Braziers Park

What Braziers Park does

Braziers Park is a 76-year-old secular intentional community located on a 57-acre Grade II* listed estate in the Chiltern Hills of Oxfordshire, UK. It is constituted as a Community Benefit Society with charitable status, registered with the FCA since 2020, and houses approximately 30 resident members alongside visiting artists, retreatants, and course participants. Its core offerings include the ACRE artist and researcher residency programme, the annual Braziers International Film Festival (BIFF), short courses and retreats, venue hire for external groups, and the Bothy long-stay tenancy.

The organisation operates a proprietary methodology called the Community Sensory Process within a broader "Soil, Soul, Society" framework that ties together ecological, contemplative, and social activities. Revenue is generated from a diversified mix of streams: paid residencies (ACRE at approximately £560 per month and the Bothy at approximately £1,099 per month), retreat and course fees, venue and event hire, BIFF ticket sales and sponsorship, film-location hire, individual donations, and restricted grants from bodies such as the Pilgrim Trust and CPRE. A £1.5 million conservation fundraising campaign is underway to support building and estate preservation.

The business model is closer to a charitable multi-revenue community operator than a venture-scale business, with a small paid staff (staff paid at £12.94/hour) and approximately 7,000 visitors per year. Internationalisation is occurring through BIFF's guest-curator programme (e.g., partnerships with TerraLenta in Italy and Mientras tanto in Uruguay), and audience reach is being extended via a podcast launched for the 75th anniversary in 2025. The primary constraints on growth are the physical limits of a listed estate and reliance on grant-cycle cash flows for capital projects rather than commercial revenue scaling.

Name

Braziers Park

Legal name

Braziers Park School of Integrative Social Research (BPSISR)

Website

https://braziers.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Braziers Park is a 76-year-old secular intentional community and charitable Community Benefit Society in Oxfordshire, offering retreats, residencies, venue hire, and a film festival on a 57-acre Grade II* listed estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Education & Venue Hire

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGALAG

Outdoor Amphitheater & Open-Air Venue Operations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Event Venues & Venue Operations (Arenas, Theaters, Halls)

SECONDARYTHAGAGAG

Adventure/Outdoor Base Hostels (Ski/Surf/Trek)

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Hostels & Backpacker Lodging

SECONDARYTHAJAIAA

National Park & Protected Area Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Nature & Wildlife Experiences (National Parks, Wildlife Encounters, Eco-tours)

Keywords

• Intentional community education
• Artist residency programme
• Retreat venue hire
• Community events hosting
• Permaculture sustainability

Headquarters

HQ city

Wallingford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Venue Hire & Retreat Accommodation: Braziers Park operates as an education and events centre offering its historic house and grounds for venue hire. It provides catered accommodation and camping for group retreats, festivals, professional conferences, symposia, and weddings. Residential rates include accommodation, catering, all-day snacks and refreshments, and space hire. Discounts are available for extended retreats of more than two nights.
2. ACRE Residency Programme: Artists, researchers, writers, and creative practitioners can apply to join the ACRE residency programme, contributing £560.15 per month for private accommodation. Meals are charged separately. Residents contribute 8 hours of community volunteering per week. This provides both income and labour to the community.
3. Donations & Fundraising: As a registered charity, Braziers Park relies partially on donations and fundraising. A current campaign aims to raise £1.5 million over 10 years for essential conservation work. One-off and monthly donation options are available online. In 2024, nearly 7,000 people visited the site. Grants have also been received from The Pilgrim Trust and CPRE Oxfordshire Buildings Preservation Trust.
4. Film Festival Revenue: The annual Braziers International Film Festival (BIFF) is run as a not-for-profit event, with proceeds supporting Braziers Park's charitable aims. Festival passes range from £25–£80. The festival also accepts submissions via FilmFreeway and Shortfilmdepot at £8 per entry. Some screenings, installations, and performances generate additional revenue.
5. Film Location Hire: Braziers Park is used as a film location for large- and small-budget films, generating rental income from location fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Braziers Park operates a residential intentional community and education centre on a 57-acre Grade II* listed estate in South Oxfordshire. It sells accommodation and venue hire for retreats, conferences, weddings, and festivals; runs the ACRE (Academic and Creative Research) Residency Programme for artists and researchers; delivers an annual public events programme anchored by the Braziers International Film Festival (BIFF); and hosts workshops and courses organised around the Soil, Soul, Society educational framework. The community also hires the estate out as a film location and accepts residential and garden volunteers.

