Art Shape
Art Shape is a Gloucestershire charity (founded 1993) delivering inclusive arts courses, creative health programmes, disability training, and public art commissions to adults and children facing disabling barriers, NHS-referred patients, and corporate clients across the region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersBrockworth, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Art Shape does
Art Shape is a Gloucestershire-based registered charity (charity number 1023920) and private limited company (company number 02699644) founded in 1993. It delivers a countywide programme of inclusive arts courses, creative health interventions, and bespoke training targeting adults and children who face barriers to participation — including people with learning and physical disabilities, mental health service users, domestic abuse survivors, older people with dementia, and learners below Level 2 education. Core products comprise adult education courses (First Steps, Employability, Local Flex, Creative Communities), the Multiply numeracy programme (2022-2025, government-funded), the Creative Health Programme delivered through the Gloucestershire Creative Health Consortium under NHS Gloucestershire commissioning, and disability-inclusive performing arts via the VIA Dance Company. Commercial offerings include Disability Training, Wellbeing at Work, Art in the Workplace commissions, and an online gallery shop of artist-made products.
The underlying technology base is non-proprietary: the organisation operates an in-person facilitation model with a Shopify storefront, Mailchimp for newsletters, Google Analytics for web traffic monitoring, and Amazon Smile for donation routing. There is no AI/ML infrastructure, no patents, and no software products; competitive differentiation rests entirely on 30+ years of inclusive practice, specialist tutor expertise, and a deeply embedded community partnership network.
The business model is hybrid and grant-anchored. Free places are funded by charitable trusts and donations (including via Amazon Smile, payroll giving, and legacies), with modest £30–£50 course contributions from non-eligible learners. Bespoke disability training, wellbeing programmes, and public art commissions are sold to enterprises, local authorities, and community organisations on a quote basis, with stated pricing models including one-time/perpetual licenses and multi-year contracts. Distribution is community-led through NHS referrals, school and care-home partnerships, and direct outreach across Gloucestershire, with new geographic reach into Tewkesbury via the 2026 Trinity Hall acquisition.
Art Shape firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Art Shape
- Legal name
- Art Shape Ltd.
- Website
- https://artshape.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Art Shape is a Gloucestershire charity (founded 1993) delivering inclusive arts courses, creative health programmes, disability training, and public art commissions to adults and children facing disabling barriers, NHS-referred patients, and corporate clients across the region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Art Shape industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Inclusive Arts and Creative Health Services
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Dance Companies (711120), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)
Keywords
Where Art Shape is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brockworth
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Art Shape business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Funds: Art Shape operates as a registered charity (number 1023920) relying on donations from individuals, corporate donors, and charitable trusts to fund operations and reach beneficiaries. Multiple donation mechanisms are offered including direct donations, Amazon Smile, payroll giving, and legacy giving.
- Adult Education Courses: Fee-based adult education programmes with free places for those below level 2 education who are unemployed or low waged. Contributions of £30-£50 required for those not meeting eligibility criteria.
- Bespoke Training Services: Customised training packages for businesses including disability confidence training, wellbeing at work, and team building. Pricing is quote-based based on organisational needs.
- Art Commissions and Public Art: Commissioned public art installations for companies, councils, and organisations. Historical commissions include work for Lister Petter, Cheltenham Borough Council, Forestry Commission, NHS, and Gloucestershire Gateway Trust.
- Art Sales and Shop: Sale of artwork created by artists through the Art Shape gallery shop, including original artwork, homeware, mugs, keyrings, textiles, and stationery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One time/ perpetual license | Free places for eligible participants |
| Freemium | One time/ perpetual license | Employability and Local Flex courses |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Bespoke training packages |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Art Shape product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Art Shape is a Gloucestershire charity that delivers inclusive arts courses and projects for adults and children facing barriers to participation, with a specialism in disability and social inclusion. It sells fee-based adult education courses, NHS-commissioned creative health (Arts on Prescription) programmes, bespoke disability training and wellbeing-at-work packages for organisations, public art commissions, inclusive performing arts, and artist-made products through its online gallery shop.
