14–18 NOW
14-18 NOW was a UK publicly funded arts programme (2013–2019), established by DCMS and delivered with Imperial War Museums to commemorate the First World War centenary through 107 projects, 269 artworks, and 35 million public engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What 14–18 NOW does
14-18 NOW was a UK charitable arts programme established by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) in 2013 to commemorate the centenary of the First World War through extraordinary arts experiences. Operating from 2013 to 2019, the programme commissioned 107 projects that produced 269 new artworks across 220 UK locations, supplemented by broadcast and online content, and reached 35 million people in the UK — including 8 million under the age of 25. Its signature outputs were the iconic poppy sculptures Wave and Weeping Window by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper, which toured to 19 locations and were seen by over 4.6 million people.
The programme did not operate as a commercial enterprise. Its revenue model was based entirely on public funding and strategic partnerships rather than market pricing, with Imperial War Museums (IWM) serving as the core operational partner — providing accommodation at IWM London, curatorial support, and post-closure legacy stewardship. Following the programme's closure in 2019, IWM hosted the 14-18 NOW website until 2023 and assimilated the programme's electronic archive into IWM's Museum Archive, with portions made publicly available in perpetuity. A proportion of the poppy sculptures were acquired into IWM's permanent collection, effectively transferring the programme's principal cultural assets to a long-term institutional custodian.
14–18 NOW firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 14–18 NOW
- Legal name
- 14-18 NOW
- Website
- https://1418now.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 14-18 NOW was a UK publicly funded arts programme (2013–2019), established by DCMS and delivered with Imperial War Museums to commemorate the First World War centenary through 107 projects, 269 artworks, and 35 million public engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
14–18 NOW industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Heritage Commemoration
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)
Keywords
Where 14–18 NOW is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
14–18 NOW business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
14–18 NOW product offering
Product offeringCore offering
14–18 NOW was a publicly funded UK arts programme that commissioned and delivered contemporary art, music, and film projects commemorating the First World War centenary from 2013 to 2019. It produced 107 projects (269 new artworks) across 220 UK locations, including the widely toured poppy sculptures Wave and Weeping Window, and engaged 35 million people. The programme was established by DCMS and delivered in partnership with the Imperial War Museums.
Product overview
14-18 NOW was a UK arts programme for the First World War centenary (2013-2019) established by DCMS and delivered in partnership with IWM. The programme engaged 35 million people in the UK (8 million under 25) through 107 projects producing 269 new artworks across 220 UK locations. Key offerings included the iconic poppy sculptures 'Wave' and 'Weeping Window' by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper, which toured to 19 locations and were seen by over 4.6 million people. IWM served as the final touring destination and acquired a proportion of the poppy sculptures into its permanent collection. The programme also assimilated its electronic archive into IWM's Museum Archive, with portions (including the Jeremy Deller archive) made publicly available in perpetuity.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use 14–18 NOW
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
14–18 NOW technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
14–18 NOW partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport)flagshipDCMS established 14-18 NOW as the UK's arts programme for the First World War centenary. The programme ran from 2013 to 2019 and was a government-backed initiative to commemorate the centenary through arts experiences.
- Imperial War Museums (IWM)coreIWM worked alongside 14-18 NOW from 2013 to 2019, providing accommodation at IWM London, operational and curatorial support extending beyond the programme's close in 2019 to ensure a sustainable legacy, hosting the programme website until 2023, and assimilating the programme's electronic archive into IWM's Museum Archive. IWM was the final touring destination for the poppy sculptures with Wave at IWM North and Weeping Window at IWM London, acquiring a proportion into their permanent collection.
- Paul Cummins (Artist)corePaul Cummins created the iconic poppy sculptures Wave and Weeping Window, which toured to 19 locations around the UK and were seen by over 4.6 million people.
- Tom Piper (Designer)coreTom Piper co-designed the iconic poppy sculptures Wave and Weeping Window, which toured to 19 locations around the UK and were seen by over 4.6 million people.
- Historic Royal PalacesminorHistoric Royal Palaces was involved in hosting the poppy sculptures, contributing to the touring programme across UK heritage locations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights1 record
14–18 NOW competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Imperial War Museums: IWM was 14-18 NOW's core operational and curatorial partner, hosting the programme and assimilating its archive. Both share a mission of preserving and presenting First World War heritage to the UK public through museums and exhibitions.
- Historic Royal Palaces: A heritage institution partner that hosted the touring poppy sculptures. Both operate UK heritage sites for public engagement, commemoration, and education around nationally significant historical narratives.
- National Museums Liverpool: UK regional museum network that hosts heritage exhibitions and commemorative programming. Both operate UK museum/heritage venues that stage large-scale public exhibitions tied to historical themes.
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission: International organisation responsible for commemorating Commonwealth First World War casualties. Both share a mission of WWI remembrance and public engagement with the conflict's legacy.
Broad incumbents
- BBC: Partnered on broadcast content for WWI commemorations. Both produced mass-reach cultural and educational programming tied to the First World War centenary for UK-wide audiences.
- Tate: The UK's primary national art museum network. Both commission and exhibit contemporary artworks, with overlapping artist networks and a public-sector cultural remit.
- National Lottery Heritage Fund: Major UK public funder of heritage projects. Both organisations fund and support UK heritage initiatives spanning commemoration, education, and public engagement with nationally significant history.
- National Heritage Memorial Fund: A UK public fund supporting the preservation of nationally significant heritage. Both operate within the UK public-sector heritage ecosystem and support commemoration and preservation of First World War-era assets.
- Arts Council England: The principal public-sector funding body for arts and culture in England. Both are publicly-backed cultural initiatives supporting UK-wide arts programming and audience engagement, with overlapping public-policy stakeholders.
Regional players
- Creative Scotland: Scotland's public arts funding body. Conceptually similar as a publicly-funded arts delivery organisation, though operating at a regional (Scottish) rather than UK-wide scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
14–18 NOW social profiles
Digital presence14–18 NOW financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
14–18 NOW leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
14–18 NOW funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
14–18 NOW 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 14–18 NOW
What does 14–18 NOW do?
14–18 NOW was a publicly funded UK arts programme that commissioned and delivered contemporary art, music, and film projects commemorating the First World War centenary from 2013 to 2019. It produced 107 projects (269 new artworks) across 220 UK locations, including the widely toured poppy sculptures Wave and Weeping Window, and engaged 35 million people. The programme was established by DCMS and delivered in partnership with the Imperial War Museums.
Is 14–18 NOW a public or private company?
14–18 NOW is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently closed.
When was 14–18 NOW founded?
14–18 NOW was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 14–18 NOW based?
14–18 NOW is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are 14–18 NOW's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Imperial War Museums, Historic Royal Palaces, National Museums Liverpool and Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Broad incumbents are BBC, Tate, National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Heritage Memorial Fund and Arts Council England. Creative Scotland is listed as a regional player.
Does 14–18 NOW have an API?
No public API is recorded for 14–18 NOW.
What industry is 14–18 NOW in?
14–18 NOW's product category is Cultural Heritage Commemoration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAJ, Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits, with a secondary code of THAJADAI, Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations). Its NAICS code is 7121 and its SIC code is 2741.