Why art-K?
art-K is a child education specialist, putting children first and enjoying seeing them growing into becoming their own artist. The programme of art projects was developed by Kathryn: our creative director with a degree and long experience at senior level in speech and language therapy. Kathryn applied the micro-steps she observed in the development of speech to her love of art. For over 20 years, Kathryn taught children a whole range of her art projects, before even thinking about expanding or duplicating the program. Then her club had become so full (140 kids through the house each week!), that she started to think about Franchising.
All our franchisees are independently-minded people. They end up running a wholly owned business, having been provided with the insight into how art-K develops and runs its own branches. It offers them all independence: to use their initiative, unencumbered, to further the positive purpose of teaching children art – and with the prospect that hard work will bring them rewards.
An art-K Franchise means different things to different Franchisees. Some are keen to maximise income: these can go through the VAT limit and open seven days a week. Others want to balance work/life, with fewer students over five or six sessions a week. While still meeting the minimum targets, these Franchisees have the financial security to choose what they do with the balance of their time – typically, this might be to free up time to be with their family.

- Jan 2000Kathryn starts art-K Ashtead
- Jul 2016art-K Ltd launches, it starts launching franchises
- Mar 2017art-K Ewell Franchise launches, art-K is shortlisted for Working Mums Best Newcomer Award
- Apr 2017art-K Northwood Franchise launches
- Jun 2017art-K Tring Franchise launches
- Sep 2017art-K Worthing Franchise launches, art-K launch its first directly-owned branch, art-K Wimbledon
- Nov 2017art-K Dorking Direct Branch launches
- Apr 2018art-K Truro, art-K Teddington Franchises launch
- May 2018art-K Purley Direct Branch launches, art-K run an art workshop at Chessington World of Adventures in collaboration with NOA
- Jul 2018art-K is tutoring over 1000 students weekly
- Sep 2018art-K Hove Direct Branch launches
- Nov 2018art-K Southville Franchise launch, art-K wins Small Business Sunday award with Theo Paphtis
- Apr 2019art-K Walton-on-Thames Direct Branch launches. art-K High Wycombe and art-K Horsforth Franchises launch
- May 2019art-K Clapham Direct Branch launches
- Jul 2019art-K wins CVC Young Innovators Award 2019 including a grant to set up an outreach programme
- Sep 2019art-K Worplesdon and art-K Winchester Franchises launch. art-K Carshalton, art-K Greenwich, art-K Fulham Direct Branches launch
- Jan 2020art-K Maidstone, art-K Wandsworth, art-K Putney, art-K Horsham, art-K Beckenham Direct Branches Launch
- Mar 2020art-K launches pre-recorded tutorials for at-home learning
- Mar 2020art-K is mentioned in The Sunday Times
- May 2020art-K launches live art classes via Zoom
- Jul 2020art-K returns to the studio and welcomes back our wonderful pupils, art-K is mentioned in The Guardian
- Aug 2020art-K is on ITV news discussing the positive impact art can have on children’s mental health
- Oct 2020art-K is teaching over 2000 pupils
- Nov 2020art-K Becomes Ofsted-Registered
- Jan 2021art-K is featured on ITV News, supporting the January challenge 2021
- Mar 2021art-K Kingston Direct Branch launches
- May 2021art-K Reigate Direct Branch Launches
- Jun 2021art-K Shepherd’s Bush & art-K Bowes Park launch
- Jul 2021art-K is teaching over 3000 pupils weekly
- Aug 2021art-K discusses the importance of art on BBC Radio London
Kathryn starts art-K Ashtead
art-K Ltd launches, it starts launching franchises
art-K Ewell Franchise launches, art-K is shortlisted for Working Mums Best Newcomer Award
art-K Northwood Franchise launches
art-K Tring Franchise launches
art-K Worthing Franchise launches, art-K launch its first directly-owned branch, art-K Wimbledon
art-K Dorking Direct Branch launches
art-K Truro, art-K Teddington Franchises launch
art-K Purley Direct Branch launches, art-K run an art workshop at Chessington World of Adventures in collaboration with NOA
art-K is tutoring over 1000 students weekly
art-K Hove Direct Branch launches
art-K Southville Franchise launch, art-K wins Small Business Sunday award with Theo Paphtis
art-K Walton-on-Thames Direct Branch launches. art-K High Wycombe and art-K Horsforth Franchises launch
art-K Clapham Direct Branch launches
art-K wins CVC Young Innovators Award 2019 including a grant to set up an outreach programme
art-K Worplesdon and art-K Winchester Franchises launch. art-K Carshalton, art-K Greenwich, art-K Fulham Direct Branches launch
