What Inspirate does

Inspirate is a Leicester-headquartered nonprofit arts organisation founded in 2011, designated as a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England. It produces and commissions contemporary South Asian arts programming across the UK, with a portfolio that includes the flagship annual festival An Indian Summer (now in its 15th year), an outdoor arts co-commissioning partnership through Without Walls that tours to national platforms such as Brighton Festival and Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, the Bridging Beats youth music education programme, an Inclusive Heritage research strand partnered with Loughborough University, and heritage projects such as We Bring Light and Roots of Our Tree. The organisation's primary beneficiaries are South Asian artists seeking national platforms and sustainable careers, UK South Asian diaspora communities (particularly in Leicester's Belgrave and Highfields neighbourhoods), and local authorities and corporate sponsors seeking meaningful cultural engagement with diverse audiences.

Inspirate has no proprietary technology platform; its 'product' is live cultural programming delivered through free public events, schools, community centres, heritage sites, and touring festivals. Distribution is via direct community engagement, public events, and national festival partnerships, with marketing driven by organic social media, email newsletters, PR/earned media, and project-produced video content. All public-facing programmes are free to attend.

Revenue is generated through a diversified but grant-anchored nonprofit model: core public funding from Arts Council England, programme-restricted grants from Youth Music, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the National Lottery Community Fund, individual donations at suggested tiers from £10 to £5,000+ (with weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual billing options), bespoke corporate sponsorship packages (previously held by Sony TV, State Bank of India, and Marshmallow), and trust and foundation grants. The organisation is led by Executive Director Jiten Anand and Executive Producer Parmjit Sagoo, with a 1-10 person team based in Leicester and national reach through partnerships and touring.

Name

Inspirate

Legal name

Inspirate

Website

http://www.inspirate.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Inspirate is a Leicester-based nonprofit National Portfolio Organisation commissioning and delivering contemporary South Asian arts across the UK through festivals, outdoor arts, heritage projects, and youth music education programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Culture Appreciation (Art History, Film Appreciation, Music Appreciation) (EDAAAGAO), Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Contemporary South Asian arts
• Cultural festival programming
• Music education programmes
• Heritage and community arts
• Outdoor arts commissioning

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public funding and grants: Inspirate is a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and receives funding from bodies including Youth Music, National Lottery Heritage Fund, and National Lottery Community Fund. This public funding forms the primary revenue base but is insufficient alone to match the organisation's ambitions.
2. Individual donations and patronage: Individual patrons provide regular or one-off financial contributions, receiving exclusive updates and event invitations in return. Donations from individuals support artist commissions, young people's programmes, and festival delivery.
3. Corporate sponsorship: Corporate sponsors — including Sony TV, State Bank of India, and Marshmallow — take bespoke sponsorship packages for festivals, productions, and year-round programmes. Packages offer brand visibility, staff engagement, and community connection opportunities.
4. Trust and foundation grants: Trusts and foundations provide project funding and multi-year strategic support, aligned with cultural equity and community impact missions.
5. Festival and event participation: An Indian Summer festival and other programmes attract visitors from across the UK, contributing to civic pride, local economies and cultural identity of Leicester.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Inspirate is a UK nonprofit National Portfolio Organisation that produces, commissions and curates contemporary South Asian arts programming. Its flagship deliverable is the annual An Indian Summer festival in Leicester, alongside year-round programmes including the Without Walls Outdoor Arts co-commissions, Bridging Beats music education for young people, the Inclusive Heritage research and storytelling strand, and touring productions such as Ancient Giants. Most programmes are free to attend, with reach delivered through partnerships with Without Walls, UK festivals, local authorities, universities, and corporate sponsors.

