What Motionhouse does

Motionhouse is a UK-registered charity and private limited company founded in 1988 in Leamington Spa by co-founders Louise Richards MBE (Executive Director) and Kevin Finnan MBE (Artistic Director). It operates as a mid-sized performing arts organisation (11–50 employees) producing dance-circus work that integrates contemporary dance, acrobatics, aerial circus, and live digital projections into a distinctive hybrid form. Its production portfolio spans three categories: full-length theatre touring works (e.g., Nobody, Hidden, Three), flexible outdoor spectacles (WILD, BLOCK, HENGE, Captive), and bespoke large-scale commissions (Wondrous Stories, The Voyage, JCB Productions). The company maintains long-term creative collaborations with Spanish digital filmmakers Logela Multimedia (since 2009), set designer Simon Dormon (since 1989), and musical duo Sophy Smith and Tim Dickinson (since 2001).

The business operates a hybrid revenue model: approximately 35% of an annual £1.3 million operating budget comes from public grants and trust funding led by Arts Council England, with the remainder generated through earned income — touring ticket and venue fees, corporate entertainment commissions, community classes (subscription-based), merchandise, and a tiered supporter membership programme (Bronze £5/month to Platinum £100/month). Distribution is primarily direct enterprise sales to venues, festivals, and corporate clients, supplemented by a community-led classes programme serving local participants in Leamington Spa. The company reaches an estimated 120,000–130,000 people annually and tours internationally across Europe, North America, East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan), Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. Notable commercial milestones include commissioned work for the London 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony and the Birmingham 2022 Festival opening show (22,000+ attendees over four days).

Name

Motionhouse

Legal name

Motionhouse

Website

https://www.motionhouse.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Motionhouse is a UK-registered charitable performing arts company founded in 1988 that produces and tours dance-circus productions integrating acrobatics, aerial work, and digital projections, serving theatre audiences, festivals, corporate clients, and community participants across the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Entertainment (Dance-Circus)

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dance Performances (THAJAFAD), Dance Theatre (Narrative/Experimental) (MPAGADAC), Media Arts & Performance (Film, Stagecraft, Lighting, Sound) (EDAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Dance-circus productions
• Outdoor spectacle performances
• Dance training classes
• Corporate entertainment services
• Youth arts programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Leamington Spa

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Theatre Touring: Full-length theatre productions tour to venues across the UK and internationally, generating ticket revenue. Productions include Nobody, Hidden, BLOCK, Starchitects, and more.
2. Outdoor Festival Performances: Outdoor productions performed at festivals, often free to audiences. Attracts large crowds (1,500-2,000 per performance) and generates venue/festival booking fees.
3. Community Classes: Regular dance classes for children, young people, and adults held at Motionhouse Studio in Leamington Spa. Includes specialized classes like Still in Motion for wheelchair users.
4. Corporate Events & Entertainment: Bespoke entertainment for private events including product launches, conferences, celebrations. Includes TV/broadcast performances (BBC One, ITV).
5. Grants and Public Funding: Approximately 35% of annual £1.3m budget from Arts Council England and trusts/foundations including John Ellerman Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Warwick District Council.
6. Donations and Membership: Regular supporters scheme (Friends of Motionhouse) with annual subscriptions from £60, one-off donations, and corporate sponsorship opportunities.
7. Online Shop: Merchandise sales through online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Motionhouse is a pioneering dance-circus company that creates, produces, and tours live performances integrating contemporary dance, circus skills (acrobatics, aerial work), and digital projections to theatres and festivals in the UK and internationally. The company also delivers a comprehensive education and training programme including regular classes, holiday workshops, youth companies, professional development, and Arts Award programmes, plus bespoke corporate entertainment and special commissions for events.

