Create Studios

What Create Studios does

Create Studios is a Community Interest Company (CIC) operating from Swindon's historic Carriage Works in the UK, providing film production, photography, animation, and digital design services to corporate clients, sports organisations, charities, healthcare providers, heritage institutions, and educational institutions. The company operates from a single site with approximately 10-15 core team members supplemented by freelance associates and a graduate programme, and serves clients including Chelsea FC, Williams Racing, Nationwide Building Society, NHS, and the National Railway Museum. Productions range from sports documentaries and brand content to heritage documentation, public health campaigns, and corporate video, with notable reach including a Chelsea Kit Launch film achieving 40 million-plus online views and The Pride: Mason Mount documentary achieving 2.1 million views.

The business operates four distinct revenue streams: commissioned film production services (the largest commercial line), studio and equipment rental at the Carriage Works facility, training and talent development programmes funded primarily by Arts Council England, BFI, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and event revenue from cinema screenings and masterclasses. Underlying capabilities include full-service video production (documentary, drama, brand, corporate), 2D/3D animation, motion graphics, drone filming, and professional photography, all supported by in-house equipment rental infrastructure and the Sofa Screenings independent cinema programme. The company holds National Portfolio Organisation status with Arts Council England, runs the BFI Places Create Traction programme training 48 emerging production professionals, and in 2025 launched the ScreenSwindon Film Office in partnership with Swindon Borough Council and Creative England, plus the Kahaani heritage documentation project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Commercially, Create Studios pursues a hybrid go-to-market combining direct B2B sales for commissioned production work with community-led engagement through funded programmes and event-driven cinema operations. Core partnerships include Arts Council England (NPO core funding), BFI (Create Traction, Spotlight, Audience Development programmes), National Lottery Heritage Fund (heritage projects), Swindon Borough Council and Creative England (ScreenSwindon), and English Heritage and Wessex Museums Trust (cultural projects). The talent development model functions as both a social mission and a commercial differentiator, producing work-ready graduates who feed the production pipeline and address regional skills gaps in the UK creative industries, with documented alumni progression into roles at Williams Racing in Formula 1 and into senior in-house positions.

Name

Create Studios

Legal name

Create Studios Digital Media CIC

Website

https://createstudios.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Create Studios is a Swindon-based Community Interest Company providing film, photography, animation, and digital design services to corporates, sports organisations, charities, and public-sector clients, combined with Arts Council and BFI-funded talent development programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Film production services
• Video production company
• Photography services
• Animation production
• Studio equipment rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Swindon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Client Film Production Commissions: Commissioned film, video, photography and animation production services for corporate clients, sports organizations, healthcare providers, charities, and cultural institutions.
2. Studio and Equipment Rental: Professional studio space rental for photo shoots, video shoots, workshops, events, and screenings. Equipment hire including cameras, lighting rigs, audio equipment, and accessories with competitive rates and flexible rental options.
3. Training and Talent Development Programmes: Free and paid training programmes including Create Futures graduate scheme, Saturday Clubs, and skills workshops funded by Arts Council England, BFI, and other partners.
4. Event Revenue (Screenings and Masterclasses): Ticket sales from cinema screenings, masterclasses, exhibitions, and cultural events hosted at the Create Studios venue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Create Studios is a Community Interest Company offering end-to-end film, photography, and animation production services alongside studio and equipment hire. The company delivers video production (documentary, drama, corporate, brand/marketing, charity, training, and conference filming), photography, 2D/3D animation and motion graphics, and digital design for corporate brands, sports organisations, charities, NHS, and heritage institutions. It also runs independent cinema screenings, talent development programmes, and a Film Office supporting location sourcing in Swindon.

Product overview

Create Studios is a Community Interest Company offering film production, photography, animation, and digital design services. Their core service offerings include video production (documentary, drama, corporate, brand/marketing, charity, training, conference, and drone filming), photography, animation (2D/3D and motion graphics), and digital design. They provide facility rentals including studio hire and kit hire. The company operates cultural projects including Kahaani (heritage documentation), Sofa Screenings (independent cinema), REEL25 (young filmmakers group), and talent development programs including Create Futures (graduate programme), BFI Create Traction, and a Saturday Club for ages 13-16. They also run the ScreenSwindon Film Office in partnership with Swindon Borough Council.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Video Production Services Full-service video production covering film, documentary, drama, brand and marketing videos, corporate videos, charity promotional content, training videos, conference filming, and drone cinematography for corporate, sports, healthcare, charity, and heritage clients.
• Photography Services Professional photography for product shoots, corporate events, portraits, and project documentation commissioned by brands, organisations, and community groups.
• Animation Services 2D and 3D animation, motion graphics, animated marketing videos, and narrative-led informational films for brands, healthcare campaigns, and cultural projects.
• Digital Design Services Motion graphics, creative ideation, graphic design, and illustration services supporting production campaigns and brand content.
• Studio Hire Professional studio space rental at the Carriage Works headquarters in Swindon for photo shoots, video shoots, workshops, events, and screenings, available to filmmakers, businesses, and community groups.
• Kit Hire Equipment rental including high-definition cameras, lighting rigs, audio equipment, and accessories with competitive rates and flexible rental options for productions.
• Sofa Screenings Cinema Ticketed independent cinema programme offering weekly screenings of indie, British and classic films, National Theatre live performances, themed events such as Knitflix, and curated community cinema events at the Carriage Works venue.
• ScreenSwindon Film Office Film Office service supporting productions to source filming locations in Swindon, navigate permits, and access local resources and production liaison for the South West region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.1 million views for The Pride: Mason Mount documentary
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments7 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and key.

