Bassline Circus
Bassline Circus is a Bristol-headquartered not-for-profit contemporary circus company founded in 2001 that produces site-specific outdoor performances combining aerial circus, street dance, electronic music, video mapping, and laser scenography for UK and European festivals, theatres, and community programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Bassline Circus does
Bassline Circus is a Bristol-headquartered, privately held not-for-profit contemporary circus and outdoor performance company founded in 2001, with origins in the European sound system and free party counterculture. The company designs and produces site-specific, tour-ready original circus shows that fuse aerial performance, street dance, electronic music, immersive video mapping, custom lighting systems, and laser light scenography. Its production catalog spans two decades and includes flagship works such as The Road, Running Away, ADVERTIGO, CABARAVE, Athletes of the Night, Boomtown Games, Liquid Sky, KID_X, ON AIR, CERES, and ongoing Bristol Pride Circus Bigtop programming. Supporting revenue lines include Big Top tent hire of a 29x22m Scola Teloni structure and Creative Learning workshops in schools and youth clubs.
Revenue is generated primarily through commissioned productions for major UK and European festivals (Boomtown Fair, Bristol Pride, Fusion Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe), public arts grants from Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council Wales, and Bristol City Council, touring bookings at regional theatres including Tramway Glasgow, Macrobert Arts Centre, and Assembly Roxy Edinburgh, and educational workshop delivery priced around £8 per session. Theatre tickets typically range from £6 to £14 depending on concessions and early bird offers, while custom commissions and tent hire are quote-based. The go-to-market relies on long-term festival programmer relationships, word-of-mouth within sound system and festival communities, Instagram, and earned media coverage in UK arts publications. Co-founders Amy Tavner and Natalia Colville lead a 1-10 employee micro-organization supported by recurring collaborators including the MHz scenography partnership of Dav Bernard and Bex Anson.
Bassline Circus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bassline Circus
- Legal name
- Bassline Circus
- Website
- https://basslinecircus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Bassline Circus is a Bristol-headquartered not-for-profit contemporary circus company founded in 2001 that produces site-specific outdoor performances combining aerial circus, street dance, electronic music, video mapping, and laser scenography for UK and European festivals, theatres, and community programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bassline Circus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Entertainment / Contemporary Circus and Performance Arts
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Staging & Rigging Services (MPAGAKAA)
Keywords
Where Bassline Circus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Bassline Circus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Festival Commissions: Producing original shows commissioned by major festivals including Boomtown Fair and Bristol Pride. The company creates new productions annually for festival stages.
- Government Arts Funding: Receiving grants and emergency funding from Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, and other public arts bodies to support production development and touring.
- Educational Workshops: Delivering creative learning workshops in schools, youth clubs, and community settings. Partnerships with local councils and festival outreach programs.
- Big Top Tent Hire: Owning and operating a traditional Scola Teloni tent (29x22m) available for hire with full event supervision and technical support.
- Theatre Venue Bookings: Touring productions to theatre venues including Tramway Glasgow, Macrobert Arts Centre, Assembly Roxy Edinburgh, and other regional theatres.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | Macrobert Arts Centre KID_X tickets |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Submerge Festival Liquid Sky tickets |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Carnival Workshop Winchester |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bassline Circus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bassline Circus designs, produces, and tours original contemporary circus and live performance shows for festivals, theatres, and outdoor arts events across the UK and Europe. Each year the company creates a new touring production that fuses aerial circus, street dance, electronic music, and immersive visual technologies such as video mapping, custom lighting, and laser scenography. Beyond shows, Bassline runs creative learning workshops for schools and youth organizations and makes its traditional 29x22m Big Top tent available for hire.
Product overview
Bassline Circus is a contemporary circus company offering a portfolio of live performance productions rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings are individual show productions spanning multiple years and styles: THE ROAD (2005) as the inaugural touring production; Running Away (2006) combining traditional and urban circus; ADVERTIGO (2007) with digital arts integration; CABARAVE (2008-2014) as immersive video-mapped performances; E.T.A carnival; ATHLETES OF THE NIGHT (2015) competitive circus battles; Boomtown Games (2016) multi-artform extravaganza; Liquid Sky as visual theatre with laser scenography; KID_X as tech-forward digital circus; [ON AIR] as queer visual radio show; Concrete Playground as outdoor walkabout; and CERES as outdoor community art. Supporting offerings include Big Top tent hire (29x22m traditional Scola Teloni), Creative Learning workshops (hand-balancing, songwriting, street dance, VJing), and Boomtown Carnival workshops. Current R&D includes The Last Supper Theatre project. Annual regular shows include Boomtown Fair and Bristol Pride circus programming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- THE ROAD 2005 inaugural touring production merging dancefloor music with circus, aerial performance, street arts (graffiti, beatboxing, street dance); Bassline's first full-scale touring production in their legitimised form.