Product overview

Motionhouse is a pioneering UK dance-circus company founded in 1988 that creates world-class productions integrating athletic dance, circus, and digital technology. The company operates as a unified performing arts organisation with three main product lines: Theatre Productions (full-length shows like Nobody, Hidden, Three, Broken that tour internationally), Outdoor Productions (flexible outdoor works including WILD, BLOCK, HENGE, Captive, and duets), and Education & Training (classes, workshops, professional development, and youth companies). They also deliver Special Commissions and JCB Productions for large-scale events, and Corporate/Events Entertainment services. The portfolio spans from intimate duets (Lost, Knot, Gravity at 9-15 minutes) to major spectacles (Wondrous Stories, The Voyage featuring hundreds of performers). The company offers approximately 15 named productions across theatre, outdoor, and family audiences, supported by a comprehensive learning programme including regular classes, holiday workshops, professional intensives, experience days, and Arts Award programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nobody A multimedia dance-circus adventure featuring seven characters exploring identity, with gravity-defying choreography, digital projections, and a shape-shifting set. Commissioned by University of Kent, ART31, and Midlands Arts Centre.
• Hidden Latest dance-circus production exploring how light can emerge from darkness in times of crisis, featuring gravity-defying choreography, emotive soundscape, and groundbreaking projections. Co-commissioned by FABRIC, Birmingham Hippodrome, and Warwick Arts Centre.
• WILD Outdoor production exploring human disconnect from the natural environment, performed in a forest of tall poles up to 5m high. Commissioned by Without Walls, Gulbenkian & ART31, and Birmingham Hippodrome.
• BLOCK Iconic dance-circus show featuring twenty oversized Jenga-like blocks forming an ever-changing environment, exploring life in the city with split-second timing and gravity-defying feats. Can accommodate audiences of 5,000+.
• Starchitects Award-winning family circus and dance show about a group of friends on a space adventure, featuring gravity-defying acrobatics, digital projections, and themes of childhood imagination.
• Starchitects Save Santa! Festive Christmas dance show for families featuring an intergalactic rescue mission, gravity-defying choreography, and magical digital projections.
• Wondrous Stories Large-scale outdoor spectacle featuring hundreds of community performers, aerial circus, digital projections, and live music. Won Access All Areas Diversity and Inclusion Award 2023.
• The Voyage Massive outdoor spectacle launched the London 2012 Festival, performed on a life-size cruise liner with 140 community performers. Largest free open-air spectacle in Birmingham, seen by 15,000 people over three nights.
• HENGE Family show combining circus and dance with a storyline about neolithic stone circles, featuring gravity-defying acrobatics, parkour, and rhythmic beats. Created for Bluestone National Park Resort.
• Captive Outdoor dance-circus show featuring four performers in a large cage, exploring notions of captivity inspired by Rilke's poem The Panther.
• Three Triple bill bringing together three pieces: Knot (male relationships), Gravity (space isolation), and Rescue (ensemble work), exploring human connections.
• Regular Classes Weekly dance classes for children, young people, and adults at Motionhouse's Leamington Spa studio, taught by professional Motionhouse dancers. Includes classes for various age groups and ability levels, with specialised inclusive classes such as Still in Motion for wheelchair users.
• Holiday Classes Dance and movement workshops available during school holidays for children, young people, and adults.
• Workshops & Residencies Educational workshops and residency programmes delivered in schools and community settings, covering dance skills, contact work, and partnering techniques.
• Motionhouse Youth Company Youth dance company providing advanced training and performance opportunities for young dancers, including collaborations with other youth companies like ACE Youth.
• Professional Development Industry training opportunities for dancers and professionals, including professional intensives, apprenticeships, experience days, placements, and bespoke mentoring programmes.
• Corporate Entertainment / Events Tailored entertainment performances for private events worldwide, including product launches, conferences, celebrations, and corporate functions. Recent work includes BBC One performances and large-scale event productions.
• Away Days / Team Building Bespoke workshops and team building activities for businesses, designed to build trust, communication skills, and team cohesion through dance-circus movement.
• Experience Days Full-day experiences offering behind-the-scenes access to Motionhouse's rehearsal space, including classes with professional dancers, watching rehearsals, Q&A sessions, and technique workshops.
• Arts Award Programmes Support for young people achieving Arts Award qualifications through Discover, Explore, Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels, delivered via classes, workshops, shows, and work placements.
• Special Commissions Bespoke performance events created for specific occasions such as city of culture celebrations, corporate events, festivals, and community initiatives.
• JCB Productions Large-scale outdoor spectacles incorporating JCB diggers, created for special events and celebrations. Includes productions like Torque.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches 120,000-130,000 people annually with approximately £1.3m annual budget
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Reimagine RedditchmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Makers in Motion project - 18-month co-creation project with communities culminating in final performance summer 2028
• FABRIC, Birmingham Hippodrome and Warwick Arts CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2025Co-commissioners of Hidden, Motionhouse's latest production. Birmingham Hippodrome also serves as venue for Hidden's second tour starting October 2025 and is part of Hippodrome Associate Artist programme. Warwick Arts Centre hosted the premiere February 2025.
• The National LotterycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Artistic Director Kevin Finnan was Artistic Director for The National Lottery's Big Eurovision Welcome event in Liverpool (May 2023), watched by 25,000. Multiple TV performances.
• Bluestone National Park ResortmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022HENGE created for guests at Bluestone as part of Summer Festival 2022. Returned for second residency summer 2023. In association with Bluestone.
• Birmingham 2022 FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Presented Wondrous Stories as opening show of Birmingham 2022 Festival running alongside Commonwealth Games. Seen by 22,000+ people.
• Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces (OPUS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Produced Wondrous Stories outdoor spectacle
• University of Kent, ART31, Midlands Arts CentremajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Commissioned Nobody production and created in partnership
• Gulbenkian & ART31majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Commissioners of WILD outdoor production alongside Birmingham Hippodrome (as part of Hippodrome Associate Artist programme)
• Without WallscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Key commissioning partner for WILD outdoor production, with additional commissioning from Freedom Festival, Hat Fair, and Out There International Festival of Circus & Street Arts
• Without Walls, Stockton International Riverside Festival, Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Out There International FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Commissioned BLOCK outdoor production. Also commissioned by Archaos, Pôle National des Arts du Cirque Méditerranée and Le Citron Jaune, Centre National des Arts de la Rue.
• NoFit State CircuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Originally produced and developed BLOCK in collaboration with NoFit State
• Legs On The Wall (Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Australian physical theatre company co-created The Voyage with Motionhouse. Co-directed by Kevin Finnan and Patrick Nolan.
• Birmingham HippodromecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Producing partner for The Voyage and ongoing partner. Hippodrome Associate Company status for Motionhouse.
• Weta Workshop (New Zealand)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Initial visual concept development for The Voyage. Weta is famous for creating Avatar and Lord of the Rings visual effects.
• Logela MultimediacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2009Spanish filmmakers who have produced digital worlds for Motionhouse since 2009. Developed the digital-dance integration for which Motionhouse is known. Vital partner in all theatre and event-based work.
• Sophy Smith and Tim DickinsoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Musical collaborators since composing soundtrack for Volatile in 2001. Have collaborated on virtually every production since.
• Simon Dormon (Set Designer)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Has designed and created every Motionhouse set since 1989. Partner in Oblique Furniture. Former founder member of Trickster.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NoFit State Circus: UK-based contemporary circus company that originally co-developed Motionhouse's BLOCK production. Operates a comparable model creating large-scale circus-led touring work and residencies, directly overlapping in audience, commissioning partners, and artistic territory.
• DV8 Physical Theatre: Leading UK physical theatre company producing internationally touring dance-led productions. Highly comparable audience (theatre and festival), funding mix (Arts Council dependent), and artistic profile to Motionhouse.
• Gandini Juggling: UK company fusing juggling/circus skills with contemporary dance and theatrical presentation, touring internationally. Directly overlaps with Motionhouse's dance-circus language and venue/festival customer base.
• Punchdrunk: UK immersive theatre company (and former employer of Motionhouse's Senior Dancer Beth Pattison) producing large-scale, highly visual, narratively distinctive work. Comparable in producing bold productions for premium partners and in leaning on physical design and digital/scenic integration.

