Live & Local

What Live & Local does

Live & Local is a UK-registered non-profit arts organisation (Live & Local Ltd) headquartered in Warwick that operates the largest rural touring network in the Midlands, supporting voluntary organisations to deliver professional live theatre, music, dance, storytelling, family shows, and film screenings in village halls, churches, and schools. Founded in 2013, it serves communities across eight Midlands counties — Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire — where geographic isolation limits access to traditional arts venues. The organisation runs an annual curated Menu of vetted shows (70 productions for 2025/26), which voluntary promoters select from and promote locally with administrative and marketing support from a central team of ~15+ full-time staff plus part-time officers.

The product portfolio extends beyond the core touring network into film distribution (Big Picture Show in Warwickshire and Staffordshire with full technical support including screens up to 3.7m x 2.75m and 5:1 surround sound; Moving Pictures in Stratford-on-Avon District), an annual Big Picture Film Festival (now in its 7th edition for September 2026), the DART (Developing Artists in Rural Touring) programme which has supported nearly 100 artists since 2013, and the multi-year Rural Hub Towns project co-creating arts in five market towns. Underlying technology consists of a touring scheme management platform with an online menu, booking systems, and promoter support tools, alongside physical cinema deployment infrastructure. Strategic sub-brands include Tappin' In (mass-participation tap dance) and the Warwick Incubator (up to £2,500 per artist for new rural touring work).

Revenue is principally grant-funded. Core income comes from Arts Council England, with additional support from BFI FAN National Lottery and a constellation of local authorities and trusts (Stratford Town Trust, Stratford District Council, Warwick District Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council). Transaction-based revenue includes live performance tickets (minimum standard £13.50, adult concession £10.50, average yield target £12.55) and film screening fees (£190 base plus 50% of gross box office over £190 plus VAT). Audience metrics indicate strong local engagement: 62% of attendees travel under 10 miles to a show and 28% walk to the venue, reinforcing the rural-access value proposition.

Name

Live & Local

Legal name

Live & Local Ltd

Website

https://liveandlocal.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Live & Local is a UK non-profit arts organisation that operates the largest rural touring network in the Midlands, supporting voluntary promoter organisations to deliver professional live performances, film screenings, and community arts projects across eight counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Arts Touring Services

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Rural touring network
• Community arts programming
• Village hall performances
• Film screening schemes
• Artist development programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Warwick

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government and Arts Council Funding: Live & Local receives core funding from Arts Council England and local authorities to support the rural touring network operations, artist development programmes like DART, and community engagement initiatives including Rural Hub Towns.
2. Film Screening Services: Revenue from film scheme operations including Big Picture Show and Moving Pictures. Promoters pay £190 base fee plus 50% of box office over £190 for fully serviced screenings with technician support.
3. Performance Bookings and Ticket Revenue: Ticket revenue from live performances booked through the promoter network. Minimum standard ticket price is £13.50 with adult concessions at £10.50. Average yield per sale target is £12.55.
4. Sponsorship and Partnership: Support from corporate sponsors and venue partners including Stratford Town Trust and Stratford District Council for the Big Picture Film Festival.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Live & Local supports a network of voluntary organisations across the Midlands who book and host professional live theatre, storytelling, music, dance, family and children's shows, and film screenings in village halls, churches and schools. It curates an annual Menu of vetted performances, provides administrative and marketing support to local promoters, operates two rural film schemes with full technical servicing, runs the DART artist development programme, and co-creates community arts projects in five Rural Hub Towns.

Product overview

Live & Local operates a portfolio of interconnected arts access programmes centred on its Rural & Community Touring Network, which enables voluntary organisations to host professional performances in village venues. The organisation complements this core touring work with two film schemes (Big Picture Show and Moving Pictures), an annual Big Picture Film Festival, the DART artist development programme, and the Rural Hub Towns community co-creation project across five market towns. Together, these offerings form a comprehensive rural arts access ecosystem spanning live performance touring, community cinema, festival programming, artist professional development, and participatory community arts projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big Picture Film Festival: Annual film festival held in Stratford-upon-Avon, now in its 7th edition (2026).
• DART (Developing Artists in Rural Touring)
• Rural Hub Towns
• Big Picture Show
• Moving Pictures

