Hencilla Canworth

What Hencilla Canworth does

Hencilla Canworth is a UK-based specialist insurance intermediary focused exclusively on the film, television, theatre, music, visual arts, and broader creative industries. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Croydon, the firm operates as a trading name of Howden Insurance Brokers Limited, a subsidiary within Howden Group Holdings, and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 309639). The company designs, arranges, and administers a portfolio of bespoke insurance products — including public/products liability, professional indemnity, personal accident, equipment and instrument cover, artists insurance, travel insurance, and tax investigation cover — tailored to the specific risk profiles of performing artists, musicians, visual artists, media freelancers, and creative trade unions.

Hencilla's business model is commission-based insurance brokerage. The firm earns commissions from insurers for placing policies and administering group schemes, serving as agent of the insurer for products such as the Musicians' Union insurance portfolio. Pricing varies by product, coverage limit, and member status; entry-level policies start at £142 for the Artists Insurance Policy, with union members typically receiving discounted rates (BECTU members ~15% off standard terms). The company employs 11–50 staff and operates from a Croydon office, with registered correspondence via a Howden Group London address.

The go-to-market is built around long-tenured partnership agreements with major UK creative trade unions and membership bodies, including the Musicians' Union, BECTU, a-n The Artists Information Company, the Independent Society of Musicians, and the Scottish Artists Union. These partnerships — some dating back to 2003 — embed Hencilla's insurance products as default or discounted membership benefits, giving the firm distribution into hundreds of thousands of individual creative professionals. Hencilla also markets directly through multiple dedicated sub-brand websites (Showtime, Media Freelancer, Artists Insurance, Performing Arts Travel Insurance, FirstAct) and handles direct enquiries via email and telephone. Underlying insurance capacity is sourced from specialist carriers including Hiscox, Aviva, and Markel International.

Name

Hencilla Canworth

Legal name

Howden Insurance Brokers Limited

Website

https://hencilla.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hencilla Canworth is a UK specialist insurance intermediary (founded 1981, 11–50 employees) that designs and administers bespoke insurance schemes — liability, professional indemnity, equipment, personal accident — for creative industries clients via partnerships with unions such as the Musicians' Union, BECTU, a-n, ISM, and SAU.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Art, Jewelry & Specie (FSAJAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty/Unique Item Coverage (Fine Art, Antiques, Pianos, Safes) (HSAKANAE), Occupational Accident Insurance (1099/Contractor Coverage) (FSAIALAF)

Keywords

• Arts insurance brokerage
• Creative industries insurance
• Performing arts insurance
• Media freelancer insurance
• Union insurance schemes

Headquarters

HQ city

Croydon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commission: Hencilla acts as an insurance intermediary arranging insurance products for union members and individual clients. The company receives commission from insurers for arranging coverage. For MU insurance products, Hencilla receives commission from insurers and acts as agent of the insurer in sourcing and placing policies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hencilla Canworth is an independent insurance intermediary that arranges specialist insurance products for the performing arts, visual arts, media, and creative industries. The company administers insurance schemes on behalf of major UK arts unions and trade associations (including the Musicians' Union, BECTU, a-n, ISM, and Scottish Artists Union) and sells directly to creative professionals, earning commissions from insurers for placing coverage such as public/products liability, professional indemnity, equipment, personal accident, and travel insurance.

Product overview

Hencilla Canworth is an insurance intermediary specialising in the arts and creative industries, founded in 1981. The company offers a portfolio of bespoke insurance products designed for performing arts, visual arts, media, and creative professionals. The core offerings include: Showtime Performing Arts Insurance (for performance arts practitioners, created with Hiscox Insurance); Media Freelancer Insurance (for freelance theatre, film and live events professionals); Artists Insurance Policy (for visual and applied artists); and various union member benefit schemes including a-n Members' Combined Liability Insurance, Bectu PLI Extra, Musicians' Union Public Liability Insurance, ISM Members' Public & Products Liability Insurance, and Scottish Artists Union Members' Liability Insurance. Additional products include Performing and Creative Arts Travel Insurance, MU Personal Accident (underwritten by Aviva), MU Tax Investigation Insurance (underwritten by Markel), and Music Teachers Professional Indemnity Insurance. Hencilla administers insurance schemes on behalf of major creative unions and trade associations, with coverage options ranging from public/products liability to professional indemnity, equipment insurance, business interruption, and personal accident.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Showtime Performing Arts Insurance: Bespoke insurance policy designed for practitioners of the performance arts, created in conjunction with Hiscox Insurance. Cover available for individual performers or acts up to large scale production companies in theatre, dance, music and circus.
• Media Freelancer Insurance
• Artists Insurance Policy

