government (Inspire, Nottinghamshire), schools, and healthcare providers — with no proprietary technology platform beyond the website event-listing and ticketing layer.
Governance is delivered by a small executive team led by Director Matilda Barratt and Programmes and Operations Manager Elisha Keyworth, supported by 14 patrons and ambassadors including Lord Foster, Sir Roger Penrose, Sir Quentin Blake, Andrew Marr, and Chris Riddell OBE. The Big Draw has no acquisition history, no funding rounds, no subsidiaries, and no public revenue disclosures; its competitive position rests on 25+ years of brand tenure, a distributed organizer network, and the annual cycle of the October festival rather than proprietary technology or scale economics.
The Big Draw firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Big Draw
- Legal name
- The Big Draw
- Website
- https://thebigdraw.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Big Draw is a UK arts education charity operating the world's largest annual drawing festival in October, with tiered organizer subscriptions, donations, and sponsorship supporting events across 35+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Big Draw industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts Education Charity / Visual Literacy Festival
- NAICS
- Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs (MPAGAFAJ)
Keywords
Where The Big Draw is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Big Draw business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Festival Subscription Fees: Annual subscription fees from festival organizers ranging from £12 for individual organizers to £480+ for partner packages. Non-fee paying schools receive free access.
- Donations: One-time donations through PayPal accepting both large and small contributions to support the charity's mission.
- Sponsorship and Awards Sponsorship: Headline sponsorship, event sponsorship, and festival partnership packages. Sponsorship of specific awards like The John Ruskin Prize.
- Event Ticket Sales: Some events listed on the platform charge admission fees ranging from free to £20-30 for paid workshops and classes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Organiser - Entry level subscription for independent artists and freelancers |
| Subscription | Annual | Festival Partner Package - Premium partnership for organizations |
| Freemium | Annual | Schools Subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Event Ticket |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
The Big Draw product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Big Draw runs an annual global drawing festival every October, complemented by art prizes (John Ruskin Prize, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize) and awards programmes. It sells annual subscriptions to organizers (£12–£480+) who list events on the platform, supports partner institutions worldwide, and supplements income through donations and sponsorship.
Product overview
The Big Draw is an arts education charity that operates a portfolio of drawing-focused programmes and events. The core offering includes The Big Draw Festival (the world's largest annual celebration of drawing), The John Ruskin Prize (a multi-disciplinary art prize for artists and makers), and the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize (the UK's leading open exhibition for contemporary drawing). Additional programmes include The Big Draw Festival Awards recognizing outstanding festival participants, and community-focused events such as Walk and Draw sketch clubs and Drink and Draw social gatherings. The organization also manages collaborative research projects, campaigns, and educational conferences on visual literacy, digital technology, and STEAM education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The John Ruskin Prize: A multidisciplinary art prize organized by The Big Draw in collaboration with the Guild of St George, welcoming works in all mediums from artists worldwide.
- Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize
Products and services
- The Big Draw Festival
Quantifiable outcome
- Events hosted in 35+ countries with participation from artists and makers worldwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Big Draw
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Big Draw technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Big Draw partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Guild of St GeorgecoreFounded The Big Draw in 2000 and continues as a founding partner. The Guild of St George is a John Ruskin-inspired organization dedicated to preserving natural beauty and teaching the values of art and craftsmanship.
- Trinity Buoy Wharf TrustcoreHost of The Big Draw headquarters and key supporter of the organization. Also partners on the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize - the UK's leading open exhibition dedicated to contemporary drawing.
- Inspire: Culture, Learning and LibrariesflagshipFestival Partner delivering creative programmes across Nottinghamshire libraries. Has partnered with ABL Health to support health and wellbeing of children and families through creative approaches.
- The Box PlymouthflagshipFestival Partner 2026 - Plymouth's museum, art gallery and archive hosting Big Draw events as part of the annual festival programme.
- The Burrell CollectionflagshipFestival Partner 2026 - Major museum in Glasgow hosting Big Draw events and creative workshops.
