What Real Studios does

Real Studios is a London-headquartered exhibition design and interpretive masterplanning practice, established in 1998 and operating as the trading name of Bea and Blue Ltd. The firm specialises in the design of museums, galleries, visitor centres, and temporary or touring exhibitions, alongside interpretive masterplanning, content development, funding-bid visual support, and design-and-build delivery. Its work spans feasibility studies through to installation oversight and contract administration, often delivered in partnership with UK architectural firms on National Lottery Heritage Fund- and HLF-backed regeneration projects.

The business operates as a specialist professional-services consultancy. Revenue is generated through project-based fees secured via direct client engagement and competitive tendering, primarily from UK public-sector museums, galleries, and heritage trusts. Notable clients include the V&A, British Museum, Science Museum, Royal Academy of Arts, Natural History Museum, National Maritime Museum, Mary Rose Trust, Dorset Museum, Lakeland Arts, and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, with selective international work in France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Spain, Kenya, and the Seychelles. The firm is led by Founder/Director Alistair McCaw, Creative Director Yvonne Golds, and Associate Director Mike Hawkes, with personal oversight of projects cited as a core part of the value proposition.

Real Studios is privately held and founder-managed, with no external funding or venture investment disclosed. The firm has built a 25-year award-winning portfolio — including David Bowie is and Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains at the V&A — and is increasingly extending its model into touring-exhibition re-versioning (F1: The Exhibition, Pink Floyd tour) and selective commercial interiors (Virgin Limited Edition, Canary Wharf, Allied Irish Banks). Operations remain UK-anchored with modest but growing international reach, and the firm has no public AI, software, or platform offering; its differentiation rests on creative vision, interpretive narrative design, and a director-led, relationship-driven delivery model.

Name

Real Studios

Legal name

Bea and Blue Ltd

Website

https://realstudios.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Real Studios is a London-based exhibition design and interpretive masterplanning practice, founded in 1998, serving UK museums, galleries, and heritage trusts alongside selective international cultural and luxury hospitality clients with director-led project oversight.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum and Exhibition Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Studio Tours & Visitor Experiences (MPADAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Exhibition design
• Interpretive masterplanning
• Museum design
• Visitor centre design
• Interior design services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Design Consultancy Services: Real Studios generates revenue through professional design services for museums, galleries, visitor centres, and cultural institutions. Services include feasibility studies, interpretive masterplanning, exhibition design, content development, and design and build delivery. Revenue appears project-based, with clients including cultural institutions, heritage organisations, and government bodies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Real Studios is a UK-based design practice that creates museums, galleries, temporary and touring exhibitions, interpretive masterplans, and interior spaces. They provide end-to-end services including feasibility studies, content development, full exhibition design, design and build delivery, procurement planning, and contract administration for cultural institutions, heritage organisations, and select commercial clients.

Product overview

Real Studios is a UK-based exhibition design practice established in 1998, offering a comprehensive suite of services including Exhibition Design, Interpretive Masterplanning, Temporary & Touring Exhibitions, Museums/Galleries/Visitor Centres, Interior Spaces, Content Development, Design and Build delivery, and Funding Bid Support. The practice works across cultural, heritage, and commercial sectors, creating experiences for institutions including the V&A, British Museum, Royal Academy, Natural History Museum, and Science Museum. Notable projects include the record-breaking David Bowie is exhibition (V&A), Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains, and major permanent installations at museums across the UK and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibition Design Full exhibition design services including concept development, spatial design, graphic design, AV installations, and installation oversight for museums, galleries, and visitor centres. Contracted by cultural institutions and heritage organisations.
• Interpretive Masterplanning Strategic planning and narrative development for visitor experiences, museum reinterpretations, and cultural attractions, including thematic frameworks and audience engagement strategies. Provided to museums, heritage organisations, and visitor attractions.
• Temporary and Touring Exhibitions Design and delivery of temporary exhibitions that travel to multiple venues, including blockbuster shows for major cultural institutions. Includes exhibitions such as David Bowie is, Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains, and F1: The Exhibition.
• Museums, Galleries and Visitor Centres Permanent exhibition design and interpretation for museums, galleries, and purpose-built visitor centres. Projects include Windermere Jetty Museum, Mary Rose Museum, Lapworth Museum, and Dorset Museum refurbishment.
• Interior Spaces Interior design for commercial, hospitality, and public spaces including marketing suites, retail environments, and experiential interiors. Past work includes One Canada Square marketing suite and Mahali Mzuri safari camp.
• Content Development Development of interpretive content, narratives, and storytelling frameworks for cultural attractions and exhibitions.
• Design and Build Complete design and construction delivery services including procurement planning, contract administration, and installation oversight.
• Funding Bid Support Design development and visual materials to support heritage funding applications, including HLF and National Lottery Heritage Fund submissions.

