Crying Out Loud
Crying Out Loud is a UK registered charity and creative producer that commissions, develops, and tours contemporary visual theatre and circus works, supporting early-career artists through mentoring, masterclasses, and international exchange partnerships across the UK and Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersPortsmouth, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Crying Out Loud does
Crying Out Loud is a UK registered charity (no.1101496) and creative production organization founded in 2002 by Artistic Director Rachel Clare, operating from its headquarters in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard with a satellite hot-desk at Somerset House in London. The organization functions as a creative producer and commissioner of contemporary visual theatre, circus, and physical performance, serving early-career and established artists, UK and international audiences, emerging creatives (via Solent Internships with the University of Southampton), and learning-disabled artists and communities (via the Groundwork partnership with This New Ground). It has held National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) status with Arts Council England since 2012 and has delivered more than 100 projects over a 25-year operating history.
The organization's core "products" are programmes and produced works rather than technology assets: the Creative Development Programme, Solent Masterclasses, Solent Internships, Talent Development at Hat Fair, and produced shows such as Taroo, Walk of the Dandelion, Anchored in Air, Routine, A Sea of Words, Playable Monument, and Pivot Fest. There is no proprietary technology stack — the platform is the relational network connecting artists, venues (Sadler's Wells, Roundhouse, Southbank Centre), festivals (Hat Fair, CIRCa, Festival OFF d'Avignon), EU consortia (CircusNext, Perform Europe), and community partners.
Crying Out Loud's revenue model combines Arts Council England NPO core funding, EU and international project grants (Crossing Borders, Circus 250, CircusNext), individual donations at prescribed tiers (£25, £85, £425), and nominal fees for workshops and masterclasses. Distribution occurs through co-productions with major UK venues, international touring circuits, outdoor arts festivals, and community settings in the Solent region. The organization runs a lean 4-person core team with a wider project-based collaborator network, reflecting a charitable operating model rather than a commercial scaling thesis.
Crying Out Loud firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Crying Out Loud
- Legal name
- Crying Out Loud
- Website
- https://cryingoutloud.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Crying Out Loud is a UK registered charity and creative producer that commissions, develops, and tours contemporary visual theatre and circus works, supporting early-career artists through mentoring, masterclasses, and international exchange partnerships across the UK and Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Crying Out Loud industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Production Services
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)
Keywords
Where Crying Out Loud is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portsmouth
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Crying Out Loud business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Giving: Crying Out Loud is a registered charity (no.1101496) that receives donations from individuals to support early career artists. One-off and regular donations directly fund artists developing new works.
- Arts Council and Public Funding: As an National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) since 2012, Crying Out Loud receives regular funding from Arts Council England to support touring, commissioning, and artist development programmes.
- EU and International Project Funding: Partnership funding from EU-supported projects such as Crossing Borders, Circus 250, and other international cultural exchange programmes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Masterclass with Performance Ticket |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation amounts for supporting early career artists |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Crying Out Loud product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Crying Out Loud is a creative producing organization that commissions, develops, and presents contemporary visual theatre, circus, and physical performance work. It supports artists through development programmes, masterclasses, internships, and touring opportunities, and presents productions through partnerships with major UK venues and international festivals. Its offerings are delivered through artist development programmes, masterclasses, paid internships, co-produced performance works, community engagement projects, and learning disability arts festivals.
Product overview
Crying Out Loud is a creative producing organization, not a traditional product company. It operates as a platform of artist development services and produced works, including: Creative Development Programme providing 1:1 sessions, inspiration trips and mentoring; Solent Masterclasses offering workshops in physical and visual theatre; Solent Internships providing paid placements for emerging creatives; Talent Development at Hat Fair connecting regional artists with national opportunities; and produced works including Taroo, Walk of the Dandelion, Anchored in Air, Routine, A Sea of Words, and Playable Monument. The organization champions visual theatre and circus artists, commissioning and presenting boundary-pushing contemporary performance work across the UK and internationally from its base in Portsmouth.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creative Development Programme Tailored development opportunities for visual theatre and circus artists and creative companies in the Solent and South West, including open-access workshops, Creative 1:1 sessions with the Programme Producer or Artistic Director, inspiration trips to shows and festivals, and tailored mentoring for mid-career artists.