Product overview

Braziers Park is a secular intentional community and educational charity offering a portfolio of services centered around its Grade II* listed 57-acre estate. The core offerings include the ACRE Residency Programme for artists and researchers, venue hire for retreats and events, a diverse public events programme featuring the annual Braziers International Film Festival, and educational programmes guided by the Soil, Soul, Society framework. The organisation also runs residential and garden volunteering programmes, making it both a living community and a venue for learning, reflection, and cultural exchange.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Braziers International Film Festival (BIFF): Annual three-day independent film festival held at Braziers Park, featuring international short films screened in the historic barn, plus special focus screenings, installations, discussions and events. Run as a not-for-profit collective with proceeds supporting Braziers Park's charitable aims.

Products and services

• ACRE (Academic and Creative Research) Residency Programme A self-funded residency programme inviting artists, researchers, writers, and creative practitioners to live and work within the residential community while developing independent projects. Residents contribute 8 hours of community volunteering per week in exchange for accommodation and meals; up to 12 residents can be accommodated during each open-call period (December–March).
• Retreat Venue Hire Residential retreat venue hire offering accommodation, catering, and event spaces within the historic Grade II* listed house and grounds for wellbeing retreats, workshops, conferences, and group gatherings. Available for whole-site and individual space bookings; residential rates include accommodation, catering, all-day snacks, refreshments, and space hire.
• Braziers International Film Festival (BIFF) Annual three-day independent film festival featuring curated programmes of international short films, documentary, animation, and experimental artists' film screened in the historic 17th-century barn, alongside installations, performances, and filmmaker discussions. Festival passes range from £25–£80 with sliding scale options.
• Conference, Wedding & Event Venue Hire Event venue hire for conferences, weddings, creative workshops, and spiritual retreats, offering indoor and outdoor spaces including a campsite for larger festivals. The estate is also hired as a film location for large- and small-budget film productions.
• Public Events Programme Year-round public events including workshops, singing weekends, meditation and yoga retreats, children's activities, themed retreats, OM & BASS music festival, and the Communities Conference.
• Residential Volunteering Programme International volunteer programme in which residential volunteers stay between one and three months, contributing 30 hours of community work weekly in exchange for accommodation, meals, and learning opportunities.
• Educational Courses and Workshops Courses and workshops grounded in the Soil, Soul, Society framework exploring ecology, spirituality, community life, and sustainable living, delivered under the Braziers Park School of Integrative Social Research (founded 1950).
• Garden Volunteering Programme Weekly hands-on gardening sessions in the no-dig permaculture garden every Tuesday, with volunteers joining gardener Mara Arts for practical permaculture work in exchange for shared learning and lunch.
• Film Location Hire Braziers Park is hired as a film location for large- and small-budget films, generating rental income from location fees. Past productions include the documentary 'Intentional Community: The Art of Living and The Science of Life' (2017).

