Trestle Theatre Company

What Trestle Theatre Company does

Trestle Theatre Company is a UK-based mask and physical theatre company founded in the early 1980s and registered as both a private limited company (No. 01962946) and a registered charity (No. 293201). It is headquartered at Trestle Arts Base in St Albans, Hertfordshire — a fully accessible former hospital chapel redeveloped into a community arts venue — and operates with a staff of 11-50 people. The company's core technology is its proprietary hand-crafted mask designs, refined over 40+ years and used as the central medium for performance, teaching, and product sales; supplementary offerings include Mini Mask Sets designed for ages 5-10 in collaboration with Arts Council England.

Trestle generates revenue through five streams: workshop and class fees (school workshops at £35/child, holiday workshops at £125-140/person, Trestle School of Drama term fees at £120-240/student, and community group sessions at £6/session), mask sales and bespoke commissioning via a global online shop, venue hire at Trestle Arts Base, ticket sales under a Pay What You Decide model (suggested £8-15), and grant funding from Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the National Lottery Community Fund, Neighbourly Charitable Trust, Herts Community Foundation, and local councils. Customer segments span schools and FE colleges, children and young people aged 4-18, adults with learning disabilities, mental health referral pathways (Arts on Prescription, Mind in Mid Herts), and international theatre companies purchasing masks.

Distribution is multi-channel: direct delivery at Trestle Arts Base, in-school delivery across Hertfordshire, Luton, and Stevenage, a global e-commerce mask shop, and TicketSource online ticketing. Strategic partners include Royal Opera House Bridge, University of Hertfordshire, St Albans Museum + Gallery, Mind in Mid Herts, 1Life, and local disability advocacy organisations. Leadership comprises Helen Barnett (Creative Director/Senior Manager Creative Programmes), Karene Horner-Hughes (Creative Producer), Hatty Hardy (Creative Projects Assistant), Clare Winter (Executive Director), and Emily Gray (Artistic Director). The business model is therefore a hybrid earned-income-plus-grant charity, anchored in venue-based delivery and grant-funded community programmes, with a distinct global product line in hand-crafted masks.

Name

Trestle Theatre Company

Legal name

Trestle Theatre Company Ltd

Website

https://www.trestle.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Trestle Theatre Company is a UK mask and physical theatre charity operating from Trestle Arts Base in St Albans, delivering workshops, training, and inclusive community programmes to schools, young people, and adults with disabilities while selling hand-crafted masks globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theatre & Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Theatre Services & Design (Scenic/Costume/Props/Stage Management) (MPAGABAO)

Keywords

• Mask theatre productions
• Physical theatre workshops
• Drama education programmes
• Inclusive community arts
• Theatrical mask making

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Albans

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Workshop and Class Fees: Revenue from school workshops (£35 per child), holiday workshops (£125-140 per person), Trestle School of Drama terms (£240 per student, £120 for ages 4-7), and community group sessions (£6 per session).
2. Mask Sales and Commissioning: Sale of hand-crafted Trestle mask sets and custom mask commissioning services for schools, theatre companies, and organisations globally.
3. Venue Hire: Trestle Arts Base is hired out for external events, performances, exhibitions, and community use, generating rental income.
4. Ticket Sales: Revenue from performances, film screenings, and showcase events. Pay What You Decide pricing model with suggested donations (£8-15 per ticket).
5. Arts Council England and Foundation Funding: Grant funding from Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation (Teacher Development Fund), National Lottery Community Fund, and other charitable trusts supports specific projects and community programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Trestle Theatre Company produces and tours mask and physical theatre performances, designs and sells hand-crafted Trestle Masks globally, and delivers curriculum-aligned drama workshops and professional training to schools, FE colleges and universities. It also runs the Trestle School of Drama for ages 4–18, inclusive community groups (Dance Now, Act Up, Sing Out) for adults with support needs, arts and wellbeing programmes such as M-ask and Arts on Prescription, and operates Trestle Arts Base as a venue for its own activity and external hire.

Product overview

Trestle Theatre Company is a mask and physical theatre company with over 40 years of experience offering a diverse portfolio of theatre, educational, and community services. Their core products include hand-crafted Trestle Masks (sold, hired, and commissioned), mask performance and physical theatre workshops for schools and institutions, professional training programmes (MA, PGCE, CPDL), and the Trestle School of Drama with weekly sessions for ages 4-18 plus holiday workshops. Community-focused offerings encompass Arts and Wellbeing Programmes including M-ask, Arts on Prescription, and inclusive community groups (Dance Now, Act Up, Sing Out). The company operates Trestle Arts Base as their home venue, offering accessible facilities for performances, classes, and venue hire. Major projects include the Paul Hamlyn Foundation-funded Create, Speak, Thrive programme and the All About Us Festival celebrating learning-disabled artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trestle Masks: Hand-crafted mask sets and accessories for theatre and educational use, sold internationally
• Trestle School of Drama
• Trestle Community Groups
• Arts on Prescription

