Acrojou

What Acrojou does

Acrojou was a UK-based visual theatre and circus company that operated from 2006 to 2023, producing original touring works for festivals, public spaces, and commissioned venues. The company created 12 major productions over 17 years, touring across 23 countries on 3 continents, with its flagship production 'The Wheel House' achieving 1,000+ performances and an audience of 200,000+ across a 14-year tour. The core team consisted of two co-founders — Jackson M Phoenix (Artistic Director) and Barney White (Creative Director) — operating with a small staff of 1-10 employees.

The company's revenue model combined touring show fees, walkabout performance bookings, corporate commissions, and public arts grants. Primary funding came from Arts Council England and Kent County Council, with the Without Walls Consortium providing institutional distribution access to the UK outdoor arts festival circuit. Strategic partnerships with the British Council, Royal Opera House, and National Theatre provided commissioning and co-production opportunities. The company was recognized with 300+ press features and described as "one of Britain's most exciting dance and circus companies."

Acrojou ceased operations in 2023. The combination of an executive director resignation in 2020, the shift to digital content (a short film) in 2022, and the final closure suggests the company faced structural pressures common to small-scale touring arts organizations, particularly post-pandemic grant funding contraction and the challenging economics of touring original physical theatre at sub-£1M revenue scale.

Name

Acrojou

Legal name

Acrojou

Website

https://acrojou.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Acrojou was a UK visual theatre and circus company (2006-2023) that created 12 touring productions for festivals and venues, serving arts audiences across 23 countries and operating with a small core team of co-founders and staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Performance - Contemporary Circus and Visual Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Circus, Magic & Variety Shows (THAJAFAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary circus
• Visual theatre
• Outdoor arts
• Physical performance
• Theatrical productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Faversham

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

Revenue model

1. Touring Show Fees: Revenue generated from touring theatrical and circus productions to festivals, theatres, and venues across the UK and internationally.
2. Walkabout Bookings: One-off performances for events, festivals, and corporate functions.
3. Corporate Enquiries: Private corporate event performances.
4. Commissioning Fees: Revenue from commissioned works by arts organizations, festivals, and venues. Portfolio included 12 major commissioned productions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Acrojou created and toured original contemporary circus and visual theatre productions combining acrobatic performance, theatrical storytelling, striking choreography, and innovative set design. The company delivered commissioned touring shows, walkabout performances, and corporate event entertainment to festivals, theatres, and venues across 23 countries. Its portfolio included 12 major commissioned productions over 17 years of operation (2006-2023).

Product overview

Acrojou was a visual theatre and circus company (2006-2023) that created and toured original theatrical circus performances. The company's product portfolio consisted primarily of live theatrical productions including touring circus shows (The Wheel House, Vagabond Matter, Vessel, All at Sea, Frantic, Dust, Lifted, Wake, Urban Rotations), a short film (The Wake), and a mixed artform project (The Future We Choose/Altrd State). These productions combined circus arts, physical theatre, visual design, and storytelling to explore philosophical questions about human existence. The company ceased operations in 2023 after 18 years of touring internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Wheel House A theatrical circus performance created for outdoor venues, featuring striking design and acrobatic theatre within a unique circular rolling set. A tender love story set in a dystopian future exploring themes of friendship, perseverance and survival.
• Vagabond Matter: A Love Letter to Existence A final major production exploring transformation and impermanence through a blend of cosmic science and personal narrative, including themes of love, loss, gender transition and personal transformation.
• Vessel A one-man performance combining acrobatics, physical theatre and video projected onto falling water, examining impermanence, solitude and the value of now through the lens of death.
• All at Sea An intimate theatre piece set inside a tiny boat which rowed through its audience, exploring what gives meaning to life through bittersweet theatre and melancholic humor.
• Frantic A production exploring themes of busyness, overwhelm and presence through acrobatic-dance and visual design.
• Dust A contemporary circus performance blending wheel acrobatics, striking choreography and atmospheric visual design, Acrojou's first touring work.
• The Wake (Short Film) A short film about impermanence and letting go, created as a goodbye piece when Acrojou's final tour was cancelled, based on the show All at Sea.
• The Future We Choose/Altrd State A mixed artform project commissioned by Greenbelt Festival, collaboration between Barney White and Jackson M Phoenix.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached audiences of over 200k across 23 countries and 3 continents
• +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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented British innovation and culture internationally. Facilitated touring in Korea, Taiwan, and other international venues.
• Visit BritaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented British innovation and culture internationally through support of The Wheel House touring.
• Without Walls Consortium of Outdoor ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned multiple productions including 'Frantic' and 'The Wheel House'. Key commissioning partner for outdoor arts.
• The GulbenkiancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned productions including 'All at Sea' and 'Vessel'. Major UK arts funder.
• Royal Opera HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted performances including 'The Wheel House' live in Covent Garden. Recognized venue partner.
• National TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgramming and commissioning partner listed in portfolio.
• 101 Outdoor Arts Creation SpaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue where 'The Wake' short film was filmed. Creation space for outdoor arts.
• TMB Design BristolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSet design, build and engineering partner for multiple productions including 'All at Sea', 'Vessel', and 'Frantic'.
• Vivacity PeterboroughminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned 'Vagabond Matter' and 'Vessel'. Regional arts organization.
• Pontio Arts and Innovation CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned 'Vagabond Matter'. Welsh arts centre.
• Greenbelt FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned 'The Future We Choose/Altrd State' mixed artform project (2022).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Others

• National Centre for Circus Arts: London-based circus training institution where Acrojou's founders (Jackson M Phoenix and Barney White) created their first touring work 'Dust' as a graduation show. Connected as the training ground and launching pad for Acrojou's founding team.
• Without Walls Consortium: UK consortium of outdoor arts festivals and producers that commissioned multiple Acrojou productions. Relevant as commissioning/distribution network partner rather than competitor.

Emerging players

• Spitfire Dance: UK-based contemporary dance-circus company producing touring performances. Comparable emerging UK interdisciplinary performance company with similar scale and Arts Council funding profile.
• Barely Methodical Troupe: UK-based acrobatic dance company producing touring shows that blend contemporary dance with acrobatic performance. Comparable emerging UK circus-physical theatre company in scale and touring model.

Direct peers

• Motionhouse: UK physical theatre and dance-circus company producing touring productions that combine acrobatics, dance, and digital projections. Highly comparable to Acrojou's interdisciplinary circus-theatre-video approach.
• NoFit State Circus: Welsh contemporary circus company producing large-scale touring shows and outdoor arena spectacles. Directly comparable to Acrojou as a UK contemporary circus company focused on touring productions combining circus, theatre, and visual design.
• Ockham's Razor: UK aerial and circus theatre company creating physically demanding performances that combine circus, dance, and theatre. Direct peer in the UK contemporary circus touring circuit with shared Arts Council funding relationships.
• Gandini Juggling: UK-based contemporary circus company known for blending juggling with dance, theatre, and visual arts. Direct peer in the UK contemporary circus touring scene, with comparable artistic ambition and festival touring model.

Broad incumbents

• Cirque du Soleil: Global leader in contemporary circus entertainment. Significantly larger and broader than Acrojou, but operates in the same contemporary circus category and competes for top-tier festival and venue programming slots internationally.

Regional players

• The Revel Desk: UK independent circus and outdoor arts producer. Comparable regional UK contemporary circus producer/tourer with shared funding and touring network relationships.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Acrojou
• Facebookfacebook.com/Acrojou

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Acrojou