Named customers24 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• 59 ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative collaboration on David Bowie is... exhibition at V&A, combining dramatic set design, storytelling and AV wizardry. Real Studios worked with 59 Productions to celebrate one of rock music's most pioneering performers through vivid multi-media exhibition design.
• Aubrey 'Po' Powell / HipgnosiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition. Worked alongside Aubrey 'Po' Powell of Hipgnosis, Pink Floyd's creative director, and Stufish, the band's long-serving stage designers.
• StufishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition alongside Pink Floyd's long-serving stage designers.
• Associated ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on multiple museum projects including Lapworth Museum (£2.7m redevelopment) and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Associated Architects developed new accessible entrance and visitor routes while Real Studios provided exhibition and interpretive design.
• DHA DesignsupportingTechnology or IntegrationLighting design partner on multiple projects including Oxford Museum of Natural History, Mary Rose Museum, and Museum of Flight exhibitions.
• Surface 3supportingTechnology or IntegrationGraphic design partner on projects including British Museum's Living with Gods exhibition, National Maritime Museum Neptune Court, and National Museums Scotland Anatomy exhibition.
• Walters & CohenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural partnership on Boathouse 4 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (£3.75m HLF-funded project) combining building restoration with exhibition design.
• Glenn Howells ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on National Memorial Arboretum's Landscapes of Life project, with Real Studios providing interpretive masterplan within the new visitor centre designed by Glenn Howells.
• Studio HBsupportingTechnology or IntegrationGraphic design collaboration on Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains, Silver Caesars exhibition, and STAR House of Rock project.
• Carmody GroarkemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural partnership on Dorset Museum (£17m refurbishment) and Windermere Jetty Museum (£20m project), where Real Studios provided exhibition design within new architectural extensions.
• Alison Brooks ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on York Castle Museum redevelopment (RIBA Stage One), working with Alison Brooks Architects, Richard Griffiths Architects, Purcell Architecture, and other consultants for major site masterplan.
• PolimekanossupportingTechnology or IntegrationGraphic design collaboration on Walthamstow Wetlands Marine Engine House visitor centre project.
• Kellenberger and WhitesupportingTechnology or IntegrationGraphic design partnership on Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age exhibition at Science Museum.
• Tim Harvey / DLADsupportingTechnology or IntegrationGraphic and lighting design collaboration on Oceania exhibitions at Royal Academy (London) and Musée du quai Branly (Paris).
• Studio ZNAsupportingTechnology or IntegrationLighting design partnership on Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World exhibition at British Museum.
• Lai CoutosupportingTechnology or IntegrationGraphic design collaboration on Mary Rose Museum exhibition.
• Graham English / Spiral ProductionssupportingTechnology or IntegrationSoftware design concept and creative direction partnership on Mary Rose Museum AV projections.
• Marks Barfield ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Aldabra House visitor centre for Seychelles Islands Foundation, developing interpretive masterplan and exhibition design.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Casson Mann: Leading UK exhibition and museum design firm, with comparable projects at major British institutions. Casson Mann directly competes for the same V&A, British Museum, and Natural History Museum commissions and is the closest scale and prestige peer to Real Studios in the UK.
• Event Communications: London-based museum and exhibition design consultancy with a comparable UK cultural-sector focus. Event Communications has delivered projects for the V&A, Imperial War Museum, and Science Museum Group, competing directly with Real Studios on the same tender pipeline.
• Mather & Co: UK-based museum, exhibition, and visitor experience design practice with comparable service breadth spanning masterplanning, content, and design delivery. Operates at similar scale and competes for the same heritage and cultural-sector commissions.
• Land Design Studio: Edinburgh/London-based exhibition and interpretive design consultancy with parallel expertise in museums, galleries, and heritage interpretation. Competes with Real Studios for major UK cultural institution tenders including HLF-funded redevelopments.
• Drinkall Dean: Manchester-based design consultancy specialising in museums, galleries, and heritage interpretation. Comparable in scale and service offering, frequently competing with Real Studios for heritage lottery-funded cultural projects in northern England and beyond.
• Nissen Richards Studio: London-based architectural and exhibition design practice with a strong cultural-institution portfolio. Operates as a direct peer in the same UK design tender ecosystem for museums and temporary exhibitions.
• Haley Sharpe Design: Leicester-based exhibition and museum design firm (now operating as part of Mather & Co) with strong heritage and cultural sector credentials. Comparable service offering across exhibition design, interpretation, and content development.
• Metaphor Design: UK design consultancy working across cultural, public, and commercial sectors with capabilities overlapping Real Studios' interpretive design and masterplanning practice. Operates as a competitor for visitor centre and heritage commissions.
• Hub Exhibits: Canadian/American-based exhibit and museum design firm specialising in interpretive planning and exhibit fabrication. Adjacent geographic peer competing for international museum commissions alongside Real Studios on major cultural projects.

Broad incumbents

• Ralph Appelbaum Associates: Global leader in museum masterplanning and exhibition design, founded in 1978 and operating across continents. Significantly larger and broader portfolio than Real Studios, but a direct competitor for major UK and international museum commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Real Studios