What Candoco does

Candoco Dance Company is a London-based inclusive dance charity and company limited by guarantee, founded in 1991 and registered in England and Wales (Company No. 2837146; Charity No. 1040524). It produces contemporary dance performances that integrate disabled and non-disabled dancers at the highest artistic level, alongside an artist-development portfolio for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists, a Learning & Participation programme (workshops, residencies, teacher training), a Digital Hub and the Making Space podcast. Its primary audiences are D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent dance artists, general theatre-going audiences (including families), and major UK arts institutions that commission or co-produce work; sector peers (Corali, People Dancing, Stopgap, TIN Arts) collaborate through the Working Group coalition on shared disability-inclusion research and advocacy.

The product portfolio spans live touring productions (most recently 'Over and Over (and over again)' in 2025 with Dan Daw Creative Projects; historically 'The Lost Thing' co-produced with The Royal Opera, 'Set and Reset/Reset' restaged by Abigail Yager, 'Last Shelter' by Jeanine Durning, 'Beheld' by Alexander Whitley, 'A Graceful Act of Stupidity', 'Let's Talk About Dis' and the 1996 foundational 'Across Your Heart') and digital commissions such as Jo Bannon's 'Feeling Thing'. Underlying technology is human-centred and access-led: an in-house 'Crip practice' methodology (e.g., wheelchair 'PJ' treated as a sixth collaborator), audio description, BSL interpretation, captioning and relaxed performance formats, ASMR sound design for digital works, and a WC3-compliant website using the Menco font with high-contrast toggle and large clickable buttons. The 'For Artists' stack includes the Candoco Fellowship, Choreo Accelerator, The Lab, Open Studio, Motion Shorts, Take the Floor and the Teaching Artists programme.

The business model blends charitable and commercial revenue streams. Core public funding comes from Arts Council England via National Portfolio Organisation status, supplemented by grants from Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Leche Trust, The Garrick Charitable Trust, Fenton Arts Trust, Trust for London's Disability Justice Fund, Cockayne Grants for the Arts (held at The London Community Foundation), Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, and Southwark Council. Co-production and co-commission income is generated with The Royal Opera, Sadler's Wells, Tate Modern, Arts Depot, Trinity Laban and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. Box-office revenue is secondary (£17-£18 per ticket at venues such as Tate Modern and Warwick Arts Centre); digital works (Feeling Thing, The Lost Thing) are distributed free as audience development. Go-to-market runs through UK and international touring, partner-venue digital platforms, the website, a newsletter list and a podcast, with PR coverage in The Guardian, The Standard, Disability Arts Online and Springback Magazine.

Name

Candoco

Legal name

Candoco Dance Company

Website

https://candoco.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Candoco Dance Company is a London-based inclusive dance charity founded in 1991, producing contemporary performances that integrate disabled and non-disabled artists alongside artist-development and learning programmes, serving D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists, general audiences and major arts institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Dance / Performing Arts

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Inclusive dance performance
• Contemporary dance company
• Disability-led dance
• Artist development programmes
• Dance learning participation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales for live performances: Box-office ticket revenue from touring productions, e.g., Set and Reset/Reset £18 at Tate Modern; Set and Reset/Reset and Last Shelter £17+ at Warwick Arts Centre; free digital screenings such as Feeling Thing on Sadler's Wells Digital Stage.
2. Grants from trusts, foundations and Arts Council England: Charitable funding: National Portfolio Organisation support from Arts Council England; grants from Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Leche Trust, The Garrick Charitable Trust, Fenton Arts Trust, Trust for London Disability Justice Fund, Van Cleef & Arpels (Dance Reflections), and Cockayne Grants for the Arts held at The London Community Foundation; additional support from Southwark Council.
3. Co-production and co-commission income: Revenue from co-productions and co-commissions with major institutions (e.g., The Royal Opera for The Lost Thing; Arts Depot co-commission for Let's Talk About Dis; Trinity Laban for Beheld) and philanthropic support such as The Royal Victoria Hall Foundation.
4. Digital / streaming distribution: Free digital screenings of works such as Feeling Thing on Sadler's Wells Digital Stage and The Lost Thing on Royal Opera House Digital Learning Platform, used as audience development and educational distribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Candoco Dance Company produces and tours contemporary inclusive dance performances that integrate disabled and non-disabled artists, delivered through flagship UK venues (Sadler's Wells East, Tate Modern, DanceEast) plus international dates. The company runs an artist development portfolio for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent dance artists (Candoco Fellowship, Choreo Accelerator, The Lab, Open Studio, Motion Shorts, Take the Floor) and a Learning & Participation offer including Teacher Training, Dance Workshops and Residencies, and a Youth Dance Programme, with selected works distributed digitally via Sadler's Wells Digital Stage and the Royal Opera House Digital Learning Platform.

