Yorkshire Life Aquatic

What Yorkshire Life Aquatic does

Yorkshire Life Aquatic is a Community Interest Company (C.I.C.) founded in 2013 by Lucy Meredith and Zoe Parker in Leeds, United Kingdom, operating as a not-for-profit social enterprise at the intersection of synchronized swimming, performance art, and environmental education. Its core technology is a distinctive blend of dry land synchronized swimming performance (recreating vintage Esther Williams and Busby Berkeley aesthetics) and water-based creative swimming choreography, delivered through a portfolio of seven branded formats: Million Dollar Mermaids (touring outdoor show), Bramley Mermaids Club (weekly women-only swimming classes at Bramley Baths at £6.50/session), Human Aquarium (eco-arts immersive exhibition on ocean conservation), Tea and Tolerance (community dialogue project), Splash Mobs (pop-up performance art), Community Projects (land-based performance art), and Hollywood Meets Bollywood (Bollywood–synchronized swimming fusion launched 2025 for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture).

The organization serves multiple customer segments: women and girls aged 12+ seeking inclusive, body-positive swimming experiences; festival and event organizers booking the Million Dollar Mermaids show; arts venues commissioning Human Aquarium exhibitions and workshops; local government and cultural organizations (Leeds 2023, Bradford 2025, Leeds City Council); and care homes via the Million Dollar Memory project. Headcount is 1-10 and primary operations are anchored at Bramley Baths, Leeds, with a secondary temporary space at Kala Sangam, Bradford.

The business model mixes earned income (one-time performance booking fees, pay-as-you-go class fees, bespoke exhibition fees) with grant-dependent revenue from UK arts and lottery funders including Arts Council England, National Lottery Project Grants, National Heritage Lottery Fund, Big Lottery, Awards for All, Comic Relief, Leeds Inspired, Pears Foundation, and Creative Communities Fund. Distribution runs through direct website/email bookings, a single community venue, festival circuits (Feva Festival, Brighton Fringe, Saltaire Festival, Ilkley Lido), and arts venue partnerships. Marketing is multi-channel but lean: organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Bluesky, SoundCloud), earned media (BBC News, Yorkshire Evening Post), and community word-of-mouth referrals. No revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

Yorkshire Life Aquatic

Legal name

Yorkshire Life Aquatic C.I.C.

Website

https://yorkshirelifeaquatic.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yorkshire Life Aquatic is a Leeds-based Community Interest Company founded in 2013 that runs dry land synchronized swimming performances, inclusive women-only swimming classes, and eco-arts exhibitions, serving women and girls, festival organizers, and cultural institutions across Yorkshire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Community Arts Services

NAICS

Amusement and Theme Parks (713110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities (MPAKAEAF), Aquatic Family Entertainment Centers (Splash Pads, Aquatic Playgrounds, Swim Parks) (THAJAEAL)

Keywords

• Synchronized swimming classes
• Community arts programs
• Performance art shows
• Eco-arts exhibitions
• Creative wellness workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Performance Bookings: Booking fees for Million Dollar Mermaids show at festivals, events, and private functions. 20-minute show bookings 3-4 times per day with optional add-ons like splash mobs, synchro workshops, or walkabout performances.
2. Community Classes: Drop-in class fees at £6.50 per session for Bramley Mermaids Club, with block booking discounts available.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Crowdfunding campaigns through JustGiving and Local Giving pages to support affordable and accessible sessions for women who might otherwise miss out.
4. Arts Council and Lottery Funding: Project grants from Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Big Lottery, Awards for All, and other cultural funding bodies.
5. Exhibition and Workshop Fees: Fees for bespoke Human Aquarium exhibitions and workshops at venues, with custom packages available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Yorkshire Life Aquatic creates, performs, and delivers dry land synchronized swimming performances, weekly creative swimming and exercise classes for women and girls, eco-arts immersive exhibitions on marine conservation, and community dialogue projects. Its core deliverables are the Million Dollar Mermaids touring show, the Bramley Mermaids Club weekly classes at Bramley Baths, the Human Aquarium eco-arts exhibition, Splash Mobs interactive experiences, Tea and Tolerance community conversations, and themed community performance projects.

Product overview

Yorkshire Life Aquatic is a Community Interest Company (CIC) offering a portfolio of creative arts programs centered around water, synchronized swimming, and performance. The core offerings include the Million Dollar Mermaids (dry land synchronized swimming show), Bramley Mermaids Club (weekly swimming exercise sessions), Human Aquarium (eco-arts exhibition), Tea and Tolerance (community connection project), Community Projects (land-based performance art), Splash Mobs (interactive experiences), and Hollywood Meets Bollywood (dance fusion performances). These programs work together to promote positive body image, health, heritage, and environmental awareness through creativity and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Million Dollar Mermaids: A dry land synchronised swimming outdoor show recreating the fun and glamour of vintage ladies using synchro dance and clowning. Versatile performers who can appear in parks, pools, beaches, and fountains.
• Bramley Mermaids Club
• Human Aquarium
• Tea and Tolerance
• Splash Mobs