- Running Away 2006 promenade show combining traditional circus (Victorian grotesque, stage illusions, contortionists, tight wire, aerial acts) with new urban and hip hop circus styles (break-dancers, body poppers, technics deck); toured UK and European festivals.
- ADVERTIGO 2007 festival show titled '23rd Century Circus' featuring genetically modified circus, bio-dynamic beats, and surgically enhanced screenscapes; combines urban and digital arts such as graffiti, breakdancing, projections, DJ-ing, and live original electronic music with theatre and circus.
- CABARAVE Immersive performance and reactive set design show (2008-2014) featuring high energy circus performed in front of, amongst and directly over the audience, with cutting edge video mapping, unique lighting systems, innovative performance-integrated set design, and live electronic music and vocals.
- E.T.A (Estimated Time of Arrival) Carnival extravaganza with aerial performance, digital visuals, live breakbeats and dubstep, created in collaboration with LB Camden Council, Studio du Cirque du Marseille, and The Central School of Speech and Drama, featuring 200 local performers and celebrating the opening of a high speed rail link to Europe.
- Athletes of the Night 2015 show featuring world-class teams of urban athletes in competitive circus battles with rope offs, bungee fights, fire ring bike jumps, record breaking spinning aerial and Cyr wheel, and KRUMP dance battles on fierce beats.
- Boomtown Games 2016 large-scale outdoor multi-artform extravaganza commissioned by Boomtown Fair with support from Arts Council England, featuring aerial, ground, and wheel-based battles starring MC Eva Lazarus and the Afronauts.
- Liquid Sky Visual theatre piece exploring the interface between sonic art and aerial circus within laser light scenography; an immersive experience between an AV concert and a live art happening, featuring hypnotic and ritualised movement with a Dark Wave live set from SUE ZUKI.
- KID_X Get-on-your-feet forward-thinking tech-edge show combining stunning digital circus, world-class street dance, hypnotic video projections with the energy of an all-night rave; a cyberpunk love story featuring KID_X (Malick Bright aka AndroidX), corporate bionic heart themes, and an original score by Mungo's Hifi.
- [ ON AIR ] Outdoor visual radio show co-created with queer circus and music artists that collides the impulse of a pirate radio station with the energy of a live music video, exploring social activism, environmentalism, inclusivity, and freedom of expression.
- Concrete Playground Tour-ready outdoor walkabout show featuring flips, tricks, and an electric mix of jaw dropping acrobatics, dance, and interactive performance, returning annually to Boomtown Fair's Barrio Loco district.
- CERES Outdoor art piece created with Full Tilt Aerial Theatre and commissioned by DOCA, telling a local tale of women, trade, and justice from the 18th century, infused with influences from ancient rituals and tradition, and funded by Arts Council England.
- Bristol Pride Circus Bigtop Annual Pride circus tent program celebrating diversity, featuring voguing, contemporary circus, and drag kings and queens; a showcase for diversity within the LGBT+ community, promoting gender variance, sexual diversity, and equal rights.
- Big Top Tent Hire Traditional Scola Teloni Big Top tent (29x22m, 4 pole, 3.6m wall, full blackout, 9x1.5m circus cuppola, diverse rigging options, suitable for aerial performance) available for hire to other event organisers, with full event tent supervision and technical support.
- Creative Learning Workshops Educational workshops for young people covering hand-balancing, songwriting, freestyle sessions in K.R.U.M.P and Flexin, performance to video, VJing, and talks around Sound-System Culture, delivered in schools, youth clubs, and community settings.
- Boomtown Carnival Workshops Carnival arts workshops delivered in partnership with Boomtown Fair in Winchester and Bristol, creating workshops in Carnival Arts, Music, and Theatre, including opening ceremony performances with carnival outreach projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Productions performed at major UK and European festivals annually since 2001
Companies that use Bassline Circus
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Bassline Circus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Bassline Circus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Boomtown FaircoreLong-standing annual partnership creating carnival workshops, street animations, and main stage productions. Bassline has worked with Boomtown for multiple years, producing opening ceremonies, Barrio Loco programming, and Kidztown outreach. This is a flagship partnership central to Bassline's annual operations.
- Bristol PridecoreProducing the Pride Circus Bigtop featuring LGBT+ performers, voguing, contemporary circus, and drag performances. Partnership spans multiple years (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) with Bassline programming and producing the circus tent for Pride celebrations on The Downs.
- Feral ArtscoreIndependent Glasgow-based producers supporting cross-artform work. Co-produced Liquid Sky and KID_X with Bassline, providing production management and creative development support.
- MHz (Bex Anson and Dav Bernard)coreAward-winning creative duo serving as show directors and scenographers for Bassline productions. Co-creators of KID_X and ongoing creative collaborators. Based in Glasgow, specialized in theatrical environments and visual design.