Product overview

Inspirate is a National Portfolio Organisation offering a portfolio of cultural programmes centred on contemporary South Asian arts. The portfolio includes the flagship An Indian Summer annual festival, the Without Walls Outdoor Arts commissioning partnership, Bridging Beats music education programme, Inclusive Heritage strand with Loughborough University research partnership, and heritage projects such as We Bring Light and Roots of Our Tree. The organisation also produces touring productions including Ancient Giants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• An Indian Summer: Inspirate's flagship annual festival celebrating contemporary South Asian arts and culture, now in its 15th year. Takes place across Leicester city centre each July.
• Bridging Beats
• Inclusive Heritage
• Without Walls

Products and services

• An Indian Summer festival Inspirate's flagship annual festival and one of the UK's most significant celebrations of contemporary South Asian arts and culture. Held across Leicester city centre each July, it features multidisciplinary programming including outdoor arts, live music, dance, theatre, film, literature, workshops and community events across venues such as Jubilee Square, Cathedral Gardens, Leicester Cathedral, the Guildhall, Attenborough Arts Centre, Phoenix Cinema and St Martins Square. Free to attend, funded through public grants and sponsorship.
• Outdoor Arts programme (Without Walls Artistic Directorate co-commissions) Year-round outdoor arts strand delivered via Inspirate's seat on the Without Walls Artistic Directorate. Annually co-commissions three new multidisciplinary South Asian arts performances spanning aerial performance, dance, circus, installation, puppetry and street theatre, touring to major national festivals including Greenwich+Docklands International Festival and Brighton Festival.
• Bridging Beats Inspirate's flagship music education programme for young people, funded by Youth Music. Runs across schools and community centres in Leicester's Belgrave and Highfields neighbourhoods, providing skills training, creative development and performance opportunities, culminating in showcases at Leicester Cathedral and Royal Festival Hall.
• Inclusive Heritage Heritage strand using storytelling, creative practice and community participation to explore South Asian diaspora heritage in the UK and challenge narrow representations. Delivered in community centres, libraries, heritage sites and sheltered homes, with a research partnership with Loughborough University on Inclusive Heritage in Superdiverse Places.
• We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy Heritage project exploring Leicester's Diwali celebrations through personal stories spanning more than 40 years of history, comprising a short film, mural, dedicated website and schools' engagement components.
• Ancient Giants (touring production) Large-scale puppetry and visual storytelling touring production bringing outdoor performances to public spaces across the UK, with accessibility features including touch tours, audio pre-listens and audio description.
• Roots of Our Tree Arts and heritage project celebrating Leicester's diverse cultural roots, with workshops in schools and community spaces where young people explored ancestry and identity to create an illuminated installation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 650,000 attendees engaged through Inspirate's programmes and an estimated 2.9 million people reached through campaigns spanning social media, radio, TV, print and place marketing.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BID LeicesterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBID Leicester (Business Improvement District) is a local partner supporting Inspirate's city centre cultural events and economic activation initiatives.
• Without WallscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInspirate sits on the Artistic Directorate of Without Walls, one of the UK's leading outdoor arts commissioning organisations. Together they annually co-commission new multidisciplinary South Asian arts performances, supporting artists from across the country to develop bold, high-quality work for outdoor and public spaces. Commissioned work tours to major national festivals including Greenwich+Docklands International Festival and Brighton Festival. Inspirate annually co-commissions and presents three new outdoor performances in Leicester spanning aerial performance, dance, circus, installation, puppetry and street theatre.
• Arts Council EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInspirate is a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England, the primary public funder of the arts in England. This relationship provides core funding and national recognition, and positions Inspirate as having a genuine voice in shaping national cultural practice for greater inclusion and representation.
• Youth MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth Music is the funder of Inspirate's flagship music education programme Bridging Beats, which provides high-quality skills training, creative development and performance opportunities for young people in Leicester's most diverse communities.
• Leicester City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeicester City Council is a long-term public sector partner supporting Inspirate's cultural programmes, city centre events, and community engagement initiatives. The council is instrumental in activating civic spaces for An Indian Summer festival and related programming.
• Philharmonia OrchestraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilharmonia Orchestra has collaborated with Inspirate on cultural programming, contributing to the bold cross-disciplinary work that characterises the organisation's festival and public programmes.
• De Montfort UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDe Montfort University is an academic partner supporting Inspirate's cultural programmes and community engagement initiatives in Leicester.