- CourtauldflagshipFestival Partner 2026 - The Courtauld Institute of Art hosting Big Draw events at their gallery.
- Falmouth UniversityflagshipFestival Partner 2026 - University with creative programmes participating in the Big Draw Festival.
- St Louis Artist's GuildflagshipFestival Partner 2026 - American arts organization running Big Draw events in St Louis.
- Walt Disney Family MuseumflagshipFestival Partner 2026 - San Francisco museum that has participated in The Big Draw Festival for over seven years, hosting 'Drawn Together' community day events.
- K Art Studio LtdflagshipFestival Partner 2026 - Arts organization based in the UK.
- Better BanksideflagshipFestival Partner 2026 - Local organization in London's Bankside area supporting Big Draw events.
- The Culture Trust LutonflagshipFestival Partner 2026 - Cultural trust in Luton supporting Big Draw Festival events.
- Raclin Murphy Museum of ArtflagshipFestival Partner 2026 - Museum at University of Notre Dame participating in the Big Draw Festival.
- Urban Space ManagementcoreListed as a supporter of The Big Draw, managing physical spaces for creative events.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Big Draw competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hay Festival: Annual literature and arts festival with global editions. Comparable festival-as-platform business model with subscription/partner monetization and cross-sector programming.
- Edinburgh Art Festival: Major UK annual visual arts festival commissioning and presenting new work across Edinburgh's galleries and museums. Comparable annual arts festival model with similar organizer/venue partnership structure.
- Royal Academy of Arts: London-based independent arts institution running exhibitions, learning programmes and an annual Summer Exhibition. Comparable arts education and exhibition programming at higher institutional scale.
- Crafts Council: UK-based arts education charity advocating for craft and making. Operates a national network of makers and educational programmes that intersect with The Big Draw's crafts and maker focus.
Direct peers
- Big Green Book Festival: Smaller UK-based festival-style charity running annual themed events with school and library participation. Directly comparable festival/subscription model targeting arts engagement in educational settings.
- A New Direction: London-based arts education charity focused on creative engagement for young people. Comparable nonprofit model delivering arts programmes across schools and community settings.
- Create London: London-based arts education charity commissioning participatory creative programmes. Comparable nonprofit model focused on arts engagement and learning across communities.
- Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize: UK's leading open exhibition for contemporary drawing — in fact a direct collaborative partner of The Big Draw. Comparable drawing-focused open competition with global artist submissions and touring exhibition model.
- Urban Sketchers: Global nonprofit community of artists who draw on-location and share work online; runs an annual worldwide 'Urban Sketchers' day and symposium with chapters in dozens of countries. Directly comparable global drawing-community platform with festival-style annual events.
Others
- Arts Council England: Public body that funds and develops arts across England. Not a direct competitor, but the primary ecosystem funder and policy stakeholder for arts education charities like The Big Draw.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Big Draw social profiles
Digital presenceThe Big Draw financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Big Draw leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles22 records
The Big Draw funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Big Draw M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Big Draw
What does The Big Draw do?
The Big Draw runs an annual global drawing festival every October, complemented by art prizes (John Ruskin Prize, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize) and awards programmes. It sells annual subscriptions to organizers (£12–£480+) who list events on the platform, supports partner institutions worldwide, and supplements income through donations and sponsorship.
Is The Big Draw a public or private company?
The Big Draw is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Big Draw founded?
The Big Draw was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Big Draw based?
The Big Draw is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Big Draw make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Festival Subscription Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations, sponsorship and Awards Sponsorship and event Ticket Sales.
Who are The Big Draw's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hay Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Royal Academy of Arts and Crafts Council. Direct peers are Big Green Book Festival, A New Direction, Create London, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize and Urban Sketchers. Arts Council England is listed as an others.
Does The Big Draw have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Big Draw.
What industry is The Big Draw in?
The Big Draw's product category is Arts Education Charity / Visual Literacy Festival. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAFAJ, Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs. Its NAICS code is 713.