Lakeside Arts

What Lakeside Arts does

Lakeside Arts is the University of Nottingham's public multi-venue arts centre, operating on the University Park campus in Nottingham, United Kingdom. Its physical footprint comprises four galleries (Djanogly Gallery, Weston Gallery, Wallner Gallery, Angear Visitor Centre), the 213-seat Djanogly Theatre, the award-winning Djanogly Recital Hall, the University of Nottingham Museum, and a Performing Arts Studio. The organisation serves over 150,000 visitors annually with a year-round programme spanning theatre, dance, music, comedy, exhibitions, museum collections, workshops, and family-focused activities, and is recognised as Nottingham's leading venue for theatre and dance for children and families.

The underlying technology stack is assembled from third-party SaaS rather than proprietary systems. Spektrix provides ticketing and box office, with personal data synced via API into dotdigital for segmented email marketing (categories include Children and family, Private view, Music, Theatre and dance, Exhibitions, Lustre craft fair, Museum programme). Elavon Opayo handles PCI-DSS-compliant payment processing. Morris Hargreaves McIntyre supplies geo-demographic audience insight. CookieYes manages cookie consent. There is no public or partner-facing API and no native mobile application.

Lakeside Arts generates revenue through a diversified mix: per-event ticket sales (£5 student to £12.50-£14 standard, with a Multibuy discount scheme of 5-20%), a four-tier membership programme ranging from £300 Patron to £2,000+ D.H. Lawrence Circle (annual subscriptions), donations from £10 to £100, venue hire for celebrations, meetings, conferences, and artistic rehearsal use, craft fair operations (Lustre), and café concessions operated by hospitality partner Baxterstorey. As a department of the University of Nottingham, Lakeside Arts is not a separate legal entity, has no venture capital or private equity ownership, and does not disclose standalone revenue. Customer segments include children and families (primary), art lovers, university students, schools and educators, and nature visitors attracted to the Highfields Park setting.

Name

Lakeside Arts

Legal name

The University of Nottingham

Website

https://lakesidearts.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lakeside Arts is the University of Nottingham's public multi-venue arts centre on University Park campus in the United Kingdom, serving over 150,000 visitors annually with theatre, music, exhibitions, museum collections, and family programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Theatre and dance
• Art exhibitions
• Cultural events programming
• Family arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lakeside Arts is a multi-venue performing arts centre operating a 213-seat theatre, award-winning recital hall, four gallery spaces, a museum, and a performing arts studio. The organisation delivers a year-round programme of theatre, dance, music, comedy, exhibitions, and workshops with a specialisation in family and children's programming, supported by venue hire, café, and membership services.