Products and services

• Trestle Masks Hand-crafted theatrical masks designed for performances, training and educational use worldwide, with a mask shop offering ready-made mask sets and a commissioning service for bespoke mask creations. Used by schools, theatre companies and drama practitioners globally.
• Workshops Practical mask performance and physical theatre workshops delivered in schools, FE colleges, PRUs and universities across the UK, aligned to national curriculum subjects including Drama, Performing Arts, English, Classical Civilisation, PSHE and Citizenship.
• Professional Training Continuing professional development and training programmes for teachers and arts practitioners at MA, PGCE and CPDL levels, including teacher development for creative approaches to speech, language and communication needs.
• Trestle School of Drama Weekly termly drama classes for children and young people aged 4–18, structured across four progressive levels (BEGIN, EMERGE, EVOLVE, ADVANCE), plus holiday workshops and showcase performances. Bursaries are available.
• Dance Now | Act Up | Sing Out Three fully inclusive community groups at Trestle Arts Base delivering integrated dance, drama and choir sessions for adults (16+) with learning disabilities or other support needs. Carers attend free.
• Arts and Wellbeing Programmes Wellbeing-focused arts programmes including M-ask (for young people under 25 with mental health issues), Arts on Prescription (for adults referred through healthcare pathways) and drama courses for adults with mental health conditions, delivered in partnership with health organisations and local councils.
• Create, Speak, Thrive Two-year project exploring creative approaches to speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) using drama and storytelling, delivered in partnership with eight schools across Luton and Stevenage, Royal Opera House Bridge and the University of Hertfordshire, with funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Teacher Development Fund.
• All About Us Festival An arts festival celebrating the learning-disabled community in St Albans district, offering free accessible workshops, performances, and a month-long exhibition at St Albans Museum + Gallery, in partnership with Purple All Stars, The Daylight Club and funded by Arts Council England.
• The Rachel Project A full-mask theatre performance telling the story of Holocaust survivor Mrs Rachel Levy (Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen survivor), created in partnership with Small Nose Productions and combining mask theatre with clowning elements.
• Trestle Arts Base Venue Hire Hire of the Trestle Arts Base venue in St Albans, a fully accessible former hospital chapel with ramp access, lift and adapted toilets, used for performances, classes, exhibitions and community events by professional artists and community groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 85% of community group participants report improved mood on check-in and check-out surveys
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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, flagship and minor.

• Royal Opera House BridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in Create, Speak, Thrive project working with eight schools to develop creative approaches to speech, language and communication needs.
• University of HertfordshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Create, Speak, Thrive project providing research expertise and co-creation of inquiry-led learning approaches.
• St Albans Museum + GalleryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 40th anniversary Behind the Mask exhibition celebrating Trestle's history. Hosted archive exhibition and oral histories documenting the company's rich 40-year history.
• VIDEOfeet ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partner for Wormley & Turnford Big Local CENTRE film project. Directed and edited the Your Story engagement film as part of Herts Year of Culture 2020.
• Wormley and Turnford Big LocalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for CENTRE film project funded by Arts Council England and Wormley and Turnford Big Local as part of Herts Year of Culture 2020.
• Purple All StarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in All About Us Festival celebrating learning-disabled community in St Albans district. Led workshops in circus skills, singing, spoken word, and arts and crafts.
• The Daylight ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in All About Us Festival. Steering group member representing learning-disabled community.
• Nick Hern BooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for TUESDAY production by Alison Carr, performed by Trestle School of Drama ADVANCE class. Created in partnership with Nick Hern Books.
• Small Nose ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for The Rachel Project, delivering incredible story about Holocaust survivor Mrs Rachel Levy using full mask theatre and clowning elements.
• Mind in Mid HertscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver drama courses for adults with mental health issues as part of Arts on Prescription programme.
• 1LifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivers Arts on Prescription programme for St Albans Council. Trestle provides arts and health programming through this partnership.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Little Angel Theatre: London-based specialist puppetry and mask-theatre company running year-round education, family programming, and a community-focused venue — closely comparable to Trestle's mask/physical-theatre, youth and community model.
• Open Theatre: UK inclusive theatre company producing work with learning-disabled artists; comparable mission-wise to Trestle's All About Us Festival and inclusive community groups (Dance Now, Act Up, Sing Out).
• Mind the Gap: Bradford-based learning disability performance and training company with a comparable blend of professional theatre, education and community work for learning-disabled adults — closely matches Trestle's inclusive practice.
• Half Moon Theatre: East London young people's theatre producing work for ages 0–18 with strong education and community programmes; structurally similar to Trestle School of Drama and Trestle Arts Base.
• Unicorn Theatre: London's leading children's theatre producing work for young audiences with a strong education and outreach arm — comparable to Trestle's youth performance and school workshop ecosystem.
• Told by an Idiot: UK physical theatre company founded on devised ensemble practice — overlaps with Trestle's 40-year mask & physical theatre methodology and touring productions.
• Slung Low: Leeds-based physical-theatre organisation running venue, community and education programmes — comparable operational shape (own venue + community + schools) to Trestle Arts Base.
• Cardboard Citizens: UK theatre company using Forum Theatre methodology with socially excluded groups — similar inclusion/arts-on-prescription positioning to Trestle's Arts on Prescription work with Mind in Mid Herts.
• Lung Theatre Company: Breath-led physical theatre company touring in the UK and internationally; comparable scale and methodology (ensemble-driven devised touring theatre) to Trestle's mask-based offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Opera House (Learning & Participation): Major national producing house with a substantial learning & participation arm (Royal Opera House Bridge), already partnering with Trestle on Create, Speak, Thrive — a much larger incumbent operating overlapping community/education programmes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/trestleschoolofdrama
• Facebookfacebook.com/TrestleTheatre
• Xx.com/trestletheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trestle-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Trestle Theatre Company