Quantifiable outcome

• ~7,000 visitors in 2024 attended Braziers Park for workshops, events, retreats, and volunteering
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Film Hub South East / BFI Film Audience NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBraziers International Film Festival is a member of Film Hub South East, part of the BFI Film Audience Network. This membership supports the distribution of independent cinema to wider audiences and provides organisational and programming support for the festival.
• FilmFreewaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBraziers International Film Festival accepts film submissions through FilmFreeway, one of the leading international film festival submission platforms. This provides access to a global filmmaker community and manages the submission and review process.
• ShortfilmdepotminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBraziers International Film Festival also accepts submissions through Shortfilmdepot, an alternative film festival submission platform, broadening access for filmmakers to submit their work.
• TerraLenta International Environmental Film Festival (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerraLenta International Environmental Film Festival from Italy is a guest curator at BIFF 2026, presenting a special focus screening of short films as part of the full three-day programme in the Braziers barn.
• Mientras tanto CINE (Uruguay)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMientras tanto CINE experimental film festival from Uruguay is a guest curator at BIFF 2026, presenting a special focus screening of short films as part of the full three-day programme in the Braziers barn.
• MCR Palestine Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBraziers International Film Festival partnered with MCR Palestine Film Festival and Comma Press to co-present Short Films for Palestine in Manchester, December 2024, as part of the Voices for Palestine programme.
• Comma PressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBraziers International Film Festival partnered with MCR Palestine Film Festival and Comma Press to co-present Short Films for Palestine in Manchester, December 2024.
• Mascara Film ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMascara Film Club was guest programmer for the BIFF 2025 'Entangled Landscapes' programme, curated by a team of artist-filmmakers and curators who run the festival as a not-for-profit collective.
• Octopus EnergycoreOthersElectricity at Braziers Park is supplied by Octopus Energy, providing renewable energy to the estate. This reflects Braziers' commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon footprint.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hawkwood College: Hawkwood is a residential adult education centre in Stroud, Gloucestershire offering short courses in arts, crafts, sustainability, and personal development. Like Braziers, it operates as a charitable venue hire and retreat centre with strong educational programming.
• Embercombe: Embercombe is a 38-acre woodland estate in Devon offering residential courses, retreats, and intentional community programmes with a sustainability focus. It is a direct competitor in the UK residential sustainability education space with comparable target audiences and programming.
• Camphill Communities: Camphill Communities operate residential intentional communities in the UK and Ireland focused on inclusive living, education, and crafts. While their mission centres on adults with learning disabilities, their co-living, communal-economy, and rural-estate operating model closely parallels Braziers' intentional community structure.
• Pen Y Bryn / Ty Newydd (Llanberis): Ty Newydd is the National Writing Centre of Wales, a heritage-listed residential creative-writing centre offering courses, retreats, and venue hire. While it focuses on writing rather than alternative education, its model of combining heritage venue hire with a residency programme and community events parallels Braziers' ACRE programme and event business.
• Dartington Hall Trust: Dartington operates a heritage estate with arts, education, and event programming in Devon. Its combination of heritage venue hire, residential education, arts festivals, and conference hosting mirrors Braziers' multi-revenue model at a larger scale.
• Encounters Film Festival: Encounters is one of the UK's leading international short film and animation festivals, based in Bristol. It provides a direct peer comparison for the Braziers International Film Festival in scale, programming focus, and audience development model.
• Schumacher College (Dartington): Schumacher College, part of the Dartington Trust in Devon, offers residential short courses on ecology, sustainability, and transformative learning. It is highly comparable to Braziers in its adult residential education focus and rural estate setting, although it is more academically oriented.
• Findhorn Foundation & College: The Findhorn Foundation is one of the largest and best-known intentional communities in Europe, operating a residential community, education centre, and retreat venue in northeast Scotland. It is the most direct comparison to Braziers Park given its overlapping model of community living, alternative education, and venue hire.
• The Sustainability Centre (South Downs): The Sustainability Centre is a South Downs-based educational charity offering short courses, school visits, and venue hire on a rural estate. It shares Braziers' combination of adult residential education, sustainable living, and venue hire with similar charitable status and target audiences.

Regional players

• Welkinweir Estate: Welkinweir is a heritage estate and nature preserve in Pennsylvania, USA, offering educational programmes, retreats, and conservation activities. It is comparable to Braziers as a heritage-listed estate with an educational mission, but operates in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BraziersPark
• Instagraminstagram.com/brazierspark
• TikToktiktok.com/@brazierspark
• Xx.com/brazierspark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/braziers-park

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Braziers Park