Product overview

Lakeside Arts is the University of Nottingham's public arts centre, operating as a multi-venue cultural complex comprising four galleries (Djanogly Gallery, Weston Gallery, Wallner Gallery, Angear Visitor Centre), the Djanogly Theatre (213 seats), the award-winning Djanogly Recital Hall, the University of Nottingham Museum, and the Performing Arts Studio. The venue offers a year-round programme of theatre, dance, music, exhibitions, workshops, and family activities. The organization also provides venue hire services, a membership programme with tiered donor benefits, and operates two café facilities. As the region's leading venue for children and family theatre, Lakeside serves over 150,000 visitors annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Djanogly Theatre A 213-seat professional theatre space within the DH Lawrence Pavilion, hosting family theatre, dance performances, comedy, and touring productions throughout the year.
• Djanogly Gallery The largest and primary gallery space at Lakeside Arts, exhibiting artworks from around the world, featuring natural light and white walls suitable for diverse exhibitions.
• Djanogly Recital Hall An award-winning music performance venue with exceptional acoustics, considered among the best in the UK, hosting classical chamber, early, contemporary, global, and folk music performances.
• University of Nottingham Museum Museum showcasing archaeological artefacts from Nottinghamshire and the wider East Midlands, with exhibitions and a public learning programme.
• Weston Gallery Exhibition space within the DH Lawrence Pavilion for Manuscripts and Special Collections from the University of Nottingham, featuring historical documents, manuscripts, and archive exhibitions.
• Wallner Gallery A creative gallery space within the DH Lawrence Pavilion, featuring child-friendly art and installations, and home to exhibitions from Manuscripts and Special Collections.
• Angear Visitor Centre Gallery space showcasing Nottingham-based artists' work, named after Thomas Angear, a founding member of the Arts Centre Appeal committee.
• Performing Arts Studio Flexible workshop and performance space added in 2004, enabling creative workshops, artist-led opportunities, and smaller productions.
• Pavilion Caf\u00e9 and Gallery Caf\u00e9 Two on-site caf\u00e9 facilities at Lakeside Arts. Pavilion Caf\u00e9 offers Lakeside views with seasonal menus; Gallery Caf\u00e9 provides refreshments adjacent to the galleries. Both are operated by Baxterstorey.
• Family Theatre Programme Year-round programme of theatre and dance shows for children and families, including workshops, talks, exhibitions, and events specifically aimed at children and families.
• Membership Programme Tiered membership programme offering Patron (£300+/year), Gold Patron (£600+/year), Alan Sillitoe Circle (£1,000+/year), and D H Lawrence Circle (£2,000+/year) tiers with benefits including priority booking, event access, discounts, and donor recognition.
• Donations Programme Voluntary contribution programme allowing supporters to donate online in amounts from £10 to £100 or custom amounts to support Lakeside Arts programming and operations.
• Venue Hire Hire services for the Performing Arts Studio, theatre spaces, and catering facilities for celebrations, events, meetings, conferences, and artistic rehearsals.
• Summer School: Play in a Week Annual creative summer school for young people ages 10-16, delivered by professional theatre makers, running Monday to Friday in August at the Performing Arts Studio.
• Young Critics Collective Youth arts criticism programme where young people review theatre performances and exhibitions, helping shape future programming while developing critical skills.
• Luminarium Timisien Inflatable luminarium art installation by Architects of Air, installed in Highfields Park as a walk-in immersive art experience for visitors.
• Drawn Through Time Exhibition Visual arts exhibition featuring four artists using slow-process drawing to re-evaluate history, displayed in the Djanogly Gallery.
• Fleur Patrick: Between Somewhere and Nowhere Solo exhibition of oil paintings by Nottingham-based artist Fleur Patrick, exploring memory, identity, and displacement through translucent glazes, displayed at the Angear Visitor Centre.
• Prehistoric Lives in the Trent Valley Archaeological exhibition exploring prehistoric occupation of the Trent Valley and material traces of ancient communities, co-curated with York Archaeology.
• The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Broughton Lodge Exhibition showcasing the pioneering 1960s community archaeology excavation of the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Broughton Lodge, displayed in partnership between Nottingham City Museums and University of Nottingham Museum.
• We The People: America's Fight for Freedom and Beyond Exhibition commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence, exploring America's struggle for freedom through manuscripts and printed collections from University of Nottingham Special Collections.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• York ArchaeologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-curated prehistoric archaeology exhibitions including 'Prehistoric Lives in the Trent Valley' (Jul 2026 - Jan 2027) curated by Dr David Knight, Dr Kristina Krawiec, and Dr Steve Malone from York Archaeology
• Sir Jesse BootminorOthersGifted the Highfields Lido site to the city of Nottingham in 1924, which later became Lakeside Arts location
• Sir Harry DjanoglycoreOthersLong-term benefactor who gives his name to the Djanogly Theatre and Djanogly Gallery. Supported the arts centre development alongside Lady Djanogly
• Thomas and Patricia AngearcoreOthersThomas Angear was on the original Arts Centre Appeal committee; the Angear Visitor Centre is named after him
• Edgar and Judith WallnerminorOthersAlumni and keen Nottingham New Theatre alumni who helped support the DH Lawrence Pavilion development; Wallner Gallery named after them
• Garfield Weston FoundationminorOthersCharitable foundation that supported the development of the DH Lawrence Pavilion in 2001
• Sir Colin CampbellcoreOthersFormer University of Nottingham Vice-Chancellor who set up the Arts Centre Appeal committee in 1990 and created plans for the new public arts centre
• Elpida Hadzi-VasilevaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationally renowned artist who created 'Eurydice Prevails' monument in 2019, working with University students, staff and members of the public using ancient Japanese Yakisugi technique
• BaxterstoreyminorOthersExternal hospitality partner managing Pavilion Café and Gallery Café operations at Lakeside Arts
• Nottingham Puppet FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual puppet festival partner hosting performances including 'At Sea' as part of the Nottingham Puppet Festival
• Shona Powell OBEcoreOthersLakeside's first Director who led the 2004 expansion encouraging programming of more learning, workshop and artist-led opportunities

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Warwick Arts Centre: The University of Warwick's multi-venue arts centre housing theatre, cinema, and gallery spaces. Directly comparable as a university-affiliated multi-arts venue of similar scale serving a regional UK catchment with mixed family, music, and visual arts programming.
• mac Birmingham (Millennium Point Arts Centre): A Birmingham-based multi-arts venue combining theatre, cinema, and gallery programming. Closely comparable to Lakeside Arts as a mid-sized, mixed-discipline regional arts centre with family and cross-genre programming.
• The Sage Gateshead: Music performance venue in the North East offering classical, folk, and contemporary concerts. Comparable to Lakeside's Djanogly Recital Hall programming, audience development model, and regional cultural mission.
• Storyhouse Chester: A Chester-based theatre and arts centre with year-round family and community programming. Comparable as a regional UK multi-arts venue with mixed ticketed performance and participatory programming.
• Turner Sims Southampton: University of Southampton concert hall offering classical, jazz, and folk programming. Comparable as a university-affiliated recital venue with BBC recording credentials and similar chamber-music audience development approach.

Regional players

• Royal & Derngate Northampton: East Midlands-adjacent theatre complex producing and hosting drama, dance, and musical theatre. Comparable to Lakeside's Djanogly Theatre programming in touring and producing theatre in a similar UK regional catchment.
• Nottingham Contemporary: Major Nottingham visual arts gallery with international contemporary programming. Comparable as a Nottingham-based arts venue competing for the same gallery-going audience, particularly for exhibitions such as the L.S. Lowry show.
• Theatre Royal Nottingham: Nottingham's principal receiving house for touring drama and musical theatre. Directly competitive with Lakeside's Djanogly Theatre for family and drama audiences in the same city.

Broad incumbents

• Barbican Centre: London-based multi-arts venue with theatre, concert hall, cinema, galleries, and library. Comparable in its multi-venue performing arts and visual arts mix, though operating at substantially larger scale and broader national/international audience.
• Southbank Centre: UK's largest arts centre with concert halls, galleries, and outdoor programming. Overlaps with Lakeside in offering classical music, family programming, and ticketed exhibitions, though at a national rather than regional scale.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lakesidearts
• Facebookfacebook.com/LakesideArts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lakeside-arts

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Lakeside Arts