- Solent Masterclasses Hands-on training, networking and skill-building workshops for early-career, emerging and professional performers in visual performance disciplines including movement-based performance, devising for circus and physical theatre, led by established UK and international artists.
- Solent Internships Paid producer internships for students and emerging creatives based in the Solent region, providing hands-on experience in producing, artist development and cultural programming, delivered in partnership with the University of Southampton.
- Talent Development at Hat Fair Partnership programme connecting Solent-based artists with national and international opportunities at Hat Fair Festival, including training, performance opportunities and skill-sharing workshops.
- Taroo Produced parkour and circus show by Moroccan artist Said Mouhssine featuring acrobatics, Chinese pole and urban street moves, exploring everyday stories of street life and the relationship to street cleaners.
- Walk of the Dandelion Community engagement project featuring an 8-foot puppet named Daniel who visits community settings, encouraging participants to make and share woollen dandelions symbolising resilience and hope.
- Anchored in Air Aerial theatre show by Head Over Wheels featuring flying wheelchairs, integrated audio description, and gravity-defying acrobatics exploring themes of isolation, connection and navigation of the world.
- Routine Acrobatic comedy show performed by Said Mouhssine suitable for all ages, telling the story of a person stuck in a room unable to sleep, exploring hope and pushing personal boundaries.
- A Sea of Words for Portsmouth Participatory installation by Kingsley Ng and Stephanie Cheung reflecting life's voyages through ocean-related stories collected from communities, featuring paper boats and illuminated waves, co-presented with Portsmouth-based collective 432 Nomads.
- Playable Monument Project transforming public monuments into interactive spaces using history, art and technology, exploring how landmarks can become living spaces for cultural exchange and digital innovation.
- Pivot Fest Portsmouth's first Learning Disability Arts Festival featuring music, dance, theatre and visual art created by learning-disabled artists, including performances, workshops, exhibitions and silent discos.
- Crying Out Loud Newsletter Email newsletter delivered via Mailchimp providing updates on performances, projects, artist opportunities and organisational news to subscribers and supporters.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200 artists performed to 250,000+ people at Piccadilly Circus Circus (2012)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Crying Out Loud
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Crying Out Loud technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Crying Out Loud partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Third Version CreativecoreLong-term strategic partner led by Sud Basu, helping spark change through supporting artist-led projects, impactful placemaking schemes and bold creative programmes. Joint programme of work pooling combined experience as creative producers to curate and connect artists, programmers and communities nationally and internationally.
- University of SouthamptoncorePartnership providing paid internships for early-career creatives in the Solent region through the Solent Internships programme, offering hands-on experience in producing, artist development and cultural projects.
- Arts Council EnglandcoreCore public funder providing regular NPO (National Portfolio Organisation) funding since 2012, supporting touring, commissioning, and artist development programmes.
- 101 Outdoor ArtsmajorThe UK's National Centre for Arts in Public Space. Partnership supporting residencies and development of outdoor arts projects including Walk of the Dandelion creation phase.
- This New GroundmajorNeurodivergent-led participatory arts organisation. Crying Out Loud is a commissioning partner on Groundwork project supporting learning-disabled artists in Portsmouth, championing creative voices and challenging perceptions.
- CircusNextmajorEuropean network for emerging circus artists (formerly Jeunes Talents Cirque Europe). EU-funded project partnership enabling collaborative creation and international touring opportunities.
- Perform EuropemajorEuropean partnership of eleven organisations from eight countries supporting Crossing Borders touring programme bringing high quality performances to rural audiences.