Products and services

• Million Dollar Mermaids
• Bramley Mermaids Club
• Human Aquarium
• Tea and Tolerance
• Splash Mobs
• Hollywood Meets Bollywood

Quantifiable outcome

• 7000 visitors in 12 days at Human Aquarium exhibition
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Bramley BathscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue partner since 2013 for Bramley Mermaids Club classes and performances. Long-term relationship supporting various creative projects including Mermaid Tales, Memory Aquarium, and community events.
• World Cetacean AlliancestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partner for Human Aquarium project, working together to help cetaceans and marine environment through eco-art and education.
• Plastic-Free MestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partner for Human Aquarium, collaborating on ocean conservation messaging and sustainability initiatives.
• Plastic-Free YouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for youth-focused environmental education and plastic reduction initiatives.
• Leeds 2023coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivered We are Bramley: Acts of Defiance as part of Leeds 2023 My World My City My Neighbourhood programme. Originally involved in Leeds bid for European City of Culture.
• Bradford 2025 UK City of CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHollywood Meets Bollywood project delivered as part of Bradford 2025 celebrations, funded through Creative Communities Fund.
• Ilkley LidostrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Hollywood Meets Bollywood pool sessions and performances, located at Denton Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire.
• Kala SangamstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts centre partner for Bollywood dance rehearsals as part of Hollywood Meets Bollywood project, providing temporary space at Bank House, Bradford.
• Zoobin Surty CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead artist and choreographer collaboration for Hollywood Meets Bollywood project, bringing Bollywood dance expertise and community connections.
• East Street ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeeds-based contemporary arts organization providing membership, professional development, and studio facilities support.
• Leeds City CouncilstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner supporting various community projects and cultural initiatives.
• Brighton Fringe FestivalstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival venue for Yorkshire Mermaids Synchro Spectacular performance in 2019.
• Greenpeace LeedsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partner collaborating on ocean conservation messaging.
• Leeds College of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for Mermaids Tale project, running arts and craft workshops for children.
• Institute for Crazy DancingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative collaborator providing direction and mentorship for performance development.
• Shoot First CreativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilmmaker and creative collaborator documenting performances and creating promotional content.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• British Swimming: UK national federation for aquatic sports including artistic swimming. As the umbrella body, it sets national strategy and competes with niche community operators for participant pipeline and media coverage, particularly around major events and Team GB selection narratives.
• Swim England Artistic Swimming: National governing body division overseeing artistic swimming across England. Provides the regulatory and competitive framework within which YLA and other synchro clubs operate, and competes for talent, media attention, and participant mindshare in the same artistic swimming category.

Direct peers

• Bristol Central Synchronised Swimming Club: UK synchro club providing competitive and recreational artistic swimming training, comparable to YLA's swimming class offering. Both organizations operate outside the elite performance pathway and emphasize inclusive participation rather than purely competitive outcomes.
• City of Leeds Synchronised Swimming Club: Local synchro club operating in the same Leeds market as Yorkshire Life Aquatic's Bramley Mermaids Club. While focused on competitive artistic swimming rather than performance art, it serves a comparable demographic (women and girls) and competes for the same synchro talent pool in Yorkshire.
• Reading Royals Synchronised Swimming: Regional UK synchro club offering synchronized swimming training and performance opportunities. Operates in a comparable niche (community-based synchro) and competes for the same recreational swimming participant demographic across the UK.

Emerging players

• Mind the Gap: Bradford-based inclusive performance company combining professional touring work with learning and participation programs. Highly comparable in scale, mission (inclusion/community), and grant-supported operating model, and operates in the same West Yorkshire cultural ecosystem.
• Motionhouse: UK dance-circus performance company of comparable scale producing touring physical theatre shows with grant-supported community programs. Mirrors YLA's combination of professional touring productions and participatory community engagement, with similar funder mix and operating model.

Others

• Duckie: London performance art collective at Royal Vauxhall Tavern where YLA has previously performed. Comparable aesthetic niche (vintage-inspired, queer-inclusive performance art) and overlapping community-arts funder ecosystem, though operating at a higher-volume urban scale.

Regional players

• East Street Arts: Leeds-based contemporary arts organization and YLA's partner. Operates a comparable social-enterprise model combining studio provision, membership, and community arts delivery within the same Leeds cultural infrastructure and overlapping funder base.
• Holbeck Together: Leeds-based community organization delivering creative programs to local residents in the Holbeck/Bramley corridor. Comparable in operating geography, community-engagement mission, and reliance on local authority and lottery funding streams.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YorksLifeAqua
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbFbKLapkiEWYF3IBjofX_Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/YorkshireLifeAquatic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yorkshire-life-aquatic-c.i.c.
• Instagraminstagram.com/yorkshire_life_aquatic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Yorkshire Life Aquatic