Core Music CIC

What Core Music CIC does

Core Music CIC is a UK-registered Community Interest Company operating as a non-for-profit social enterprise music hub from a single premises at 14 a/b Gilesgate, Hexham, Northumberland (NE46 3NJ). It is managed by Paul Susans and is currently recruiting its first Administrator & Bookkeeper. The organisation delivers music-making services to individuals of all ages and abilities across Hexham, the Tyne Valley, and West Northumberland, and is a partner of Hexham's Cultural Network.

Core Music's service portfolio comprises (1) one-to-one tuition across 15+ instruments (drums, guitar, piano, singing, violin, bass, ukulele, saxophone, clarinet, flute, recorder, banjo, mandolin, music theory), (2) groups, sessions and workshops, (3) instrument repairs and the term-time Monday Night Repair Club, (4) an instrument library supported by donated instruments, (5) a community recording studio hireable at £150/half-day or £250/full-day (engineer included), and (6) gift vouchers carrying a 10% admin fee. All musicians are DBS-checked with professional references available. The Core Music Collective is a managed framework recruiting independent professional musicians under shared T.O.N.I.C. values (Togetherness, Openness, Nurture, Inclusivity, Creativity), offering CPD, work-experience pathways, and student referrals.

The business model is a hybrid of professional services (tuition, repairs, studio hire) and a small transaction/admin fee on vouchers, supplemented by donations and in-kind instrument gifts. Go-to-market is community-led: a Squarespace website, email mailing list, events (e.g., Paul Edis, Keith Alessi performances), word-of-mouth, and the Hexham Cultural Network partnership. Pricing for lessons is aligned to Musicians Union rates, set per musician. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI capability, no app, and no disclosed external funding; the organisation is intentionally not-for-profit and reinvests any surplus into community projects.

Name

Core Music CIC

Legal name

Core Music CIC

Website

https://coremusic.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Core Music CIC is a non-for-profit Community Interest Company operating a community music hub in Hexham, Northumberland, delivering one-to-one lessons, groups, workshops, instrument repairs, an instrument library, and recording studio hire through a collective of DBS-checked freelance musicians serving local learners and aspiring professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Remote Recording & Online Session Services (MPAIAHAL), Instrument Rental & Backline Services (MPAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Community music education
• Music tuition services
• Instrument repair services
• Community recording studio
• Instrument donation library

Headquarters

HQ city

Hexham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Lesson and Tuition Fees: Revenue from one-to-one lessons and group sessions delivered by the musician collective. Prices are in line with Musicians Union rates.
2. Voucher Sales: Sale of gift vouchers for lessons, sessions, and workshops. Includes a 10% admin fee that goes directly to Core Music CIC services.
3. Instrument Repair Services: Comprehensive repair services for stringed instruments including setups, restringing, fretwork, hardware replacement, and pickup installations. Monday Night Repair Club operates term-time.
4. Recording Studio Hire: Community recording studio available for hire with engineer, offering half-day (4hrs) and full-day (8hrs) sessions for demos, solo artists, and bands.
5. Instrument Donations and Library: Donated instruments are refurbished through Monday Night Repair Club and either loaned, borrowed, or sold competitively to support the instrument library for learners.
6. Donations: As a non-for-profit CIC, Core Music accepts donations to fund community projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Core Music CIC operates a community music hub in Hexham, Northumberland delivering one-to-one instrument tuition, group sessions and workshops, instrument repair and servicing, a Monday Night Repair Club for donated instruments, an instrument library/loan program, and a community recording studio for hire. Services are delivered by a collective of DBS-checked, verified professional musicians operating under a shared T.O.N.I.C. values framework.

Product overview

Core Music CIC is a non-profit Community Interest Company operating as a social enterprise music hub in Hexham. The organization offers a portfolio of music education and support services centered around three core pillars: Instrument Tuition (one-to-one lessons across 15+ instruments), Groups/Sessions/Workshops, and Instrument Support Services (repairs, donations, and an instrument library). These services are delivered through a managed collective of verified, DBS-checked professional musicians. Additional offerings include a community recording studio, gift vouchers, and professional development pathways for musicians. The organization is currently expanding its offer to include a professional musicians collective, bespoke training, and work experience opportunities in music teaching, performing, production and technician roles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Instrument Tuition (One-to-One Lessons) One-to-one music lessons taught by verified, DBS-checked professional musicians covering drums, guitar, piano, singing, violin, bass, ukulele, saxophone, clarinet, flute, recorder, banjo, mandolin, and music theory. Available to learners of all ages and abilities.
• Groups, Sessions and Workshops Group music learning opportunities, sessions and workshops delivered by the Core Music collective of professional musicians, averaging 90 minutes to 2 hours per session.
• Instrument Repairs and Servicing Comprehensive repair services for stringed instruments including electric and acoustic guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, banjos and bouzoukis, covering string changes, setups, fretwork, nut/saddle replacement, hardware replacement, and pickup installations.
• Community Recording Studio Hire Community recording studio with engineer available for hire at £150 per half day (4 hours) or £250 per full day (8 hours), designed for demos, solo artists and bands wanting to learn studio skills.
• Instrument Library and Donations Program Refurbished donated instruments made available for learners to borrow, loan, or purchase competitively, supporting access to tuition services across the community.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hexham's Cultural NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore Music CIC is a social enterprise and partner of Hexham's Cultural Network. This partnership positions Core Music within the broader cultural ecosystem of Hexham, enabling cross-promotion and collaboration with other cultural organizations in the region to serve the community.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Artis Education: UK provider of music and drama education in primary schools through specialist tutors. Comparable as a UK music education service delivering structured tuition via a network of vetted tutors, similar in operating model to Core Music CIC's collective of verified musicians.
• Brighter Sound: Manchester-based community music charity supporting emerging musicians through training, development, and creative projects. Directly comparable as a UK community music organization focused on music-making, professional development, and inclusive participation, similar in mission to Core Music CIC.

Others

• Music Mark: UK subject association for music education, representing Music Education Hubs and supporting inclusive music-making. Relevant peer as the membership body for the UK music education sector in which Core Music CIC operates, and a potential referral channel for families.
• Youth Music: UK charity funding music-making opportunities for children and young people, including community music programs. Comparable as a UK-based music education funding and program body aligned with Core Music CIC's mission to support music-making opportunities for all ages and abilities.
• ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music): Leading UK music examination board offering graded music exams across instruments and music theory. Comparable as an ecosystem participant whose exam pathway Core Music CIC's students might pursue, and whose Musicians' Union-aligned rates the company references for tuition pricing.
• Sound Sense: UK membership body supporting community music practitioners and organizations. Relevant peer as the representative body for the same UK community music sector in which Core Music CIC operates, providing networking, advocacy, and standards for community music practitioners.

Regional players

• North Tyneside Music Education Hub: Local authority music education hub serving North Tyneside with tuition, ensembles, and instrument loans for school-age learners. Directly comparable as a North East England music education hub with similar service pillars (tuition, ensembles, instrument library) competing for the same regional learner base.
• Sage Gateshead: Major music venue and education provider in Gateshead, North East England, offering performances, music education, and community programs. Comparable to Core Music CIC as a North East music hub serving learners and musicians, though at a much larger institutional scale with a dedicated concert hall.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coremusichexham
• Facebookfacebook.com/Core.Music.CIC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/core-music-cic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Core Music CIC