The Art School Chester Named Finalist for Best Creative Arts Business at UK Small Business Awards 2026
Chester independent art school recognised nationally for its contribution to creative education and the local community
The Art School Chester has been named a 2026 finalist in the UK Small Business Awards, shortlisted in the Best Creative Arts Business category.
The national recognition celebrates The Art School’s commitment to making high-quality art education accessible, welcoming and inspiring for children, teenagers and adults, while building a thriving creative community in the heart of Chester.
Founded by qualified art teacher Kate Riley, The Art School has grown from small beginnings into an established independent creative education business offering adult art courses, accredited children's and teenage art programmes, Arts Award qualifications, pottery and ceramics, holiday workshops, specialist courses and creative events.
A particular focus of the school is creating an environment where people can develop genuine artistic skills without feeling intimidated by traditional art education. Classes are taught by experienced art educators and are designed to support everyone from complete beginners discovering art for the first time to young artists developing portfolios and working towards nationally recognised Arts Awards.
The Art School has also become an important part of Chester's home-education and creative learning community, providing opportunities for children and young people to develop their confidence, creativity and individual artistic voice.
To be shortlisted for Best Creative Arts Business means an enormous amount to us. The Art School started from a genuine belief that art education should be inspiring, welcoming and something people can enjoy at every stage of their lives.
We've worked incredibly hard to build something that goes beyond simply running art classes. We want people to walk through our doors, feel that they belong here and leave feeling proud of something they've created or a skill they've learned.
As a small, independent family-run business, there are plenty of challenges behind the scenes, so being recognised nationally amongst thousands of other small businesses is quite emotional. I'm incredibly proud of what we've built, of our team and teachers, and especially of the wonderful students, families and customers who have supported us and allowed The Art School to grow.
The standard of entries this year has been incredibly high. Each finalist has demonstrated an exceptional level of talent and dedication, representing the very best of UK small businesses.”
The UK Small Business Awards will take place on 19 December 2026 at The Eastside Rooms in Birmingham, where finalists from across the country will come together and the National Top 10 will be revealed live on stage.
For The Art School Chester, reaching the finalist stage is already an opportunity to celebrate how far the independent business has come and the creative community that has grown around it.
