Pocklington Arts Centre

What Pocklington Arts Centre does

Pocklington Arts Centre (PAC) is a not-for-profit arts and entertainment venue operating from a Grade II listed 1690 building on Market Place in Pocklington, East Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The venue was rescued from disrepair by Pocklington Town Council and community volunteers in the late 1990s and opened in April 2000; it is governed by the Town Council with a connected registered charity, Friends of Pocklington Arts Centre (charity number 1086300). PAC runs a 200-seat auditorium, a ground-floor studio gallery, a licensed bar seating up to 40, and the Oak Room (up to 25), delivering a diverse programme of cinema (including National Theatre Live and Royal Ballet & Opera broadcasts), touring and in-house theatre, live music across folk, Americana, jazz, and tribute acts, stand-up comedy, rotating art exhibitions, workshops, and talks, alongside free or low-cost community activities such as a dementia-friendly Singing for Fun group, the Forgotten Voices community choir, a Tuesday Community Café, and youth theatre.

The operating model is a hybrid community-led, event-driven, direct-to-consumer proposition. Revenue is generated from individual ticket sales (cinema matinees £6.50, live events £9-£24, family theatre £39 for four), an annual Friends membership programme (~500 members at £15-£30/year), the £12/year FoPAC lottery, bar sales, venue hire, a new Sponsor a Seat scheme (£200/3-year plaques), corporate sponsorships, donations, and legacy gifts. The venue is largely volunteer-run (over 50 volunteers) supported by a small paid staff team including Director Kelly Munro-Fawcett (appointed April 2026), Venue Manager Dave Parker, and Marketing lead Susan McGill. Technology infrastructure is intentionally lightweight: Ticketsolve for ticketing and box office, Eventbrite for selected workshops, Google Analytics for web tracking, and Ticketsolve Protect for optional refund protection, with no proprietary platform, mobile app, or AI systems in evidence.

Funding comes from Pocklington Town Council, Arts Council England, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the last of which supported a 2023 accessibility capital project (new demountable seating, stair-lift to stage, LED house lights). The customer base spans local East Yorkshire residents, families, older adults (including accessibility-supported audiences), touring artists, local businesses, and community organisations. Recent strategic activity includes the 2025 launch of the first PAC Comedy Festival, the co-produced outdoor immersive production 'Biting Point' with Middle Child Theatre, the Sponsor a Seat scheme, Independent Venue Week participation, and the April 2026 leadership transition to Kelly Munro-Fawcett.

Name

Pocklington Arts Centre

Legal name

Friends of Pocklington Arts Centre (registered charity number 1086300)

Website

https://pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pocklington Arts Centre is a not-for-profit 200-seat arts venue in East Yorkshire, UK, delivering cinema, theatre, music, comedy, exhibitions, and community programmes to local residents and visitors, supported by Pocklington Town Council, Friends membership, grants, and over 50 volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Arts and Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Live entertainment venue
• Arts and culture programming
• Community arts centre
• Live performance bookings
• Accessible cinema screenings

Headquarters

HQ city

Packington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from live events including theatre, music, comedy, cinema screenings, and other performances. Tickets purchased online, by phone, or in-person.
2. Friends Membership: Annual membership program with benefits including discounted cinema tickets, priority booking, and bar discounts. Around 500 members.
3. FoPAC Lottery: Monthly lottery run by Friends of PAC, raising funds with entry costing £12 per year and offering cash prizes.
4. Bar Sales: Licensed bar operating before events with seating for up to 40 people, generating revenue from beverages.
5. Venue Hire: Auditorium, Studio, Bar, and Oak Room available for private hire for events and functions.
6. Seat Sponsorship: Seat plaque scheme allowing dedications and commemorations from £200 for 3 years, supporting ongoing heritage and community fund.
7. Corporate Sponsorship: Bespoke sponsorship packages available for businesses.
8. Donations: One-off donations accepted from supporters.
9. Legacy Gifts: Remembering PAC in wills as a form of planned giving.
10. Grants and Funding: Support from Pocklington Town Council, Arts Council England, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and UK Shared Prosperity Fund for operations and capital improvements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Pocklington Arts Centre is a not-for-profit arts and entertainment venue that programmes and delivers live music, comedy, theatre, cinema screenings, visual arts exhibitions, workshops, talks, and free community activities from its 200-seat Grade II listed auditorium and ground-floor studio in Pocklington, East Yorkshire. The venue sells tickets directly to consumers through the Ticketsolve website, by phone, and at the on-site box office, and supplements earned income with Friends memberships, venue hire, bar sales, grants, sponsorships, and donations.

