Impact Arts
Impact Arts is a Scottish charity founded in 1994 that delivers free creative arts programmes to disadvantaged children, young people, adults, and older people across 30 of Scotland's 32 local authorities, funded by grants, donations, and venue hire.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersGlasgow, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Impact Arts does
Impact Arts (Projects) Ltd is a Scottish-registered charity (SC032430) founded in 1994 by Susan Aktemel, delivering free community arts programmes across 30 of Scotland's 32 local authorities. Its core programmes comprise Craft Café (weekly arts workshops for older people in care homes and community settings), Creative Pathways (arts-focused employability for 16–24-year-olds not in education, employment, or training), CashBack Summer / CashBack Hubs (creative summer and year-round programmes for 14–19-year-olds funded by Scottish Government CashBack for Communities), and Art Therapy (expressive psychotherapy for children aged 3–12 and their families). Supporting offerings include Impactful Parents, Make It Your Own, Art Wise, and Impactful Starts / Green Starts, plus the peer-led Impact Arts Youth Collective (formerly The Sketchy Youths).
The organisation operates no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-led by 50+ full-time staff and a network of 200+ freelance artists, supplemented by digital channels (website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, email newsletter) for outreach and referrals. Impact Arts is headquartered at The Boardwalk Glasgow (105 Brunswick Street, opened March 2023), with additional operations in Edinburgh (Craft Café in care settings) and North Ayrshire / Irvine (Art Therapy, Creative Pathways). The Boardwalk functions both as operational HQ and a hireable venue with sprung-floors, a 120-seater theatre, and meeting rooms.
The business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than commercial: revenue streams include charitable donations (via the Big Give platform and the 'Friends of Impact Arts' monthly giving programme, processed externally by CAF), multi-year grants from trusts and foundations (Creative Scotland, RS MacDonald Charitable Trust, Big Lottery Fund, Skills Development Scotland, Inspiring Scotland, Our Bright Future, Tesco Bags of Help), and corporate partnerships and venue hire at The Boardwalk. All programmes are free for participants, with travel costs covered and art materials provided. The pricing model is therefore freemium at the point of use, with cost recovery achieved through grant capture and ancillary venue hire. Customer segments span Children & Families, Young People (including NEET and care-experienced), Adults, Older People, and Artists (employment pipeline).
Impact Arts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Impact Arts
- Legal name
- Impact Arts (Projects) Ltd
- Website
- https://impactarts.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Impact Arts is a Scottish charity founded in 1994 that delivers free creative arts programmes to disadvantaged children, young people, adults, and older people across 30 of Scotland's 32 local authorities, funded by grants, donations, and venue hire.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Impact Arts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Arts Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO), Cultural, Arts & Humanities Community Education (Museums/Arts Councils) (EDAAAFAD)
Keywords
Where Impact Arts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glasgow
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Impact Arts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable Donations: Individual donations through Big Give platform, monthly giving programme (Friends of Impact Arts), and one-time donations. No data collected directly by Impact Arts for donations as this is managed externally by CAF.
- Grant Funding: Core funding from trusts, foundations, and government bodies including Creative Scotland, RS MacDonald Charitable Trust, Big Lottery Fund, and Skills Development Scotland. Multi-year grants such as £42,000 over 3 years from RS MacDonald for Art Therapy.
- Corporate Partnerships & Commissions: Corporate partnerships, commissioned creative projects for public spaces, and venue hire at The Boardwalk Glasgow.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free programmes for all participants |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Impact Arts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Impact Arts is a community arts charity that delivers a portfolio of free creative programmes for children, young people, adults, and older people across Scotland, including art therapy, employability support, and creative workshops. The organization funds this work through charitable donations, grants from trusts, foundations and government bodies, corporate partnerships/commissions, and venue hire at The Boardwalk Glasgow. All programmes are free to participants, with travel and materials provided.
Product overview
Impact Arts is a community arts charity operating a portfolio of creative programmes across Scotland since 1994. The organization does not offer a unified software product or platform; instead, it delivers a collection of community-based creative arts and support programmes. The core offerings include Craft Café (arts workshops for older people), Creative Pathways (employability programme for young people), CashBack to the Future (summer programme for teens), and Art Therapy (expressive psychotherapy for children and families). Additional programmes serve youth collectives, parents, and environmental education through Impactful Starts/Green Starts. The organization also operates The Boardwalk venue in Glasgow as a hireable space. All programmes are free for participants and focus on tackling inequalities and transforming lives through creativity.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Craft Café: A weekly arts group for older people providing creative activities in care settings and community venues
- Creative Pathways
- CashBack to the Future
- Youth Collective
- Art Therapy
Quantifiable outcome
- 88% of Creative Pathways participants moved into employment or further education
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Impact Arts
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Impact Arts technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Impact Arts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Cunninghame Housing AssociationcorePartnership on Creative Pathways North Ayrshire providing furniture donations for upcycling and supporting environmental initiatives.
