Sadler's Wells

What Sadler's Wells does

Sadler's Wells is a UK-registered charity (no. 279884) operating as Sadler's Wells Trust Limited, headquartered at Rosebery Avenue, London. Founded in 1998 (with the original venue dating to 1683), the organization is dedicated to commissioning, producing, and presenting dance across all forms. It operates four physical theatres in London — Sadler's Wells Theatre (Angel), Lilian Baylis Studio, Peacock Theatre (West End), and Sadler's Wells East (Stratford, opened February 2025) — offering a combined infrastructure footprint of more than 550 seats at the newest venue plus additional capacities across the older sites. Sadler's Wells East, purpose-built within the East Bank development at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, features a 550-seat flexible auditorium with power flying and fold-away seating, six studios with environmental control and natural light via a saw-tooth roof design, and a community performance space called The Dance Floor in the L-shaped foyer.

The organization's product surface extends well beyond live performance. It runs an Artist Development Programme with seven distinct schemes (Associate Artists, Young Associates, Rose Choreographic School, National Youth Dance Company, Academy Breakin' Convention, Back To The Lab, Open Art Surgery), a free Digital Stage streaming platform for dance films and documentaries, the biennial Rose International Dance Prize for original choreography, and education/outreach programmes such as Making Moves (up to 54 schools annually) and community engagement events. It also operates Sadler's Wells America, a 501(c)(3) supporting body for US-based commissioning and touring.

Revenue is generated through a diversified, charity-model mix: ticket sales across four venues, annual memberships and patron subscriptions, corporate partnerships (Barclays is a major sponsor of Making Moves and Dance Pass), individual donations (with Gift Aid eligibility), trusts and foundations funding (Garfield Weston, Mohn Westlake, Project Giving Back), legacy giving, and venue hire. Arts Council England is the primary public funder as a National Portfolio Organisation. Customer segments span general dance audiences, professional choreographers and artists, schools/youth groups, community participants in east London, and corporate partners — a deliberately broad base for a non-profit performing arts institution.

Name

Sadler's Wells

Legal name

Sadler's Wells Trust Limited

Website

https://sadlerswells.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sadler's Wells is a UK-registered charity operating four London dance theatres, a free Digital Stage streaming platform, and extensive artist development and education programmes. It serves audiences, choreographers, schools, communities, and corporate partners through ticketed performances, donations, and public/corporate funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Dance Venue & Programming

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Dance Companies (71112), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ), Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD)

Keywords

• Contemporary dance venue
• Dance performance programming
• Artist development programmes
• Dance education outreach
• Community dance engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to dance performances across four theatres including Sadler's Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio, Peacock Theatre, and Sadler's Wells East.
2. Memberships and Patrons: Annual membership programs offering ticket discounts, priority booking and other benefits. Patron programs provide enhanced benefits for higher-tier supporters.
3. Corporate Support: Corporate partnerships and sponsorship arrangements with organizations including Barclays for programs like Barclays Dance Pass and Making Moves.
4. Individual Donations: Charitable donations from individuals supporting dance commissioning and production. Gift Aid eligible for UK taxpayers.
5. Name a Seat: Minimum £1,000 donation for naming a seat at Sadler's Wells Theatre for 5 years, or £2,000 for 10 years at Sadler's Wells East.
6. Trusts and Foundations: Funding from charitable trusts and foundations supporting artistic programming, artist development, and community engagement.
7. Legacy Giving: Bequests and legacy gifts through the Legacy Circle program supporting future generations of dance artists and audiences.
8. Making Moves Program Fees: Schools and youth groups pay £300 (+VAT) to participate in the Making Moves choreography project, with bursaries available for financial support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sadler's Wells operates four London theatres (Sadler's Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio, Peacock Theatre, and Sadler's Wells East) presenting live dance performances across all styles from UK and international companies. It supplements live programming with Digital Stage, a free online streaming platform for dance films and documentaries, alongside artist development programmes, schools/youth outreach (Making Moves), community engagement initiatives, and venue hire services.

Product overview

Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation operating four London theatres (Sadler's Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio, Peacock Theatre, and Sadler's Wells East) that programme and present dance performances across all styles. The organisation offers Digital Stage, a free streaming platform for dance films and documentaries. Its education and development arm includes Artist Development Programme, Associate Artists, Young Associates, Rose Choreographic School, Academy Breakin' Convention (ABC), and Making Moves (a school and youth choreography project). Community engagement encompasses The Dance Floor, Schools and Colleges Programme, Community Engagement activities, and Online Workshops. Support programmes include Membership, Patronage, Name a Seat, and Sadler's Wells America. Venues are also available for hire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digital Stage: Digital platform offering free dance films, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes content showcasing dance performances and artist works
• The Rose International Dance Prize
• Academy Breakin' Convention (ABC)
• Rose Choreographic School
• National Youth Dance Company (NYDC)
• Associate Artists Programme
• Making Moves
• Young Associates
• Company of Elders
• Back To The Lab
• Open Art Surgery