- Hat Fair FestivalmajorPartnership with Play to the Crowd's Hat Fair Festival developing intergenerational audiences and increasing artist engagement in outdoor arts across areas of low engagement.
- Take ArtmajorPartnership for rural touring pilot Circus Around and About bringing high quality, small-scale circus to village communities in South West England.
- 432 NomadsmajorPortsmouth-based collective working with communities of sanctuary, artists and local residents through storytelling and creative exchange. Co-presenting A Sea of Words for Portsmouth.
- Aspex PortsmouthmajorContemporary art gallery and creative hub. Delivery partner for Groundwork project and host for artist talks and exhibitions.
- Without WallsmajorNetwork supporting outdoor arts development and audience development projects including partnership with Hat Fair and Solent cultural collaborations.
- Sud Basu / Third Version CreativecoreStrategic partnership developing joint programme of work building on shared ambition to use creativity to strengthen connections between communities and broaden understanding of cultures.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Crying Out Loud competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gecko Theatre: UK-based physical/visual theatre company creating and touring devised performance internationally. Directly comparable artistic discipline (physical, visual performance) and producing model.
- Galway International Arts Festival: Major international festival producing and commissioning large-scale outdoor and circus/visual performance. Comparable in commissioning, international touring and outdoor-arts focus.
- Sadler's Wells: London's flagship dance and circus venue and active commissioner/co-producer of contemporary circus and visual performance. Highly comparable as a producing/presenting body that has collaborated with Crying Out Loud on multiple touring works.
- NoFit State Circus: Welsh contemporary circus company producing large-scale touring works and artist development programmes. Comparable operating model in UK contemporary circus producing and touring.
- Battersea Arts Centre: London-based producing arts centre commissioning and supporting emerging artists and experimental performance. Comparable role as a commissioner/incubator for risk-taking performance work.
- Told by an Idiot: UK physical theatre company producing devised, risk-taking performance work for national and international audiences. Comparable scale, artistic ambition, and producing profile.
- Complicité (Theatre de Complicite): Internationally touring UK company creating visually-led devised theatre. Comparable producing, international touring, and visual-performance focus.
Regional players
- 101 Outdoor Arts: UK National Centre for Arts in Public Space, focused on outdoor arts development. A Crying Out Loud partner and a peer in the outdoor/visual-arts producing ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- Roundhouse: London venue and producer of circus, music and performance for young and emerging artists. Comparable producing function at larger scale and broader artistic scope.
Emerging players
- CircusNext: European network supporting emerging circus artists and productions; a direct partner of Crying Out Loud and a peer in the European emerging-circus development ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Crying Out Loud social profiles
Digital presenceCrying Out Loud financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Crying Out Loud leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Crying Out Loud funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Crying Out Loud 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 Crying Out Loud
What does Crying Out Loud do?
Crying Out Loud is a creative producing organization that commissions, develops, and presents contemporary visual theatre, circus, and physical performance work. It supports artists through development programmes, masterclasses, internships, and touring opportunities, and presents productions through partnerships with major UK venues and international festivals. Its offerings are delivered through artist development programmes, masterclasses, paid internships, co-produced performance works, community engagement projects, and learning disability arts festivals.
Is Crying Out Loud a public or private company?
Crying Out Loud is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Crying Out Loud founded?
Crying Out Loud was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Crying Out Loud based?
Crying Out Loud is headquartered in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Crying Out Loud make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Giving is the primary driver. The others are arts Council and Public Funding and EU and International Project Funding.
Who are Crying Out Loud's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gecko Theatre, Galway International Arts Festival, Sadler's Wells, NoFit State Circus, Battersea Arts Centre, Told by an Idiot and Complicité (Theatre de Complicite). 101 Outdoor Arts is listed as a regional player. Roundhouse is listed as a broad incumbent. CircusNext is listed as an emerging player.
Does Crying Out Loud have an API?
No public API is recorded for Crying Out Loud.
What industry is Crying Out Loud in?
Crying Out Loud's product category is Performing Arts Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music). Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7990.