Product overview

Candoco Dance Company offers a programme-based portfolio of contemporary inclusive dance productions and supporting programmes rather than a single software product. The performance arm centres on flagship full-length and short works including 'Over and Over (and over again)' (2025, with Dan Daw Creative Projects), 'The Lost Thing' (co-production with The Royal Opera), 'Set and Reset/Reset' (Trisha Brown restaging directed by Abigail Yager), 'Last Shelter', 'Feeling Thing' (digital film by Jo Bannon), 'A Graceful Act of Stupidity', 'Beheld', 'Let's Talk About Dis', and the historic 'Across Your Heart'. The 'For Artists' arm provides artist development programmes for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists: the Candoco Fellowship, Choreo Accelerator, The Lab, Open Studio, Motion Shorts and Take the Floor. The 'Learning & Participation' arm offers Teacher Training and Dance Workshops and Residencies, while 'See & Do' hosts Performances & Events, the Digital Hub for streamed content and the Making Space podcast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Over and Over (and over again) 60-minute beat-driven inclusive dance piece co-created with Dan Daw Creative Projects and co-directed by Dan Daw and Stef O'Driscoll; takes inspiration from rave culture and the lived experience of disabled dancers, featuring dancers Temitope Ajose, Annie Edwards, Maiya Leeke, James Olivo and Anna Seymour. Premiered in the UK Spring 2025.
• The Lost Thing Family work (2019) co-produced and co-commissioned with The Royal Opera; directed and choreographed by Ben Wright, with words and music by Jules Maxwell based on Shaun Tan's illustrated book about a boy who helps a lost thing find its way home. Sung in English with captioning; 1 hour plus interval, age 6+.
• Set and Reset/Reset Reconstruction of Trisha Brown's seminal 1983 Set and Reset, taught to Candoco dancers by former Trisha Brown Dance Company member Abigail Yager in 2011, 2016 and 2021. Set to Laurie Anderson's score, performed by disabled and non-disabled dancers as a negotiation between freedom and limit.
• Last Shelter New work by Alpert Award-winning New York-based choreographer Jeanine Durning; unfolds uniquely at each performance, teetering at the edge in an ever-shifting environment that highlights the velocity and precision of each dancer's decision-making.
• Feeling Thing 18-minute digital film (2022) by Jo Bannon co-produced with Candoco Dance Company; features three intimate duets between dancers (Anna Seymour, Ihsaan DeBanya, Olivia Edginton) and objects, with ASMR sound inviting audiences into an uncanny space where all things are alive. Available with audio description and closed captions.
• Let's Talk About Dis 30-minute inclusive dance piece by visual artist Hetain Patel (2014), a playful interrogation of identity blending dance, multiple languages, signing and singing to probe audiences to think beyond surface appearances.
• Beheld 25-minute ensemble piece (2015) choreographed and directed by Sadler's Wells New Wave Artist Alexander Whitley, featuring powerful duets and breath-taking ensemble dancing with huge swathes of fabric, set to a score by Nils Frahm reworked by Rutger Zuydervelt.
• A Graceful Act of Stupidity 15-minute duet (2019) by Tom Roden (New Art Club) created and performed by Annie Edwards and Jemima Hoadley; interweaves full-bodied dancing with spoken word, gestural detail and British Sign Language in a playful, poignant 'aeroplane' journey.
• The Argonauts International collaborative dance piece (2019) created by Ben Duke (Lost Dog) with Jemima Hoadley and Welly O'Brien, featuring 10 disabled and non-disabled performers from the South Caucasus and Ukraine; culmination of British Council's 'Unlimited: Making the Right Moves' programme.
• Across Your Heart One of Candoco's first productions (1996), choreographed by Emilyn Claid in collaboration with Candoco Dance Company; explores the interplay between power and pleasure through layered dance styles, abstract movement and theatrical imagery.
• Candoco Fellowship New leadership programme for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent dance artists, introduced as part of Candoco's 'Candoco at 35' refresh and new way of working.
• Choreo Accelerator Programme for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent dance artists listed under Candoco's refreshed 'For Artists' portfolio.
