Book a self-directed school visit
Sign up to our teachers’ e-newsletter for updates on our programmes and events.
We bring illustrators to your classroom (or bring you to us!) to teach subjects across the curriculum in fun, fresh and creative ways.
Our sessions can be tailored to your topic and support creativity, communication, fine motor skills and wellbeing.
Book a workshop at the Centre(opens in new window) We currently welcome schools for workshops on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Book a workshop at your school(opens in new window)
Have questions for us? Contact us learning@qbcentre.org.uk.
All our workshops are delivered by working illustrator-facilitators. They have been rated ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ by 100% of teachers for over a decade.
Our workshops:
- are for all Primary stages from EYFS to KS2 and Secondary classes from KS3 to KS5
- are tailored for all abilities including SEND and EAL
- can be tailored to your topic, text, curriculum area or scheme of work
During workshops your students will:
- be supported to make images their own way and reflect on the creative choices they make
- be inspired by professional illustrators, and shown how to find out more about illustration
- create outstanding outcomes that can be shared with your school community
Workshop options
Meet the Illustrator
90 minutes
All stages
Great for: Art, Careers or Book Week, or students considering art at GSCE and current GCSE students.
An opportunity for your students to meet an illustrator, find out about their work and career path, and try some of their favourite techniques. At the end of the session your students will collaborate to curate a mini tabletop exhibition of their work.
Meet the Illustrator (at your school only)
60 minutes*
All stages
Great for: Art, Careers or Book Week, or current art GCSE students (including those considering art at GCSE).
An opportunity to meet an illustrator, find out about their work and career path, and try some of their favourite techniques.
*For larger schools with a three-form intake we are offering a shorter version of this session.
The Coat of Many Pockets
45-60 minutes
EYFS/ KS1/ SEND
Great for: local history.
Inspired by Quentin Blake’s beloved story Angelica Sprocket’s Pockets, this magical sensory story will take your students on a journey along London’s New River. We’ll bring the sights, sounds and smells of the river into your classroom with the aid of an expert storyteller, and leave you with a pack of illustration activities to support the story.
Meet the New River (at the Centre only)
90 minutes
Key Stages 1-3
Great for: STEM, local history, London history
A lively interactive session led by facilitators in role as modern and historic engineers. Discover the importance of clean water to London today and in the past, how it gets from deep underground to the taps in your homes.
Character Design
90 minutes
All stages
Great for: humanities and English/literacy, or for your Art or Book Week.
Create characters from text descriptions or invent exciting new characters from your imagination! Just let us know the book you’re studying. Recent workshop topics have included Varjak Paw by S. F. Said, Egyptian gods and the Arctic.
Sequential Illustration
90 minutes
All stages
Great for: science, humanities and English/literacy.
Illustrate scientific processes or a series of events. Create and tell a visual story or create a visual version of an existing text. Recent workshop topics have included plant life cycles and the characters of Quentin Blake.
Creating Mood and Atmosphere
90 minutes
All stages
Great for: humanities and English/literacy.
Explore techniques to convey feeling and setting. Recent workshops have included C. S. Lewis stories and South American forests.
What Teachers Say
– Year 6 teacher, Garfield Primary School“The illustrator was clear, methodological and always in control – the whole experience was brilliant.”
– Year 3 teacher, Moreland Primary School“The children were really engaged – they loved every part of the workshop. They created amazing posters and got the opportunity to use the knowledge they built up in class.”
– Year 5 teacher, St Andrews Primary School“The session was broken into sensible and manageable chunks, achieving the end result in half a day. There were clear instructions and students learnt fantastic new skills.”
Our facilitators
Our recent school workshops have been facilitated by Lily Ash Sakula(opens in new window), Grace Holliday(opens in new window), Jhinuk Sarkar(opens in new window), Julie Vermeille(opens in new window) and Skye Baker(opens in new window).
At the Centre:
Schools booking a session will be given a timetable which includes an arrival slot, their allocated session time, a gallery slot and a lunch slot. They will need to follow this timetable to guarantee their gallery access. Available Wednesdays and Fridays only.
At your school:
Workshops are available from Monday to Friday at the suggested times:
- Morning workshops: 10.15–11.45am
- Afternoon workshops: 12.30pm–2pm
- 60 minute sessions: 9.15–10.15am, 11–12pm, 1–2pm.
Timings can be adjusted to suit your timetable.
At the Centre
Sessions are held in our Creative Studio at Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, 1 Myddelton Passage, London, EC1R 1AG.
Information on how to get to the Centre can be found here.
At your school
Workshops are available in schools across Greater London.
If your school is elsewhere in the UK, we may be able to travel to you but will need to charge travel costs in addition to the session costs. Please contact us on learning@qbcentre.org.uk to talk to us about your needs.
Each workshop can accommodate up to 30 students.
For sessions in 2026
State schools
- At your school: £400 per day for two x 90 minute/three x 60 minute sessions*
- At the Centre: £200 per 90 minute session/£150 per 60 minute session
Independent schools:
- At your school: £575 per day for two x 90 minute/three x 60 minute sessions*
- At the Centre: £287.50 per 90 minute session/£200 per 60 minute session
*For schools outside Greater London, you may be required to pay additional travel expenses.
Sign up to our schools e-newsletter for updates on our programmes and events related to schools at Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration: