Equal Arts
Equal Arts is a Newcastle-based UK charity that delivers creative ageing programmes for older people and those living with dementia through care home workshops, the HenPower programme, cultural venue sessions, and a dementia-friendly publishing imprint, funded by grants, donations, training fees, and product sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersNewcastle, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Equal Arts does
Equal Arts is a UK-registered charity (No. 517352) headquartered in Newcastle City Library that delivers creative ageing programmes for older people and those living with dementia across Gateshead, Newcastle, and increasingly nationally and internationally. Its core delivery spans hands-on creative workshops at cultural venues (Hatton Gallery, Shipley Art Gallery, Blaydon Library, Newcastle City Library), the HenPower programme now active in more than 40 care homes, the Care Home Choir, Creative Care Homes training, and Creative Friends referral support for isolated older adults. The organisation also runs the Drawn Together artist training scheme, the National Creative Ageing Conference, and the National Reading with Dementia Symposium.
All programming is grounded in the proprietary Dementia & Imagination model, a research-backed methodology that focuses on imagination and living in the moment rather than reminiscence, developed in partnership with Northumbria University. Through its Open Ended Books publishing imprint, Equal Arts produces dementia-friendly books (Bewick Tales in 2024, Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Days in 2025) sold via a Stripe-powered e-commerce shop.
Equal Arts generates revenue from a mix of restricted and unrestricted grants (Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Innovate UK, Gateshead Council, Co-op Foundation, NESTA, DCMS, and others), individual donations (single gifts of £20–£300 and monthly subscriptions of £5/£15/£25), product sales through its online shop, and fee-based training including the £435 Recipes for Creative Care Training. With a small core staff of 1–10 supported by a network of 40+ professional artists, the charity reaches thousands of beneficiaries annually through care home partners (Akari Care, Barchester, Orchard Care, Jewish Care, Brunel Care, Whiddon Group), cultural institutions, and schools.
Equal Arts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Equal Arts
- Legal name
- Equal Arts
- Website
- https://equalarts.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Equal Arts is a Newcastle-based UK charity that delivers creative ageing programmes for older people and those living with dementia through care home workshops, the HenPower programme, cultural venue sessions, and a dementia-friendly publishing imprint, funded by grants, donations, training fees, and product sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Equal Arts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Ageing and Dementia Care Services
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- SIC
- Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Creative Learning for Seniors (Music, writing, crafts) (EDAAAMAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dementia Companion & Engagement Care (HSABAEAA), Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)
Keywords
Where Equal Arts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newcastle
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Equal Arts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individual supporters, including single and regular monthly donations. The charity relies heavily on the generosity of supporters to develop programmes. Also receives legacy gifts through wills.
- Product Sales (Shop): Online shop selling dementia-friendly books (Bewick Tales, Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Days), bags, cards, and other items. Proceeds support improving lives of older people and those living with dementia.
- Training and Workshops: Provides paid training programmes including Dementia & Imagination Training (available via Eventbrite or bespoke sessions) and Recipes for Creative Care Training at £435 per session.
- Grants and Commissioned Work: Receives funding from Arts Council England, Gateshead Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund, and other institutional funders for specific projects and programmes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dementia-friendly books (Bewick Tales, Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Days) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Regular monthly donation tiers |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Single donation amounts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Recipes for Creative Care Training |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Equal Arts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Equal Arts is a UK creative ageing charity that delivers community-based creative programmes, professional training, and dementia-friendly publications to improve the lives of older people and those living with dementia. Its core offerings include the HenPower hen-keeping and arts programme (active in 40+ care homes), Care Home Choir, Creative Care Homes workshops, and the Dementia & Imagination Training programme, all underpinned by a research-backed methodology. The charity also publishes dementia-friendly books through its Open Ended Books imprint, including Bewick Tales and Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Days.
Product overview
Equal Arts operates as a unified creative ageing service rather than a platform-with-modules architecture. Their core offering consists of hands-on creative programmes (HenPower, Care Home Choir, Creative Care Homes, Learning in the Lounge, Weekly Creative Workshops, Creative Friends), training services (Dementia & Imagination Training, Recipes for Creative Care Training, Gateshead Care Collective, Drawn Together training scheme), and their Open Ended Books publishing initiative producing dementia-friendly books (Bewick Tales, Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Days). They also host events including the National Reading with Dementia Symposium and National Creative Ageing Conference. All programmes are rooted in the Dementia & Imagination research model and focus on creative engagement rather than reminiscence.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- HenPower Arts and hen-keeping programme that creatively engages older people in care settings to promote health, wellbeing, and reduce loneliness. Active in more than 40 care homes across the UK and internationally, with published research demonstrating wellbeing improvements.
- Care Home Choir Choir programme bringing together 75+ care staff and older people living with dementia across Gateshead and Newcastle to rehearse and create their own songs with professional musicians, performing at venues across the region.
- Dementia & Imagination Training Professional training for anyone working with or supporting people living with dementia, including creative communication techniques, multi-sensory exploration approaches, and improvised storytelling methods grounded in the Dementia & Imagination research.
- Recipes for Creative Care Training Whole-home approach training package including five recipe card packs (33 resources each), covering the evidence base for creativity when cognitive functioning diminishes, multi-sensory approach suggestions, and reflection on individual residents. Costs £435 per session.
- Creative Care Homes Weekly artist-led workshops and community projects for care homes, bringing together residents, care staff, and the wider community through mixed-bag arts activities to improve wellbeing and reduce loneliness.
- Bewick Tales Dementia-friendly book about Thomas Bewick (1753-1828), world-famous artist and engraver. Landscape hardback (200mm x 250mm) with easy-to-follow narrative, rich illustrations, and stories on two-page spreads to provoke curiosity and conversations. Priced at £15.99.
- Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Days Dementia-friendly book exploring Dorothy Wordsworth's life and journals while living in Grasmere, created in collaboration with The Wordsworth Trust. Features stories on every two-page spread to provoke curiosity and conversations. Priced at £15.99.
- Weekly Creative Workshops Regular artist-led creative workshops delivered across Gateshead and Newcastle venues including Craftcrookers (Blaydon Library), Tuesday Techne (Hatton Gallery), Create and Connect (Shipley Art Gallery), City Lines (Newcastle City Library), Carers' Cultural Adventures, and HenPower sessions.
- Creative Friends Referral service supporting older people at risk of loneliness by connecting them through shared creative interests, matching participants with volunteers for cultural venue visits and creative activities led by those taking part.
- Learning in the Lounge Artist-led workshops delivered in 6 or 12-week blocks for people in supported-living schemes, offering opportunities to develop new skills and often linking with local schools for cross-generational creative projects exploring woodwork, glass art, visual arts, dance, movement, and ceramics.
- Gateshead Care Collective Free creative training for care settings across Gateshead, bringing together learning and peer support for care staff supporting people living with dementia, with monthly workshops exploring different ways creativity can support communication and wellbeing.
- Drawn Together Training scheme developed with Chilli Studios, Lawnmowers Theatre Co, Curious Arts, and Gem Arts to help artists develop skills in creative ageing for people 55+ and those living with dementia. Funded by Arts Council England with bursaries for participants.
Quantifiable outcome
- HenPower shown to improve health and wellbeing of older people, reduce depression and loneliness
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Equal Arts
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Equal Arts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature2 records
Equal Arts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and minor.
- National Trust (Cherryburn)keyPartner in Bewick Tales book project, providing access to Thomas Bewick's birthplace and heritage collections.
- Royal Northern SinfoniakeyPartnership for Care Home Choir Voices project linking residents and staff with Royal Northern Sinfonia to boost wellbeing through singing and creating together.
- Newcastle LibrariescoreKey partner in Reading with Dementia programme and host of National Reading with Dementia Symposium. Equal Arts is based in Newcastle City Library.
- UK National Innovation Centre for AgeingcorePartner in National Reading with Dementia Symposium, bringing innovation and research expertise to creative ageing initiatives.
- Chilli Studios, Lawnmowers Theatre Co, Curious Arts, Gem ArtskeyPartner organisations in Drawn Together training scheme to help artists develop skills in creative ageing for people 55+ and those living with dementia.
- The Wordsworth TrustkeyCollaborated with Equal Arts on Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Days book, supporting content development for the dementia-friendly publication.
- Northumbria UniversitycoreResearch partner for Dementia & Imagination model evaluation, Silent Voices project, and HenPower programme assessment. Also partners on student development for performing arts.
- Akari Care, Barchester, Orchard Care, Jewish Care, Brunel Care, Whiddon GroupcoreCare home provider partners delivering HenPower programme across their care settings. Care homes receive support and advice on hen-keeping and creative programming.
- The Bewick SocietyminorSupporting partner for B is for Bewick exhibition and Bewick Tales book project.
- Seven Stories (National Children's Centre for Books)minorPartner in Little White Hen project bringing children's literature to care settings through cross-generational creative workshops.
- The Reading AgencykeyEndorses Equal Arts' work on Reading with Dementia. Their Reading Well for Dementia list highlighted the gap that Equal Arts is addressing.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Equal Arts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Magic Me: Intergenerational arts charity running creative projects that bring older and younger people together in care homes and schools. Highly comparable to Equal Arts' intergenerational G-Force and Creative Exchange programmes.
- Live Music Now: UK charity delivering interactive music workshops in care homes, hospitals and communities for older people including those with dementia. Comparable creative-in-care delivery model and audience overlap with Equal Arts' Care Home Choir and Creative Care Homes.
- Heart n Soul: Arts charity creating opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autistic people, with programmes extending into older-age and care settings. Comparable participatory arts model targeting under-served groups, including overlap with dementia audiences.
- Creative Dementia Arts Network (CDAN): UK network championing arts engagement for people living with dementia. Operates in the same creative ageing niche as Equal Arts, with overlapping practitioner networks and policy/advocacy goals.
- Spare Tyre Theatre Company: Creates theatre with and for older people, including those living with dementia, across care and community settings. Directly comparable to Equal Arts in using participatory arts to engage older audiences and care home residents.
- Apples and Snakes: England's leading poetry performance organisation, running creative writing and performance projects in care settings and with older people. Comparable in using creative arts for engagement with older audiences and care home residents.
- Arts & Minds: UK charity delivering participatory visual and creative arts programmes for people living with dementia and mental health conditions. Closely comparable mission, target audience, and creative-engagement delivery model to Equal Arts' Creative Care Homes and HenPower.
Emerging players
- Dementia Adventure: UK charity designing supported dementia-friendly outdoor experiences and training for care providers. Comparable audience (people living with dementia and care staff) but uses outdoor/adventure interventions rather than arts-based creative engagement.
Broad incumbents
- Age UK: The UK's largest charity for older people, offering a wide portfolio of services and policy advocacy. Overlaps with Equal Arts on the older-people wellbeing mission but does not specialise in creative ageing or dementia-focused arts programmes.
- Alzheimer's Society: The UK's leading dementia charity, funding research, services and campaigning. Shares Equal Arts' dementia audience and outcomes agenda but operates at vastly greater scale across clinical, research and policy domains rather than creative engagement.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Equal Arts social profiles
Digital presenceEqual Arts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Equal Arts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Equal Arts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Equal Arts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Equal Arts
What does Equal Arts do?
Equal Arts is a UK creative ageing charity that delivers community-based creative programmes, professional training, and dementia-friendly publications to improve the lives of older people and those living with dementia. Its core offerings include the HenPower hen-keeping and arts programme (active in 40+ care homes), Care Home Choir, Creative Care Homes workshops, and the Dementia & Imagination Training programme, all underpinned by a research-backed methodology. The charity also publishes dementia-friendly books through its Open Ended Books imprint, including Bewick Tales and Dorothy Wordsworth's Grasmere Days.
Is Equal Arts a public or private company?
Equal Arts is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Equal Arts founded?
Equal Arts was founded in 1990. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Equal Arts based?
Equal Arts is headquartered in Newcastle, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Equal Arts make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are product Sales (Shop), training and Workshops and grants and Commissioned Work.
Who are Equal Arts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Magic Me, Live Music Now, Heart n Soul, Creative Dementia Arts Network (CDAN), Spare Tyre Theatre Company, Apples and Snakes and Arts & Minds. Dementia Adventure is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Age UK and Alzheimer's Society.
Does Equal Arts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Equal Arts.
What industry is Equal Arts in?
Equal Arts's product category is Creative Ageing and Dementia Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAMAI, Arts, Culture & Creative Learning for Seniors (Music, writing, crafts), with a secondary code of HSABAEAA, Dementia Companion & Engagement Care. Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 8050.