What Suffolk Artlink does

Suffolk Artlink is a registered charity (no. 1110898, company no. 05354844) headquartered in Halesworth, Suffolk, that delivers participatory arts programmes to underserved populations across Suffolk and Norfolk. Founded in 2005, the organisation operates a portfolio of branded programmes including Brave Art (arts training for learning disabled and neurodivergent adults in Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, and Lowestoft), Little Beats (early years music for 0–5 year-olds in Lowestoft), Extra Time (intergenerational football heritage project linking care home residents with school children), Re>Charge (a 12-week social prescribing creative arts programme for adults with long-term health conditions), Coins and Crosses (Anglo-Saxon heritage project), Curious Minds, Greetings from Lowestoft, and the cross-sector Creative Health initiative. Core delivery partners include Magic Acorns, Suffolk Libraries, Britten Pears Arts, First Light Festival C.I.C., Christchurch Mansion, DanceEast, Suffolk Archives, and the Norfolk and Suffolk Music Hub. The organisation employed 11–50 staff in 2024/2025 alongside 57 contracted artists and 16 volunteers, delivering 344 activities that reached 2,456 project participants and 10,840 audience members.

Suffolk Artlink generates no participant fees — all creative health, early years music, and learning disability arts sessions are free to end users. Revenue is derived primarily from restricted and unrestricted grants from Youth Music, Arts Council England (National Lottery), the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Suffolk County Council, East Suffolk Council, Music For All, and the D'Oyly Carte Foundation, supplemented by individual and business donations (including a 'Friends of Suffolk Artlink' monthly giving programme), merchandise shop sales, and a small freelance services stream from CPD training for musicians and early years practitioners. Distribution is entirely via direct delivery at community venues and through social prescribing referral pathways operated by Health and Wellbeing Coaches and Care Co-ordinators.

The underlying 'technology' is creative arts facilitation methodology rather than software. The charity does not operate a digital platform, does not expose an API, and has no disclosed app or proprietary technology stack. The co-directors are Alex Casey and Hayley Field. A material risk is the January 2024 announcement by Suffolk County Council that it would stop core funding to Art and Museum sector organisations, removing one of the organisation's principal institutional funders.

Name

Suffolk Artlink

Legal name

Suffolk Artlink

Website

https://suffolkartlink.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Suffolk Artlink is a UK registered charity delivering participatory arts programmes — including Brave Art, Little Beats, Extra Time, and Re>Charge — to underserved communities across Suffolk and Norfolk, funded primarily through grants from Youth Music, Arts Council England, and local authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural, Arts & Humanities Community Education (Museums/Arts Councils) (EDAAAFAD), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Participatory arts
• Community arts programmes
• Creative health workshops
• Early years music
• Learning disability arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Halesworth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue from grants and public funding including Youth Music, Arts Council England National Lottery, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Suffolk County Council, and East Suffolk Council
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and businesses including monthly giving (Friends of Suffolk Artlink) and one-time donations
3. Shop Sales: Revenue from merchandise and shop sales
4. Freelance Service Fees: Fees for professional development and CPD training sessions delivered to musicians and early years practitioners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Suffolk Artlink is a participatory arts charity delivering free creative arts programmes across Suffolk and Norfolk. Core offerings include the Brave Art arts training course for learning disabled adults, Little Beats early years music project for 0-5s, the Extra Time intergenerational football heritage project, the Re>Charge 12-week social prescribing creative health programme, the Creative Health cross-sector initiative, the Coins and Crosses Anglo-Saxon heritage project, and Curious Minds sessions for isolated adults. Programmes are delivered at care homes, schools, libraries, family hubs, and community venues.