• British Film Institute (BFI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025BFI Places programme funding 15-month Create Traction programme (Jan 2025 - Mar 2026) training 48 emerging production professionals. Also funds Spotlight initiative and Audience Development programmes.
• Arts Council EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Portfolio Organisation funding partner providing core operational support. As an NPO, Create Studios receives sustained funding enabling talent development programmes and community engagement activities.
• National Saturday ClubscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch FREE Film Production Saturday Club for 20 young people aged 13-16 from Swindon, with BFI support.
• Creative EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported launch of ScreenSwindon Film Office through Filming in England team, providing advice on local resources and production liaison for the South West region.
• English HeritageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Shout Out Loud youth engagement programme and Making My Mark project celebrating personal identity and heritage stories.
• Wessex Museums TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on folk culture in Wessex project creating five films highlighting local folk traditions and supporting touring exhibition.
• Chelsea FCkeyChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOngoing production partnership creating documentaries, kit launches, promotional content, and social media films. Films reach 40,000+ fans at matches and millions online.
• Williams RacingkeyChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFormula 1 team partnership producing livery launches, promotional content, and behind-the-scenes films for sponsors including Atlassian and Keeper Security.
• NHSkeyChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing partnership with NHS Bath, North East Somerset, Swindon & Wiltshire CCG producing mental health support films and campaigns.
• Nationwide Building SocietykeyChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommissioned See Me Too Nationwide social history inclusion project documenting employee experiences and creating educational workshops.
• National Railway MuseumkeyChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommissioned Flying Scotsman 100 Years 100 Voices documentary capturing voices of people connected to the famous locomotive for exhibition.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RSA Films: Long-established UK production company producing commercials, branded entertainment, and documentary — comparable in producing corporate and brand film content for major advertisers, with significantly broader international footprint and longer heritage.
• Agile Films: London-based production company producing commercials, branded content and films for major brands — comparable in client type (enterprise marketing) and deliverable format, but at significantly larger scale and London-centric footprint.
• Pulse Films: UK-based production company producing premium short-form, documentary, and branded content for global brands and platforms — comparable enterprise video and documentary work, with much larger production scale and international client reach.
• Icon Film Distribution / Icon Films: Bristol-based independent production company producing documentary, factual and branded content — comparable regional UK production house serving corporate and broadcast clients, though larger and commercially structured rather than CIC.

Direct peers

• HOME: Manchester arts centre combining cinema, theatre, gallery and commissioned production — comparable hybrid model of venue-based cultural programming alongside creative production and talent pathways, at a larger metropolitan scale.
• Watershed: Bristol-based cultural cinema and creative media centre combining arthouse cinema, production facilities, and talent development — a regional South West peer with overlapping cinema venue, education, and community programmes, though operating from a larger city footprint.
• Northern Film + Media: North East England creative media social enterprise supporting film production, talent development, and creative industries growth — closely comparable as a regionally anchored production-and-talent social enterprise, though operating on a different geographic footprint.
• Cape UK: Yorkshire-based creative media social enterprise producing film, animation and digital content while delivering creative careers programmes for young people — very closely aligned mission and operational model to Create Studios' CIC + talent pipeline approach.
• Showroom Cinema: Sheffield-based independent cinema and creative industries hub combining venue, production facilities, and creative careers support — comparable hybrid venue/production/talent-development model, though operating at a larger metropolitan scale.

Regional players

• Encounters Film Festival: Bristol-based short film and animation festival with industry talent development programmes — comparable festival/short-film screening and emerging filmmaker focus, though structured as a festival rather than a production house.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/createstudios_org
• Xx.com/create_studios
• Facebookfacebook.com/swindoncreatestudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/create-studios-swindon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Create Studios