Products and services

• The Four Theatres Live Dance Programming Live dance performances presented across four London theatres (Sadler's Wells Theatre in Angel, Lilian Baylis Studio, Peacock Theatre in the West End, and Sadler's Wells East in Stratford) covering contemporary dance, ballet, hip hop, and international touring companies for general dance audiences.
• Digital Stage Free online streaming platform offering dance films, documentaries, behind-the-scenes content, and digital productions such as the Motion Picture choreographer-filmmaker collaborations and Making Moves documentaries, accessible to global audiences.
• Making Moves Annual choreography and performance project for schools and youth groups across England, supported by Barclays, connecting young people aged 11-18 (up to 24 for d/Deaf/disabled) with professional choreographers through digital toolkits and practical workshops; up to 54 groups participate annually with 8 selected to perform on the Sadler's Wells stage at National Platform.
• Rose Choreographic School Two-year development programme supporting a cohort of 13 artists through workshops, lectures, mentoring, and choreographic research projects, based at Sadler's Wells East.
• Associate Artists Programme Roster of 22 dance artists representing diverse styles who receive commission opportunities, development resources and support from Sadler's Wells, including world-renowned choreographers such as Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor, Crystal Pite, Matthew Bourne, and Sylvie Guillem; first cohort appointed in 2005.
• Young Associates Two-year development programme for four dance artists aged 18-24 (or aged 18-30 for those who identify as d/Deaf and disabled), including development weekends and public performance opportunities.
• Academy Breakin' Convention (ABC) Full-time further education programme for creative and talented 16-19 year olds covering hip hop theatre foundations including Breaking, DJing, Emcee, Graffiti, Music Production, Popping and Hip Hop Social Dance, delivered at Sadler's Wells East.
• Membership & Patronage Programme Annual charitable membership and patron programmes offering ticket discounts, priority booking and other benefits, supporting Sadler's Wells' artistic work on its stages, in communities and with next generation dancers.
• Name a Seat Donor recognition programme allowing supporters to name theatre seats at Sadler's Wells Theatre (minimum £1,000 for 5 years) or Sadler's Wells East (minimum £1,000 for 5 years or £2,000 for at least 10 years), with personalised plaques engraved with up to 54-70 characters.
• Sadler's Wells America US-based 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organisation (Sadler's Wells Association Inc.) supporting commissioning, showcasing American dance artists, and touring UK and European contemporary dance work in the United States.
• The Dance Floor at Sadler's Wells East Public performance space in the light-filled L-shaped wrap-around foyer of Sadler's Wells East hosting community groups, guest artists, free activities and events for people of all ages and backgrounds.
• Venue Hire (Hire Our Spaces) Venue hire services offering Sadler's Wells' theatres and studios for conferences, concerts, filming, photography, and fashion shows.
• Rose International Dance Prize Biennial global prize for original dance creations in any style from across the globe, awarded by Sadler's Wells, recognising radical movement and global voices in dance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 groups selected annually to perform on Sadler's Wells stage through Making Moves
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• East Bank Partners (BBC, UAL London College of Fashion, UCL, V&A)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEast Bank is London's biggest single investment in culture and education in over a century. Co-located institutions creating a new cultural quarter in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
• DanceEastminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner venue hosting Making Moves regional platforms for schools and youth groups across England.
• The LowryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner venue hosting Making Moves regional platforms for schools and youth groups.
• Pavilion Dance South WestminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner venue hosting Making Moves regional platforms for schools and youth groups.
• Midlands Arts CentreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner venue hosting Making Moves regional platforms for schools and youth groups.
• Northern School of Contemporary Dance (The Riley Theatre)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner venue hosting Making Moves regional platforms for schools and youth groups.
• Sadler's Wells AmericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTax-exempt US charity (EIN: 13-3036349) supporting Sadler's Wells through commissioning, showcasing American artists, and touring UK work in America. Donations tax-deductible for US taxpayers.
• Associate Schools NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with schools and colleges in east London giving students access to world-class dance. Includes School 21 in Stratford.
• School 21minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSadler's Wells Associate School in Stratford receiving plants and materials from RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden. Works closely with Sadler's Wells to embed arts-inspired activities.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• English National Ballet: National touring ballet company that performs regularly at Sadler's Wells venues and competes for similar audiences and donors. Comparable as a dance-producing organisation operating at the intersection of performance, education and touring.
• The Place: London's leading contemporary dance venue and school, presenting dance and supporting choreographers in the early stages of their careers. Directly comparable to Sadler's Wells on the contemporary-dance presenting and artist-development axis.
• DanceEast: Regional dance presenting and artist-development organisation based in Ipswich; runs National Dance Network platforms and is a Making Moves partner venue. Comparable as a mission-aligned dance developer and presenter, though with a regional rather than London base.
• The Joyce Theater: New York City dance-only presenting venue programming contemporary dance, ballet and international companies. Closely comparable to Sadler's Wells as a dedicated dance showcase and commissioning venue in a major global city.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Opera House: Major London performing-arts venue presenting opera and ballet at the main house and Linbury Theatre. Overlaps with Sadler's Wells on dance presentation and high-end production infrastructure, but on a much larger scale and broader repertoire.
• The Barbican Centre: Major London multi-artform venue operated by the City of London, hosting international dance companies as part of its International Programming dance strand. Comparable as a large publicly-supported London presenter competing for the same international touring dance product.
• Southbank Centre: London's largest arts complex with multiple venues (Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room) presenting dance, music and literature. Comparable as a multi-venue London presenting body competing for the same audiences, funders and corporate sponsors.
• National Theatre: Flagship publicly-funded London producing theatre with three auditoriums and a national touring and learning remit. Overlaps with Sadler's Wells on venue-based presenting, public-funding reliance, learning programmes, and corporate partnership base.
• Linbury Theatre (Royal Opera House): Flexible 400-seat studio theatre within the Royal Opera House complex used for smaller-scale dance, opera and experimental work. Closely comparable to Lilian Baylis Studio and Sadler's Wells East as a flexible-scale dance and new-work venue in London.

Regional players

• Edinburgh International Festival: Annual summer festival in Edinburgh presenting opera, dance, theatre and music from leading international companies, including dance premieres often seen later at Sadler's Wells. Comparable as a high-prestige dance presenter with an international booking model, but operating on a seasonal festival cadence in Scotland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sadlers_wells
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/sadlerswells
• Facebookfacebook.com/SadlersWells
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sadler%27s-wells
• Instagraminstagram.com/sadlers_wells

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Sadler's Wells