Product overview

Suffolk Artlink is a registered charity (no. 1110898) providing a portfolio of creative arts programmes across Suffolk and Norfolk. The organisation operates as a unified offering of community arts projects rather than a technology platform. Key programmes include Brave Art (arts training for learning disabled adults), Little Beats (early years music for 0-5s), Extra Time (intergenerational football heritage project), Re>Charge (social prescribing creative programme), Creative Health (cross-sector creative health practice), Coins and Crosses (Anglo-Saxon heritage project), Curious Minds (creative programme for isolated adults), and the Brave Artists' Gallery (online showcase). These programmes collectively aim to transform lives through the arts by promoting wellbeing, community connection, and creative development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brave Art: Arts training course for learning disabled and neurodivergent adults, offering professional artist-led sessions to develop creative skills, confidence, and friendships. Offered in Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, and Lowestoft.
• Little Beats
• Extra Time
• Re>Charge
• Coins and Crosses

Products and services

• Brave Art

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Magic AcornscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly years development organisation co-delivering Little Beats programme. Strive to co-create groundbreaking work with young children.
• Suffolk LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner for Little Beats providing venues including Lowestoft Library for early years music sessions.
• Britten Pears ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts organisation partnering on Little Beats early years music project in Lowestoft.
• Lowestoft Rising LCEPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cultural education partnership funding and supporting Little Beats project in Lowestoft.
• Norfolk and Suffolk Music HubsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic education hub partner for Little Beats early years music provision.
• The Seagull TheatresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLowestoft theatre venue hosting Little Beats network meetings and CPD training sessions.
• First Light Festival C.I.C.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity interest company managing The Battery of Ideas Place Partnership delivering Re>Charge programme in Lowestoft cultural quarter.
• Christchurch MansioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric house museum venue hosting Brave Art learning disabled arts courses and exhibitions in Ipswich.
• Asylum StudiossecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist cooperative studio in Bury St Edmunds providing inspiration visits for Brave Art artists and staff. Founded 1999 with 20 painters, musicians, printmakers, and filmmakers.
• Suffolk ArchivescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchive service providing historical materials for Extra Time football heritage project including press cuttings, photographs and documents.
• DanceEastsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance venue hosting Brave Art Practice Sharing event at DanceHouse, Ipswich.
• The National Literacy TrustsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiteracy charity partner for Little Beats supporting early years language development through music.
• Morabe Rural MusicsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRural music organisation partner for Little Beats early years music provision.
• Kentwell PlayerssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical re-enactment group whose member Emma Mordue led Tudor costume and music sessions for Brave Art at Christchurch Mansion.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Apples and Snakes: England's leading spoken word poetry charity delivering participatory arts programmes in schools, care settings, and communities. Comparable UK participatory arts charity structure with similar Arts Council England funding model.
• Music in Hospitals & Care: National charity delivering live music in hospitals, care homes, and hospices to improve health and wellbeing. Highly comparable creative health delivery model to Suffolk Artlink's Re>Charge and care home programmes.
• Aesop Arts and Society: UK charity producing high-quality participatory arts programmes with older people, particularly in care settings and hospitals. Directly comparable to Suffolk Artlink's Extra Time and creative health work with elderly participants.
• Live Music Now: UK charity delivering live music programmes in care homes, hospitals, and communities for older people and those with disabilities. Highly comparable mission, funding base (Youth Music, Arts Council), and care home delivery model to Suffolk Artlink's Extra Time and Little Beats programmes.
• Turtle Key Arts: UK charity producing inclusive arts projects combining professional and participant artists, with strong heritage and community engagement programming. Comparable participatory arts charity of similar scale and Arts Council funding profile.
• Magic Me: London-based arts charity running intergenerational projects connecting older people in care homes with younger participants through creative activities. Directly comparable to Suffolk Artlink's Extra Time intergenerational care home model.
• Shape Arts: Disability-led arts organisation supporting d/Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent artists through training, exhibitions, and professional development. Direct peer to Suffolk Artlink's Brave Art learning disability arts training model.
• Heart n Soul: Charity producing creative projects with and for learning disabled and autistic artists, including professional performance, exhibitions, and training. Directly comparable to Suffolk Artlink's Brave Art programme in target population and artist development approach.
• Create (Creative Learning): National charity delivering creative workshops and arts programmes for disadvantaged children and young people, including those with disabilities. Comparable participatory arts charity model serving vulnerable populations with similar funder base.

Emerging players

• Re-Create: UK-based arts and well-being charity working with vulnerable and marginalised groups including refugees, survivors, and people with mental health needs. Smaller peer with overlapping social-prescribing creative arts delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/suffolk.artlink
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/suffolk-artlink
• Instagraminstagram.com/Suffolk_Artlink
• Xx.com/Suffolk_Artlink

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Suffolk Artlink