Products and services

• Showtime Performing Arts Insurance A bespoke insurance policy designed with practitioners of the performance arts in mind, created in conjunction with Hiscox Insurance. Cover is available to individual performers or acts up to large scale production companies working in theatre, dance, music and circus.
• Media Freelancer Insurance An insurance product designed for freelance professionals working in the theatre, film and live events industry. Offers cover for owned or hired equipment, public liability, employer's liability, professional indemnity, buildings & contents, business interruption, and personal accident.
• Artists Insurance Policy An affordably priced tailored package of insurance covers designed specifically for visual and applied artists. Cover includes Artwork & Materials Insurance, Studio Contents/Buildings, Business Interruption and Employers' & Public Liability. Available from as little as £142.00.
• a-n Members' Combined Liability Insurance Combined liability insurance for UK-based a-n Artists and Arts Organiser members comprising £10m Public and Products Liability (PPL) and £5m Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance, specifically designed for visual and applied artists and freelance visual arts professionals.
• Bectu PLI Extra Public liability insurance scheme administered for BECTU members. BECTU members automatically receive approximately 15% discount on standard terms.
• Musicians' Union Public Liability Insurance Public Liability Insurance provided by the Musicians' Union to a limit of indemnity of £10 million per individual member. Protects members from financial consequences of claims for bodily injury and/or damage to property whilst performing, rehearsing, auditioning, composing, or teaching.
• ISM Members' Public & Products Liability Insurance Liability insurance for members of the Independent Society of Musicians since 2003. Provides Public Liability up to £10,000,000 any one claim and Products Liability up to £10,000,000 in aggregate.
• Scottish Artists Union Members' Liability Insurance Combined Liability Insurance for Scottish Artists Union members comprising Public and Products Liability (PPL) and Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance. Public and Products Liability Insurance with a £5m limit of indemnity.
• Performing and Creative Arts Travel Insurance Specialist travel insurance for performing and creative arts professionals.
• MU Personal Accident Personal accident cover for Musicians' Union members resident in the UK under 80 years of age, underwritten by Aviva. Covers accidental injury arising from Musicians' Union-related occupation with benefits including loss of life (£20,000), loss of limbs/eyes (£20,000), permanent total disablement (up to £20,000), and temporary total disablement (£125 per week for up to 52 weeks).
• MU Tax Investigation Insurance Tax investigation insurance for Musicians' Union members, underwritten by Markel International Insurance Co Ltd via Markel Tax. Provides fee reimbursement of up to £125,000 for HMRC investigations and disputes.
• First Act Insurance Specialist insurance product for professional performers and performing arts companies/groups, marketed under the First Act brand.
• Creative Freelance Insurance Policy Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance for Arts Organiser members of a-n, providing below market fixed rate premiums for creative freelance professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• £10m Public Liability coverage available for union members
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Howden Group HoldingsOthersHencilla Canworth is a trading name of Howden Insurance Brokers Limited, which is part of Howden Group Holdings. The company is authorized and regulated by the FCA (FRN 309639) in respect of general insurance business.
• Musicians' UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHencilla is the appointed administrator of Musicians' Union members' insurance schemes including Public Liability Policy (up to £10m), Musical Instrument and Equipment Cover, Music Teachers Professional Indemnity, Personal Accident, and Tax Investigation Insurance.
• BECTUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppointed as BECTU's preferred supplier of insurance services in 2012. Administer the BECTU members PLI Extra scheme and media freelance insurance policy. BECTU members receive circa 15% discount on standard terms.
• a-n The Artists Information CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2007 providing insurance benefits to artist members including £5m Public and Products Liability Insurance (free benefit), Artists Insurance Policy, Creative Freelance Insurance Policy, and combined £10m PPL and £5m PI insurance since 2023.
• Independent Society of Musicians (ISM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArranged liability insurance on behalf of ISM members since 2003. Provides Public & Products Liability Insurance up to £10m for members' musical activities including performing, composing, teaching, and organizing performances.
• Scottish Artists UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2007 providing Combined Liability Insurance (PPL and PI) to visual and applied artist members. Insurance includes worldwide cover with no restriction on exhibitions or open studio events.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Howden Group Holdings: Parent group of Hencilla Canworth; one of the largest independent UK insurance brokers with global specialty and commercial lines. Highly comparable business model (intermediary commission revenue) but vastly broader scope, providing scale context for Hencilla's niche.
• Aviva UK: Major UK composite insurer providing personal accident capacity to Hencilla's MU scheme. Comparable in serving UK individuals with accident and personal-lines cover, though at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• Ecclesiastical Insurance: UK specialty insurer serving charities, faith organisations, and arts/cultural institutions. Comparable niche-market intermediary-aligned distribution model and customer overlap with heritage, gallery, and performing arts segments.
• Towergate Insurance: Large UK independent insurance broker offering specialty lines including for entertainment, leisure, and creative SMEs. Closely comparable intermediary business model and customer segment to Hencilla, though at much broader scale.
• Aon UK: Global insurance and reinsurance broker with UK retail operations now combining with Howden. Comparable intermediary model and capacity-partner approach, though operating across all commercial lines rather than specialising in arts.
• Marsh UK: Global insurance broker with UK specialty and entertainment practice. Comparable in serving media, entertainment, and creative industries with PL/PI products, though at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Arthur J. Gallagher UK: Global insurance broker with UK arts, entertainment, and sports specialty practice. Directly comparable in serving performing arts and creative professionals with PL/PI/equipment cover as a specialist broker division.
• Allianz UK: Major UK composite insurer with entertainment, sports, and creative-sector product lines. Comparable in underwriting PL and event liability for UK performing arts organisations, though as part of a much larger general insurer portfolio.

Direct peers

• Hiscox UK: Specialty insurer that provides capacity for Hencilla's Showtime Performing Arts policy and serves creative professionals with direct specialty products. Directly comparable customer base (creative freelancers and SMEs) and product overlap in PL/PI/equipment cover.
• Markel UK: Specialty insurer and capacity partner for Hencilla's MU Tax Investigation cover. Operates in adjacent niche liability and professional indemnity lines for SMEs, freelancers, and creative professionals with comparable underwriting appetite.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hencilla Canworth