art-K Maidstone, art-K Wandsworth, art-K Putney, art-K Horsham, art-K Beckenham Direct Branches Launch
art-K launches pre-recorded tutorials for at-home learning
art-K is mentioned in The Sunday Times
art-K launches live art classes via Zoom
art-K returns to the studio and welcomes back our wonderful pupils, art-K is mentioned in The Guardian
art-K is on ITV news discussing the positive impact art can have on children’s mental health
art-K is teaching over 2000 pupils
art-K Becomes Ofsted-Registered
art-K is featured on ITV News, supporting the January challenge 2021
art-K Kingston Direct Branch launches
art-K Reigate Direct Branch Launches
art-K Shepherd’s Bush & art-K Bowes Park launch
art-K is teaching over 3000 pupils weekly
art-K discusses the importance of art on BBC Radio London
Our mission
There are over 30 art-K clubs across England and together they teach over 3000 children a week. This makes us the largest dedicated educator of children’s art skills in the country, and we’re only just getting started. art-K may not be as established as some other well-known institutions, but our website traffic is higher; we’ve been featured on ITV, BBC Radio London, BBC Radio Kent, London Post, The Guardian and local news as journalists look for stories and content around art.
As a network, our first ambition is to reach 10000 children a week under tuition, and as an art-K Franchisee, you would be helping to achieve that milestone and recognition for art.
Why do we want to achieve that number? What will we do with it?
We want to build a professional company that teaches art, and also has all the necessary management support team to cover finance, HR, H&S, Recruitment/Training, Marketing, etc. – so we can provide a teaching environment that dedicated art teachers feel secure and proud to work within.
To securely and viably provide that environment, we are building up 10000 students a week and providing the best service to ensure word-of-mouth draws more and more students into the joy of learning art skills.
art-K is already building that management team right now; we employ over 40 full time staff (including the art leaders, but excluding Franchisees), so there’s a wealth of support and advice to draw on. In addition to employing those core full time positions, clubs also provide part time and contract assistant positions (currently there’s over 300 assistants contracted) and, as a result, become a pivotal art space for local communities.
We believe in a rounded education, and fine art provides a unique opportunity for children to understand that different people see things differently – and that’s OK. That people from different walks of life and cultures can all find art a fun, experimental, and engaging pastime. From our view, art can and should be part of building a cohesive culture which encourages interest or empathy for different or opposing views. We configure our classes to minimise any sense of competition, which helps keep the environment relaxed and conducive to new ideas and creativity.
At its core, art is about expression and no matter what age students are at, or stage of development, that expression is a photograph of the student’s dexterity and cognitive ability and is a unique point in time and space. Children develop so quickly that these artworks will never be repeated. The art made in our classes might stay on a parent’s walls for all their lives.
With the quantity of students under tuition, we are constantly reviewing the programme with a view to improving all the time. No other art organisation has the quantity or quality of feedback to make these improvements.
What does an art-K week look like?
- Minimum 4 after school classes
- Saturday morning (and optional afternoon) classes
- Project planning
- Customer engagement through emails, phone calls and at your studio.
- Implementing the marketing structure to grow your club within the community
art-K provides templates for all areas of the business.
Our Franchisees

Stacey
Ewell
Franchisee
Franchisee

Prerna
Northwood
Franchisee
Franchisee

Steve
Tring
Franchisee
Franchisee

Jenny
Worthing
Franchisee
Franchisee

Marianne
Teddington
Franchisee
Franchisee

Sara
Truro
Franchisee
Franchisee

Simon
High Wycombe
Franchisee
Franchisee

Rachel
Horsforth
Franchisee
Franchisee

Matt
Winchester
Franchisee
Franchisee

Kerrie
Worplesdon
Franchisee
Franchisee

Johan
Letchworth Garden City
Franchisee
Franchisee
Want to learn more about this franchise opportunity?
Follow this link and fill in the form to request an art-K franchise prospectus. Our Franchise Consultant will then be in touch to provide further information.