• Loughborough UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInspirate has a research partnership with Loughborough University exploring Inclusive Heritage in Superdiverse Places — a PhD examining heritage content, practice and policy in Leicestershire. This partnership underpins the academic credibility and evidence base of Inspirate's heritage programming.
• Curve TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurve Theatre is an arts venue partner collaborating with Inspirate on festival co-production and cultural delivery in Leicester.
• Attenborough Arts CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttenborough Arts Centre is a cultural venue partner for Inspirate's festival and programming, hosting An Indian Summer events and providing a venue for South Asian arts in Leicester.
• Brighton FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighton Festival is a major national festival hosting outdoor arts co-commissions developed through Inspirate's partnership with Without Walls, providing a significant platform for South Asian artists.
• National Lottery Heritage FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Lottery Heritage Fund supports Inspirate's heritage programmes, including the We Bring Light project documenting Leicester's Diwali legacy.
• National Lottery Community FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Lottery Community Fund provides grant funding supporting Inspirate's community engagement and creative programmes.
• Sony TVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSony TV has been a corporate partner of Inspirate, supporting cultural programmes and events aligned with the broadcaster's community engagement objectives.
• State Bank of IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Bank of India has been a corporate sponsor of Inspirate, contributing to the funding of flagship events and cultural programming.
• British CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish Council is an international cultural partner supporting Inspirate's international cultural relations and programming.
• Art ReachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInspirate partnered with Art Reach for a co-commission opportunity for South Asian-led outdoor arts exploring environmental and climate issues, offering up to £10,000 to support Research & Development, with informal sharings at An Indian Summer Festival and Journeys Festival in 2026.
• Royal Collection TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoyal Collection Trust has collaborated with Inspirate on heritage and cultural programming, contributing to the breadth of the organisation's partnerships across the public, private and voluntary sectors.
• British Science AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish Science Association has partnered with Inspirate, reflecting the organisation's interdisciplinary approach to cultural programming at the intersection of arts and science.
• Loughborough UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner collaborating on research including a PhD exploring Inclusive Heritage in Superdiverse Places.
• London College of CommunicationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting Inspirate's cultural and creative programmes.
• University of LeicesterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner contributing to Inspirate's cultural programming and community engagement in Leicester.
• MarshmallowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarshmallow has been a corporate sponsor of Inspirate's cultural programmes and events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tara Arts: Long-standing UK theatre company focused on South Asian storytelling and artists. Most direct comparable to Inspirate given shared South Asian arts focus, NPO/charitable status and artist-development mission.
• Artichoke: UK producer of large-scale, ambitious outdoor arts events and festivals. Closely comparable on commissioning scale, outdoor arts delivery model and reliance on public/Trust funding for free public programming.
• Greenwich+Docklands International Festival: Major UK outdoor arts festival that tours Without Walls co-commissions, including work developed with Inspirate. Highly comparable on outdoor arts commissioning model and South East England outdoor audiences.
• Brighton Festival: One of England's largest annual multi-arts festivals and a host of Without Walls touring co-commissions. Comparable on festival scale, multidisciplinary programming and touring outdoor arts.
• Akademi (South Asian dance): UK national South Asian dance organisation producing performances, artist development and education programmes. Highly comparable in mission, geography and programming strands to Inspirate.

Broad incumbents

• Battersea Arts Centre: Larger community-rooted arts venue and producer focused on participation, artist development and diverse programming. Comparable on community engagement and emerging artist support, but operates a fixed venue rather than touring model.
• Southbank Centre: UK's largest arts centre with national reach and significant ACE NPO funding. Comparable in NPO funding model and broad cultural equity programming, though operates at substantially larger scale and venue-based.
• Rich Mix: East London cultural venue focused on diverse communities and emerging artists. Comparable on diverse community programming and inclusive cultural mission, though primarily a venue operator rather than festival producer.

Others

• OutdoorArtsUK: Industry body supporting outdoor arts in the UK, of which Without Walls is a core partner. Comparable as the wider sector infrastructure in which Inspirate commissions and tours its outdoor work.
• British Council: Existing Inspirate partner supporting international cultural relations. Comparable as an international cultural relations and programming body influencing the diaspora cultural engagement space Inspirate operates in.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aisfestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/aisfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inspirate-inspire-innovate-create

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 Inspirate