Product overview
Art Shape is a Gloucestershire charity established in 1993 that provides a diverse portfolio of arts-based programmes and services focused on disability issues and social inclusion. The organization operates a countywide programme of inclusive arts courses and projects targeting adults and children facing disabling barriers including learning disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health service users, domestic abuse survivors, and older people. The core offerings include: Education Courses (First Steps, Employability, Local Flex, Creative Communities) delivered as adult education with free access for those below Level 2 education; Multiply numeracy courses (government-funded 2022-2025); Creative Health Programme through the Gloucestershire Creative Health Consortium (Arts on Prescription commissioned by NHS); Disability Training and Wellbeing at Work (bespoke organizational training); and VIA Dance Company (inclusive intergenerational dance). Specialized projects include Arts Inc Studio (youth sessions ages 8-17), Art Bridge Emergents (artist development), Dementia Art Sessions (Create and Connect), Carnival Arts Partnership, and Trinity Hall (developing a Creative Health Wellbeing Centre). Additional offerings encompass Art in the Workplace (public art commissions), Arts Inc Partnership (peer support), Disability Arts Alliance (advocacy), and a Gallery Shop selling artist-made products. Funding comes from donations, Amazon Smile, payroll giving, and legacy gifts. As a founding member of Create Gloucestershire, the organization also informs policy and strategy locally and nationally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Education Courses Countywide adult education programme offering creative courses including First Steps (confidence building), Employability courses (professional skills), Local Flex, and Creative Communities. Targets adults facing barriers to participation; free for those below Level 2 education or unemployed, with £30-£50 contributions for non-eligible participants.
- Multiply Courses Government-funded numeracy skills programme delivered with creative activities focused on engagement, community confidence, money management, and family numeracy. Launched in 2022 with three-year funding and reached hundreds of participants across the UK over its delivery period.
- Disability Training Bespoke disability awareness training for organisations covering identifying disabling barriers, the Social Model of Disability, and making reasonable adjustments for staff and customers. Positions businesses to access the £212 billion Purple Pound market.
- Wellbeing at Work Tailored workplace wellbeing training built on 25+ years of experience enhancing wellbeing through creativity. Helps workforces understand their own wellbeing, identify practical and emotional challenges, and promote workplace wellbeing.
- Creative Health Programme Arts on Prescription services commissioned by NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group through the Gloucestershire Creative Health Consortium. Includes Thriving Communities, Tewkesbury Wellbeing Walks, and Odysseys creative movement programmes that help people manage health and wellbeing through creative activities.
- Art in the Workplace Commissioned public art installations for businesses, councils, and organisations. Includes civic outdoor work, sculptural installations, and collaborative art projects involving staff and stakeholders. Historical commissions include Lister Petter street furniture, St Paul's Narrative Planter for Cheltenham Borough Council, InsideOUT sculpture for Forestry Commission, and Branch of Birds mosaic for NHS Macmillan Next Steps cancer rehabilitation centre.
- Gallery Shop Online shop on Shopify selling original artwork, homeware, mugs, keyrings, textiles, stationery and Christmas products created by Art Shape artists, with proceeds supporting the charity's work.
- VIA Dance Company Inclusive intergenerational dance company comprising wheelchair users, learning disabled dancers, and non-disabled dancers. Achievements include first place in the Freestyle Inclusive Dance Category at the Sun Rae Oxfordshire Dance Competition (July 2023) and performances at Gloucester Carnival, Stroud Theatre Festival, and BBC's The One Show.
- Corporate Partnership Opportunities (Partner Us) Corporate partnership offering including bespoke staff training (disability confidence, team building, wellbeing), joint fundraising events, volunteer programmes, marketing and publicity, sponsorship of carnival/community processions, and commissioned art for workplaces.
Quantifiable outcome
- Disability awareness training helps organisations serve the £212 billion Purple Pound market
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Art Shape
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Art Shape technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Art Shape partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Gloucestershire Creative Health ConsortiumcoreConsortium of six organisations (Art Shape, Artlift, Mindsong, The Music Works, Cinderford Artspace and Play Glos) working together since 2014 to deliver Arts on Prescription programmes commissioned by NHS Gloucestershire. Provides best practice, strategically joined-up approach to creative health.
- NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning GroupcoreNHS body that commissions creative health programmes through the Gloucestershire Creative Health Consortium. Works in close partnership to provide diverse and rich portfolio of creative health programmes meeting population need.
- Gloucester Culture TrustcorePart of Together Gloucester Partners network (including Active Glos, The Music Works, Glos Community Building Collective, Glos Gateway Trust and Young Glos) working towards a future where people can experience arts, culture and creativity without barriers.
- Westonbirt ArboretumcorePartnership for Art Bridge Emergents programme where artists with disabilities responded to critical connections between humans and trees. Provided residency space and exhibition venue.
- Active ImpactcoreSocial enterprise tasked by Gloucestershire County Council providing inclusive holiday activities for young people with and without disabilities through the Of Course We Can programme.
- Alzheimers SocietyminorPartnership for Create and Connect dementia art sessions programme. Provides specialist support, advice and information related to dementia.