Broad incumbents

• Complicité: Established UK touring theatre company producing visually spectacular, physically grounded work for major venues. Overlaps with Motionhouse in international touring circuit, critical acclaim profile, and Arts Council dependency, but at a significantly larger scale.
• Cirque du Soleil: Global circus-entertainment incumbent with touring shows and large-scale spectacles. Operates in the same broader circus/dance-entertainment category as Motionhouse and overlaps in corporate entertainment and large event commissions, though at vastly different scale and commercial orientation.

Emerging players

• Ockham's Razor: UK circus-physical theatre company producing aerial and acrobatic touring work for theatres and outdoor festivals. Overlaps in target venues, family and festival audiences, and aerial/circus skill base that complements Motionhouse's dance-circus style.
• Stumble Dance Circus: Smaller UK dance-circus ensemble creating accessible touring work for festivals and family audiences. Comparable in niche dance-circus positioning and outdoor festival circuit, though with smaller scale and reach than Motionhouse.
• Tortoise in a Nutshell: Scottish physical theatre company producing visually innovative touring work using projection, puppetry, and physical performance. Comparable in use of digital imagery integrated with live performance and Arts Council-style funding model.

Others

• Motionhouse's partner Logela Multimedia: Spanish multimedia production company collaborating with Motionhouse since 2009 on digital projections for all theatre and event work. Functions as a key supplier/integrator rather than a competitor, but is deeply tied to the company's distinctive 'living film' product.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MotionhouseDT
• Facebookfacebook.com/MotionhouseDance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/motionhousedance
• Instagraminstagram.com/motionhouse
• TikToktiktok.com/@motionhouse
• Xx.com/motionhousedt

Compliance2 records

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 Motionhouse