- Barrhead Housing AssociationcoreKey partner with East Renfrewshire Council delivering Creative Pathways Plus full-time creative employability programme in Barrhead.
- Viewpoint (Care Homes)coreOngoing partnership hosting Craft Café Edinburgh sessions for residents at Viewpoint care homes.
- Clyde GatewayminorJoint funder of Glasgow Artist Mentoring Programme providing training and practical experience in participative community arts.
- Living Wage ScotlandminorImpact Arts holds Living Wage Employer accreditation, demonstrating commitment to fair pay.
- Green Arts InitiativeminorImpact Arts is a member of the Green Arts Initiative, demonstrating environmental commitment.
- Scottish Business PledgeminorImpact Arts has pledged to Scottish Business Pledge standards of excellence.
- Step Up to Net Zero / Glasgow Chamber of Commerce / Glasgow City CouncilminorEnvironmental sustainability partnership working to reduce waste and increase recycling rates. Achieved 19% increase in recycled waste.
- Changeworks RecyclingminorRecycling provider supporting Impact Arts in Glasgow with recycling and tracking waste reduction progress.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Impact Arts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Live Music Now: UK charity delivering interactive music programmes in care homes, hospitals and communities for older people, disabled people and those with dementia. Closely parallels Impact Arts' Craft Café care-home delivery model.
- Turtle Key Arts: UK arts charity producing inclusive performances and creative projects for children and young people with disabilities and additional needs. Comparable mission and freelance-artist-led delivery model.
- Heart n Soul: UK arts charity creating opportunities for learning-disabled and autistic artists. Comparable as a community arts charity delivering creative programmes to disadvantaged groups with measurable social outcomes.
- Superact: UK social enterprise delivering music and arts programmes to disadvantaged communities including older people, refugees and people in healthcare settings. Closely mirrors Impact Arts' model of using freelance artists for community delivery.
- Luminate: Scotland's creative ageing organisation, funding and supporting arts projects for older people. Directly comparable to Impact Arts' Craft Café programme, sharing mission, geography and beneficiary demographic.
- Clean Break: UK charity using theatre and the arts to support women affected by the criminal justice system. Comparable mission and model to Impact Arts' criminal justice and vulnerable-groups programmes.
- Apples and Snakes: England's leading spoken-word poetry charity, delivering creative programmes in schools, communities and care settings. Comparable as a UK-wide charity using creative arts to engage disadvantaged beneficiaries.
- Cardboard Citizens: Theatre charity working with people affected by homelessness, poverty and social exclusion in the UK. Comparable to Impact Arts' criminal justice and disadvantaged-communities programmes through arts-based social intervention.
- Mind the Gap: England's largest learning-disability performing arts company, delivering training and performances. Comparable as a UK arts charity focused on social inclusion through creative practice.
- Voluntary Arts: UK-wide charity promoting participation in creative activities across crafts, dance, music and visual arts. Comparable as a community arts advocacy and capacity-building organisation focused on amateur participation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Impact Arts social profiles
Digital presenceImpact Arts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Impact Arts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Impact Arts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Impact Arts 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 Impact Arts
What does Impact Arts do?
Impact Arts is a community arts charity that delivers a portfolio of free creative programmes for children, young people, adults, and older people across Scotland, including art therapy, employability support, and creative workshops. The organization funds this work through charitable donations, grants from trusts, foundations and government bodies, corporate partnerships/commissions, and venue hire at The Boardwalk Glasgow. All programmes are free to participants, with travel and materials provided.
Is Impact Arts a public or private company?
Impact Arts is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Impact Arts founded?
Impact Arts was founded in 1994. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Impact Arts based?
Impact Arts is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Impact Arts make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Charitable Donations are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding and corporate Partnerships & Commissions.
Who are Impact Arts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Live Music Now, Turtle Key Arts, Heart n Soul, Superact, Luminate, Clean Break, Apples and Snakes, Cardboard Citizens, Mind the Gap and Voluntary Arts.
Does Impact Arts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Impact Arts.
What industry is Impact Arts in?
Impact Arts's product category is Community Arts Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGALAO, Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises. Its NAICS code is 813.