- NoFit State CircusminorArtist residency partnership for Circus Past Present and Future (2018), celebrating 250 years of British circus. Bassline participated in one-week development hosted in their Bigtop.
- Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts (DOCA)minorCommissioned CERES street theatre production for Devizes International Street Theatre Festival 2022. Partnership with Full Tilt Aerial Theatre.
- Saffron RecordsminorCollaborated on ON AIR music video commissioning, bringing together queer circus artists and music production for Bristol Pride programming.
- Tramway GlasgowmajorScottish theatre venue providing commission and hosting for Liquid Sky and KID_X productions. Part of Made in Scotland network.
- Queer AF CabaretminorCollaborating on Bristol Pride 2024 programming, bringing diverse performers to the Pride Circus Bigtop.
- Mungo's HifiminorScottish sound system providing music production for KID_X show. Original score collaboration combining dancehall electronica with live vocals.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bassline Circus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cirque Bijou: Bristol-based contemporary circus and physical theatre company producing touring productions and event installations. Directly comparable as a UK contemporary circus company with overlapping talent pool (Saul Baum regularly works with both); shares the festival/outdoor arts focus and multi-disciplinary approach.
- Gandini Juggling: UK/international juggling and circus company producing contemporary juggling performances that blend technical skill with theatrical staging. Comparable as a UK contemporary circus company of similar scale, with similar festival and touring distribution model and similar artistic ambition.
- Diverse City: UK circus and inclusive performance company producing touring work with strong community engagement focus. Comparable as a UK contemporary circus company combining touring productions with participatory workshop programmes and creative learning — closely mirroring Bassline's educational workshop stream.
- Ockham's Razor: UK contemporary circus company specialising in aerial and physical theatre with strong design and rigging focus. Comparable as a UK touring contemporary circus company of similar scale producing original work for festivals and theatre venues with distinctive technical integration.
- Motionhouse: Leamington Spa-based dance-circus company producing large-scale touring productions combining acrobatics, dance and digital media. Comparable as a UK contemporary circus/dance company that integrates digital technology (projection, lighting) into live performance and tours extensively to regional theatres and festivals.
- Mimbre: UK contemporary circus company producing original acrobatic and aerial performances for festivals, theatres and outdoor events. Comparable as a UK contemporary circus company of similar scale and touring model, with overlap in outdoor arts festival programming and physical theatre approach.
- NoFit State Circus: Wales-based contemporary circus company producing large-scale touring productions and operating their own Big Top tent. Directly comparable as a UK contemporary circus company that combines traditional circus with new theatrical approaches; Bassline has had an artist residency partnership with NoFit State, confirming direct peer overlap.
Emerging players
- Breakin' Convention: Sadler's Wells' hip hop dance theatre festival platform. Comparable as a promoter/producer of hip hop and street dance-infused performance programming at festivals and venues — directly relevant to Bassline's positioning at the intersection of street dance culture and contemporary circus.
- Fevered Sleep: UK performance company producing immersive, technology-integrated live work for festivals and theatres. Comparable as a UK experimental performance company that combines live performance with technical innovation (projection, lighting, sound) and operates in the same festival and regional theatre circuit as Bassline.
Broad incumbents
- Underbelly: Major UK outdoor arts and Edinburgh Fringe venue operator producing and programming circus, theatre and cabaret. Comparable as a significant UK operator in the outdoor arts and contemporary circus space, though at larger scale and with broader programming remit; represents both a potential venue partner and a benchmark for scaling.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bassline Circus social profiles
Digital presenceBassline Circus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bassline Circus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Bassline Circus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bassline Circus 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 Bassline Circus
What does Bassline Circus do?
Bassline Circus designs, produces, and tours original contemporary circus and live performance shows for festivals, theatres, and outdoor arts events across the UK and Europe. Each year the company creates a new touring production that fuses aerial circus, street dance, electronic music, and immersive visual technologies such as video mapping, custom lighting, and laser scenography. Beyond shows, Bassline runs creative learning workshops for schools and youth organizations and makes its traditional 29x22m Big Top tent available for hire.
Is Bassline Circus a public or private company?
Bassline Circus is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bassline Circus founded?
Bassline Circus was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Bassline Circus based?
Bassline Circus is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Bassline Circus make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Festival Commissions are the primary driver. The others are government Arts Funding, educational Workshops, big Top Tent Hire and theatre Venue Bookings.
Who are Bassline Circus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cirque Bijou, Gandini Juggling, Diverse City, Ockham's Razor, Motionhouse, Mimbre and NoFit State Circus. Emerging players are Breakin' Convention and Fevered Sleep. Underbelly is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Bassline Circus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bassline Circus.
What industry is Bassline Circus in?
Bassline Circus's product category is Live Entertainment / Contemporary Circus and Performance Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAI, Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts, with a secondary code of MPAGAKAA, Staging & Rigging Services. Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7900.