Products and services

• Rural & Community Touring Network The central offering of Live & Local: a curated annual Menu of vetted professional live theatre, storytelling, music, dance, family shows and film screenings, made available to voluntary promoter organisations across the Midlands who book, host and promote shows in their village halls, churches or schools with administrative and marketing support from Live & Local.
• Developing Artists in Rural Touring (DART) An ongoing artist development programme for performing artists in the Midlands, providing creative development, bursaries, networking with rural promoters and connections to promoter groups; nearly 100 artists and companies have been supported through the programme since 2013.
• Big Picture Show A fully serviced rural cinema scheme providing film screenings in village halls across Warwickshire and Staffordshire, with professional equipment (screen up to 3.7m x 2.75m, Blu-ray/DVD player, projector, 5:1 surround sound), a trained Screening Manager, and licensed film content; promoters pay a £190 base fee plus 50% of box office over £190.
• Moving Pictures A rural cinema service for communities in Stratford-on-Avon District, providing licensed films at subsidised rates for community venues that already have their own screening equipment.
• Big Picture Film Festival An annual film festival held in Stratford-upon-Avon featuring screenings, workshops and film-related events across local venues including Bear Pit Theatre and Holy Trinity Church, with Pay-What-You-Feel Festival Passes for audiences.
• Rural Hub Towns A two-year community arts initiative inviting five rural English market towns (Alford, Coleshill, Eckington, Ollerton & Edwinstowe, Uttoxeter) to co-create shows, workshops and creative events with Live & Local's team of Community Engagement Officers.
• Tappin' In A mass-participation tap dance and body percussion programme bringing 12 weeks of workshops to Rural Hub Towns communities, culminating in local performances and a dance film premiered in Nottingham.
• Warwick Incubator A funding and commissioning initiative for artists and organisations based in Warwick District to develop new performance pieces for rural touring, with grants of up to £2,500 per project provided by Warwick District Council's Arts Section.

Quantifiable outcome

• 62% of audiences travel less than 10 miles to attend performances
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry body providing resources, training, networking opportunities, and annual Rural Touring Guide for artists and organisations.
• Nottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth sector partner collaborating on Tappin' In 2025 mass-participation tap dance project across Rural Hub Towns.
• Inspire CultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner involved in Tappin' In 2025 project, bringing arts and community collaboration to Rural Hub Towns.
• Blackfriars Arts CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts venue partner participating in Tappin' In 2025 community dance project.
• Outside ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts organisation partner in Tappin' In 2025 mass-participation tap dance project across East Midlands communities.
• FABRIC (Birmingham Hippodrome)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBirmingham Hippodrome venue hosting DART programme events and supporting rural artist development.
• The Bear Pit TheatreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal theatre venue in Stratford-upon-Avon supporting Big Picture Film Festival as a venue partner.
• Holy Trinity Church StratfordminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHistoric church venue hosting film festival screenings as part of Big Picture Film Festival 2025.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Tide~ (Touring in Dance Education): Dance-focused touring organisation working with rural and community venues; overlaps with Live & Local in rural touring infrastructure but specialised in dance rather than multi-genre programming.
• Rural Media: Rural film and media charity delivering community cinema and screen-based projects in rural areas; comparable to Live & Local's Big Picture Show and Moving Pictures film schemes in target audience and rural delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Arts Council England: Primary public funder and NPO portfolio holder; while not a direct competitor, Arts Council England's funding strategy directly shapes Live & Local's operating environment and grant cycles.
• BFI Film Hub Midlands: Regional film development body funded by BFI FAN National Lottery that supports film exhibition including rural cinema initiatives; Live & Local's Big Picture Film Festival and film schemes operate within this funded ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Spotlight UK: Community-based performing arts scheme supporting voluntary promoters to bring professional shows to local venues, with comparable curator/promoter model.
• Take Art: Somerset-based rural touring organisation that works with voluntary promoter groups to bring professional performance to village halls, mirroring Live & Local's core model in a different UK region.
• Creative Arts East: East of England rural and community touring scheme operating a similar promoter-network model to deliver professional performance to rural venues.
• Rural Arts (North Yorkshire): North Yorkshire rural touring scheme supporting voluntary promoters to programme professional shows in village halls, with comparable promoter-network infrastructure and Arts Council funding reliance.

Regional players

• The Touring Network (Scotland): Scotland's rural touring organisation supporting promoters in village halls with curated artist menus, comparable in structure but serving a different UK nation.

Others

• National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF): UK-wide industry body that Live & Local actively partners with; supports training, networking, and an annual Rural Touring Guide for member schemes across the UK.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LiveandLocal1
• Facebookfacebook.com/live.local
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/live-&-local-ltd.
• Instagraminstagram.com/liveandlocal.org.uk
• Xx.com/Live_Local

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Live & Local