• The Lab Programme for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent dance artists listed under Candoco's refreshed 'For Artists' portfolio.
• Open Studio Programme for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent dance artists listed under Candoco's refreshed 'For Artists' portfolio.
• Motion Shorts Programme for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent dance artists listed under Candoco's refreshed 'For Artists' portfolio.
• Take the Floor Programme for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent dance artists listed under Candoco's refreshed 'For Artists' portfolio.
• Teacher Training Continuing professional development offering for teachers interested in inclusive dance practice, delivered as part of Candoco's Learning & Participation portfolio.
• Dance Workshops and Residencies Workshops and residency programmes delivered as part of Candoco's Learning & Participation portfolio for schools, communities and dance professionals.
• Performances & Events Programme of live performance dates, tours and events (UK and international), presented under the 'See & Do' section of Candoco's site.
• Digital Hub Candoco's online hub for digital dance content, including digital commissions, films and video resources such as the Feeling Thing film and trailers for current productions.
• Making Space podcast Candoco's podcast covering inclusive dance, disability arts and the work of D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35 years of pioneering inclusive dance (Candoco at 35 milestone, 2026).
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• English National Ballet: Major UK dance institution (ballet) running its own learning, participation and accessibility programmes; comparable as a UK NPO dance company with national reach and inclusive programming commitments, though in classical rather than contemporary dance.
• Rambert: UK's oldest and one of its largest contemporary dance companies; relevant comparable as a UK NPO dance company of similar vintage, but with a much larger company, broader repertoire, and bigger touring footprint than Candoco.
• Sadler's Wells: Flagship UK dance venue and producer that hosts Candoco productions and runs the Sadler's Wells Digital Stage where Feeling Thing was released. Comparable as a curated dance platform and partner, but vastly larger scale.
• Akram Khan Company: Internationally touring UK contemporary dance company with strong co-production model and Sadler's Wells relationship. Comparable as a UK contemporary dance company with international touring and co-production practice.
• The Royal Opera: Co-produced The Lost Thing (2019) with Candoco and streams Candoco content via its Digital Learning Platform. Comparable as a co-production partner, but a much larger flagship opera institution.

Direct peers

• People Dancing: UK sector body for community and participatory dance with strong disability-inclusion remit; Working Group partner with Candoco. Comparable as a disability-focused dance organisation, though broader remit (development body plus programming).
• TIN Arts: North East England-based inclusive dance organisation working with learning-disabled and disabled artists; Working Group partner with Candoco. Comparable inclusive dance mission and NPO funding model.
• Stopgap Dance Company: UK inclusive contemporary dance company integrating disabled and non-disabled dancers; Working Group partner with Candoco. Directly comparable scale, mission, and NPO funding model.
• Corali: UK inclusive dance company for learning-disabled performers; co-founder of the Working Group with Candoco on 'Barriers to Progression' research. Directly comparable as a disability-led dance company of similar UK scale and NPO status.

Regional players

• Trisha Brown Dance Company: US-based contemporary dance company whose seminal 1983 work Set and Reset was reconstructed by Candoco with Abigail Yager. Comparable choreographic heritage and disability-extending adaptation, but US-rooted and larger.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CandoCoDanceCompany
• Facebookfacebook.com/candoco
• Instagraminstagram.com/candocodancecompany/?hl=en
• Xx.com/candocodance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Candoco