Product overview

Pocklington Arts Centre operates as a not-for-profit arts and entertainment venue offering a diverse programme of cinema, theatre, live music, comedy, exhibitions, workshops, talks, and community activities from its Grade II listed building in East Yorkshire. The venue features a 200-seat auditorium and ground floor studio gallery, with ticketing managed through Ticketsolve. Core offerings include regular film screenings (including National Theatre Live and Royal Ballet & Opera broadcasts), touring and in-house theatre productions, music events spanning multiple genres, and comedy shows. The venue also runs community programmes including dementia-friendly singing sessions, a community choir, and youth theatre, supported by a Friends membership scheme with approximately 500 members. Additional revenue streams include venue hire, sponsorship programmes, and the Friends lottery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cinema Screenings Regular film screenings including new releases, family films, classic cinema, and live broadcasts from National Theatre Live, Royal Ballet & Opera, and Metropolitan Opera, sold to local audiences and visitors.
• Theatre Productions Live theatre performances including touring productions, in-house productions such as Christmas shows, and community drama staged in the 200-seat auditorium for local and visiting audiences.
• Music Events Live music performances featuring folk, Americana, jazz, tribute acts, and emerging artists programmed in the 200-seat auditorium.
• Comedy Shows Stand-up comedy performances and annual comedy festival featuring both established and emerging comedians on tour.
• Community Programmes Free and low-cost community activities including Community Café (Tuesdays), Singing for Fun dementia-friendly choir (Thursdays), Forgotten Voices community choir, chair-based exercise, and youth theatre sessions.
• Exhibitions Rotating art exhibitions in the Studio Gallery space featuring local and regional artists, including the 25th anniversary exhibition and Pocklington Together photography display.
• Workshops Creative workshops including pottery, painting, chair-based movement, and craft sessions for various skill levels.
• Talks and Lectures Speaker events featuring notable personalities from various fields, including Sean Conway's Endurance talk presented by Speakers from the Edge.
• Venue Hire Rental of spaces including the 200-seat Auditorium, ground floor Studio, Licensed Bar, and Oak Room for private events, performances, and functions.
• PAC Comedy Club Regular comedy club nights featuring multiple comedians in a single evening event.
• Sponsor a Seat Scheme Seat plaque sponsorship offering dedications and commemorations from £200 for 3 years, with limited lifetime and business sponsorship opportunities, supporting ongoing improvements and the Community Fund.
• Biting Point Theatre Production Outdoor immersive theatre experience by Middle Child performed in car parks across Yorkshire and the north-east using headset technology and original music.
• Pocklington Comedy Festival First-ever annual comedy festival held on 31 May featuring family-friendly shows, work-in-progress performances, and a mixed-bill headline event hosted by Kiri Pritchard McLean to celebrate the venue's 25th anniversary.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accessible to wheelchair users with up to 4 spaces and companion seating in the auditorium
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Music Venue TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassroots music venue advocacy organization supporting venues like PAC.
• Future Arts CentresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork supporting arts centres across the UK with resources and advocacy.
• Friends of Pocklington Arts Centre (FoPAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected registered charity (number 1086300) with around 500 members supporting the venue through membership fees, lottery, donations, and seat sponsorship schemes.
• Middle Child TheatremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHull-based theatre company collaborating on productions including 'Biting Point' performed in car parks and outdoor immersive theatre experiences.
• National TheatremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to broadcast National Theatre Live screenings at PAC including 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' and 'The Misanthrope'.
• The Royal Ballet and OperamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroadcasting live opera and ballet performances including Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Carmen, Romeo & Juliet, and others.
• National Theatre Generate ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the development programme for 'Biting Point' play development.
• Without Walls Blueprint ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported development of 'Biting Point' through R&D weeks and innovative outdoor staging.
• Burnby Hall GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on specially curated art exhibition inspired by their waterlily collection.
• Dementia ForwardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaff training provider for dementia awareness supporting dementia-friendly activities.
• Guide DogsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaff training provider for Guide Dogs accessibility support.
• Woldgate SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdam Schofield from Woldgate School serves as Choir Master for Forgotten Voices community choir.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/with_replies
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJlmd0o0Roy-M-PVR9ZNHXA
• Facebookfacebook.com/pocklingtonartscentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/pocklingtonartscentre

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Pocklington Arts Centre