- Gloucester CarnivalminorGloucester's Carnival Arts Partnership working with partner organisations to diversify engagement, raise artistic quality, and work towards best inclusive carnival practice.
- Disability Arts AlliancecoreAlliance of disabled and non-disabled arts professionals committed to improving disability access across Gloucestershire's arts and cultural sector. Chaired by Joanne Callaghan with representatives from multiple cultural organisations.
- Zoe PartingtonminorRenowned access consultant working with Art Shape on Trinity Hall development to ensure every aspect from floorplan to lighting supports accessibility and inclusion by design.
- ArtliftcorePartner in Gloucestershire Creative Health Consortium delivering Arts on Prescription programmes alongside Art Shape.
- MindsongcorePartner in Gloucestershire Creative Health Consortium delivering music therapy and Arts on Prescription programmes.
- The Music WorkscorePartner in Gloucestershire Creative Health Consortium and Together Gloucester Partners, working to increase access to music and creative experiences.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Art Shape competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mindsong: A Gloucestershire charity specialising in music therapy and creative health that is a fellow consortium member alongside Art Shape in the Gloucestershire Creative Health Consortium, sharing NHS commissioning and Arts on Prescription delivery.
- Carousel: A Brighton-based charity championing learning-disabled artists through music, film, and visual arts. Highly comparable to Art Shape in mission, beneficiary group, and combination of artist development, inclusive performances, and creative training.
- The Music Works: A Gloucestershire music education charity that is a fellow Gloucestershire Creative Health Consortium and Together Gloucester Partners member. Comparable as a regional creative-health charity delivering commissioned programmes and inclusive community work.
- ActionSpace: A London visual arts organisation supporting artists with learning disabilities through studio programmes and exhibitions. Directly comparable to Art Shape's Art Bridge Emergents and inclusive visual arts delivery model.
- Artlift: A Gloucestershire-based charity delivering Arts on Prescription programmes through the same NHS-commissioned Gloucestershire Creative Health Consortium as Art Shape. Directly comparable in mission (creative health, social prescribing) and geography, making it the closest peer.
Regional players
- Barnsley Civic (Creative People and Places): A UK creative health/arts charity funded through Arts Council England's Creative People and Places programme. Comparable as a regional charity delivering inclusive arts, creative health, and community engagement outside of London.
Others
- Disability Arts Online: A national disability arts organisation and media platform that shares Art Shape's focus on amplifying disabled artists and inclusive practice, but operates primarily as an enabling/advocacy platform rather than a direct delivery charity.
Broad incumbents
- Arts Council England (National Portfolio): A major arts funder and broader strategic body in the UK. Comparable in that Art Shape operates within and depends on Arts Council England's funding ecosystem (e.g. Art Bridge Emergents), though at a much smaller regional scale than national portfolio organisations.
- Create Gloucestershire: An umbrella advocacy body for arts and culture in Gloucestershire of which Art Shape is a founding member. Comparable as the strategic/policy layer over Art Shape's community delivery, with overlapping funder and government relationships.
Emerging players
- Open Theatre: A UK disabled-led performing arts company that, like Art Shape's VIA Dance Company, develops inclusive performance opportunities for learning-disabled and non-disabled artists. Comparable in the disability-inclusive performing arts niche.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Art Shape social profiles
Digital presenceArt Shape financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Art Shape leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Art Shape funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Art Shape M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Art Shape
What does Art Shape do?
Art Shape is a Gloucestershire charity that delivers inclusive arts courses and projects for adults and children facing barriers to participation, with a specialism in disability and social inclusion. It sells fee-based adult education courses, NHS-commissioned creative health (Arts on Prescription) programmes, bespoke disability training and wellbeing-at-work packages for organisations, public art commissions, inclusive performing arts, and artist-made products through its online gallery shop.
Is Art Shape a public or private company?
Art Shape is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Art Shape founded?
Art Shape was founded in 1993. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Art Shape based?
Art Shape is headquartered in Brockworth, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Art Shape make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Funds are the primary driver. The others are adult Education Courses, bespoke Training Services, art Commissions and Public Art and art Sales and Shop.
Who are Art Shape's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mindsong, Carousel, The Music Works, ActionSpace and Artlift. Barnsley Civic (Creative People and Places) is listed as a regional player. Disability Arts Online is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Arts Council England (National Portfolio) and Create Gloucestershire. Open Theatre is listed as an emerging player.
Does Art Shape have an API?
No public API is recorded for Art Shape.
What industry is Art Shape in?
Art Shape's product category is Inclusive Arts and Creative Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs, with a secondary code of EDAMAAAA, Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture). Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 7330.