Curve

What Curve does

Curve, legally Leicester Theatre Trust Limited, is a UK registered charity (charity number 230708, company number 00772380) operating as a major producing theatre from a purpose-built venue on Rutland Street, Leicester, since opening in 2008. It serves general theatre audiences, children and young people, local and underrepresented communities in Leicester and Leicestershire, and professional artists through in-house productions ("Made at Curve"), a national and Ireland touring operation (Curve on Tour), a learning and community programme delivering 27,000+ creative opportunities per year, and structured artist development pathways including Curve Associates, Curve Resident Creatives, and the Andy Nairn Bursaries in Technical Theatre.

The venue's core technical infrastructure centres on automated theatre systems — automated fly bars and performance technology supporting complex drama, musical theatre, dance, and opera productions. Ticketing and audience relationship management are delivered through an online booking system (Spektrix), in-person Box Office, telephone bookings, and an in-house ticket resale service. Supporting digital infrastructure includes education packs and online learning resources tied to Made at Curve productions.

Revenue is generated through ticket sales (with a £3 per-ticket contribution reinvested in the theatre and a £2 booking fee), charitable donations and Gift Aid, tiered membership and loyalty schemes (Supporters Scheme tiers, Made at Curve Circle, Loyalty Pass), paid workshops (e.g., Little Curve Workshops at £3 per session), and venue and corporate event hire. The trust operates as a company limited by guarantee with no equity shareholders; principal funding partners are Arts Council England and Leicester City Council, supplemented by corporate sponsors (e.g., David Wilson Homes) and charitable donors (e.g., Mackintosh Foundation). Headcount is reported at 101-250 employees, and Made at Curve productions are stated to be seen by over one million people per year in Leicester and on tour.

Name

Curve

Legal name

Leicester Theatre Trust Limited

Website

https://curveonline.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Curve is a UK producing theatre (Leicester Theatre Trust Limited) in Leicester that stages drama, musical theatre, dance, and opera, runs learning and community programmes, tours productions nationally, and serves general audiences, young people, local communities, and artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theatre

NAICS

Dance Companies (71112)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Touring & Production Services (Staging, Lighting, Sound, Video) (MPAIAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Producing theatre performances
• Theatrical productions
• Performing arts
• Community arts programmes
• Theatre education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from selling tickets to Made at Curve productions and touring shows. Revenue generated through online, telephone, and in-person box office channels.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations through online portal, box office, fundraising team, and bucket collections during productions. Includes Gift Aid scheme for UK taxpayers.
3. Membership and Loyalty Programs: Revenue from Supporters Scheme (Friends, Champions, Patrons), Made at Curve Circle leadership gifts, and Loyalty Pass discounts.
4. Workshops and Classes: Fees from creative workshops including Little Curve Workshops (£3 per session), summer workshops, and technical theatre training programs.
5. Venue and Event Hire: Income from hosting external events, corporate hire, and private functions at the theatre venue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Curve is a producing theatre in Leicester, UK, that creates and stages in-house plays, musicals, dance, and opera under its "Made at Curve" brand, which tour nationally across the UK and Ireland. It also runs community engagement, education, and creative learning programmes, sells tickets via box office, phone and online channels, and operates venue hire, workshops, and membership/supporter schemes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Made at Curve Productions In-house theatrical productions (plays, musicals, dance, and opera) created and staged at Curve Theatre Leicester, which then tour the UK and Ireland. Targeted at general theatre audiences.
• Touring Productions Touring theatrical productions that travel to venues beyond Leicester as part of Curve's national and international touring programme. Targeted at theatre audiences in other UK and Ireland venues.
• Workshops and Creative Classes Creative workshops and classes including Little Curve Workshops (£3 per session for early-years children and families), summer workshops for young people, and technical theatre training programmes. Targeted at children, families, and aspiring theatre technicians.
• Schools and Education Programmes Educational programmes for schools including theatre days, education packs tied to Made at Curve productions, and the Shine educational project supporting access to theatre for young people.
• Venue and Event Hire Hire of Curve's theatre spaces for corporate events, private functions, and external productions. Targeted at corporate clients and event organisers.
• Supporters Scheme and Loyalty Pass Annual membership tiers (Supporters Scheme: Friends, Champions, Patrons) and Loyalty Pass products (including Individual Loyalty Pass and 16-26 & Student Loyalty Pass) offering priority booking, discounts, and exclusive events.
• Made at Curve Circle (Leadership Gifts) Premium leadership gift membership tier providing behind-the-scenes access to all Curve productions. Targeted at high-value supporters and patrons of the theatre.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million people experience Made at Curve productions annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Leicester City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeicester Theatre Trust gratefully acknowledges and welcomes the continued support of and partnership with Leicester City Council as a key supporter of Curve's cultural mission in Leicester.
• Arts Council EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeicester Theatre Trust gratefully acknowledges and welcomes the continued support of and partnership with Arts Council England, a major funder of UK arts and culture.
• David Wilson HomesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDavid Wilson Homes is a sponsor of Access performances at Curve, supporting audio-described performances with touch tours for visually impaired audiences.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sheffield Theatres: Regional producing theatre operating multiple stages with in-house productions, community programmes, and a comparable scale of staff and audience.
• Royal Shakespeare Company: Major UK producing theatre that creates and tours original productions in Stratford-upon-Avon and nationally. Highly comparable producing model with in-house creative teams, national touring, and public/charitable funding structure.
• Young Vic: London-based producing theatre with a similar model of bold in-house productions, world premieres, community programmes, and a comparable headcount range.
• Bristol Old Vic: One of the UK's oldest continuously operating theatres, with a producing model that combines in-house productions, co-productions, community engagement, and a comparable regional scale.
• Leeds Playhouse: Regional producing theatre in the North of England with similar producing model, community/learning programmes, and Arts Council-supported funding profile.
• Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester: Major producing theatre in Manchester with in-house productions, an artist development programme, and a similar regional footprint and community engagement model.
• Chichester Festival Theatre: Regional producing theatre known for high-profile productions that transfer to the West End. Comparable in producing ambition, in-house production capability, and national reach from a regional base.
• Birmingham Repertory Theatre: Regional Midlands producing theatre with a similar mix of in-house productions, community engagement, and touring. Geographically proximate and structurally similar in scale and funding mix.

Emerging players

• English Touring Theatre: Touring-focused producing company that takes work to regional venues nationally. Overlaps with Curve's touring activities and serves as both a creative partner and partial competitor in the touring market.

Broad incumbents

• National Theatre: The UK's flagship producing theatre with much larger scale, multiple stages, and significant public subsidy. Comparable in producing/commissioning/IP model, but operates at materially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/curve_leicester
• Xx.com/CurveLeicester
• Facebookfacebook.com/CURVEtheatreLeicester

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Curve