Indepen-dance

What Indepen-dance does

Indepen-dance is a Scottish-registered charity (Scottish Charity Number SC033239) founded around 1995 and headquartered in Glasgow, operating as an inclusive dance company for disabled and non-disabled people. Its core product is a programme of weekly creative movement and dance classes delivered in three formats — core classes in Glasgow on a term-by-term basis, outreach classes outside Glasgow for children, youths and families, and specialised classes in Glasgow for varying ages and abilities open to members and non-members. Membership is priced at £20 per year for adults and £10 for youth, securing class placement and discounted event access, while a separate Friends subscription starts at £5 per month with newsletter, event invites, and reduced ticket prices.

Beyond classes, the organisation runs three performance ensembles — the Professional Touring Company (four named dancers touring productions in the UK and Europe), the Adult Performance Company, and the Young 1z youth ensemble — together with an Education and Outreach programme that delivers bespoke training, workshops with visiting artists, and career-development support. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on outreach to day centres, community groups, and service providers plus organic social, email newsletters, and word-of-mouth referrals, with no digital platform or app layer.

The business model is grant-and-donation-led rather than commercially scaled. Earned income from memberships and Friends subscriptions is intentionally modest; the operating base is underwritten by a diversified portfolio of charitable funders led by Creative Scotland, Glasgow City Council, the National Lottery Community Fund, and BBC Children In Need, supplemented by multiple Scottish trusts and corporate foundations. Founder Karen Anderson remains as artistic director, and the organisation holds Disability Confident employer status alongside a partnership with Scottish Ballet for touring-company technique classes.

Name

Indepen-dance

Legal name

Indepen-dance (Scotland)

Website

https://indepen-dance.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Indepen-dance is a Glasgow-based Scottish charity (founded ~1995) that delivers inclusive dance classes, three performance ensembles, and education programmes for disabled and non-disabled people across Scotland, the UK, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inclusive Dance Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Dance Companies (71112), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI), Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD)

Keywords

• Inclusive dance classes
• Disability arts programs
• Community dance outreach
• Accessible dance training
• Inclusive performance companies

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership program where participants pay fees to join classes and access the community network. Membership secures place in classes and provides discounted costs at events.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Friends of Indepen-dance monthly donation scheme starting from £5/month, along with event-based fundraising activities and direct donations.
3. Friends Subscription Scheme: Monthly subscription at £5+ providing donors with newsletter access, event invites, and reduced ticket prices to performances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Indepen-dance is an award-winning inclusive dance company that delivers weekly creative movement and dance classes to disabled and non-disabled people, organised into Core, Outreach, and Specialised class formats. Alongside classes, it operates three performance ensembles (Professional Touring Company, Adult Performance Company, Young 1Z) and an education and outreach training programme, supported by an annual membership scheme and a "Friends" donor subscription.

Product overview

Indepen-dance is an award-winning inclusive dance company operating as a single unified service rather than a platform. The core offering consists of weekly creative movement and dance classes organized into three categories: Core Classes (based in Glasgow on a term-by-term basis), Outreach Classes (outside Glasgow for children, youths and families), and Specialized Classes (in Glasgow for varying ages and abilities). The organization complements its educational offerings with three performance ensembles: the Professional Touring Company (a flagship ensemble of four dancers touring UK and Europe), the Adult Performance Company, and Young 1z (youth ensemble). Additional offerings include bespoke professional training, career development, employment opportunities, and an annual membership program priced at £20 for adults and £10 for youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Professional Touring Company: Flagship inclusive dance ensemble with fast-growing reputation for innovative and high quality touring productions. Features four dancers who work with choreographers and musicians, touring shows in the UK and across Europe.
• Adult Performance Co.
• Young 1Z

Products and services

• Weekly Dance Classes Weekly creative movement and dance classes for disabled people and their carers, delivered in three formats: Core Classes (Glasgow, term-by-term), Outreach Classes (outside Glasgow for children, youths and families), and Specialised Classes (Glasgow, varying ages and abilities, open to members and non-members).
• Professional Touring Company A four-dancer inclusive dance ensemble (Hayley Earlam, Emma Smith, Neil Price, Adam Sloan) that works with choreographers and musicians to tour productions across the UK and Europe. Weekly technique classes are held at Scottish Ballet, Glasgow.
• Adult Performance Company Performance ensemble offering adult disabled and non-disabled dancers an opportunity to perform.
• Young 1Z Youth performance ensemble providing performance opportunities for young dancers.
• Education and Outreach Training Training programmes and educational outreach activities, including workshops with visiting artists such as the training workshop with Gianti Giadi advertised in early 2026.
• Annual Membership Program Subscription membership priced at £20/year for adults and £10/year for youth, providing secured class placement, discounted event costs, and access to the member handbook.
• Friends of Indepen-dance Recurring monthly donor subscription from £5/month offering benefits including a monthly newsletter, event invites, open class participation, and reduced ticket prices to performances.

Named customers3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Disability ConfidentminorOthersUK government scheme supporting employers to recruit, retain and develop disabled employees. Indepen-dance holds Disability Confident employer status.
• Arts & Business ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization connecting arts and business sectors in Scotland for mutual benefit.
• Scottish BalletcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional dance company partnering with Indepen-dance for Professional Touring Company technique classes held at their facility.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• People Dancing: UK development organization supporting community and inclusive dance through training, networks, and resources. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler for the inclusive dance sector in which Indepen-dance operates.

Direct peers

• Candoco Dance Company: UK-based inclusive dance company integrating disabled and non-disabled professional dancers. Most direct comparable to Indepen-dance's Professional Touring Company and inclusive performance programming.
• AXIS Dance Company: US-based inclusive dance company creating and performing integrated works with disabled and non-disabled dancers, plus education programs. Highly comparable mission and programming structure.
• Corali Dance Company: London-based dance company for people with learning disabilities, offering weekly classes, performance ensembles, and outreach. Closest match to Indepen-dance's class-plus-performance-ladder model.
• Dancing Wheels Company: US-based inclusive dance company integrating wheelchair and standing dancers in performance and education. Strong cross-border comparable for mission, ensemble structure, and touring model.
• StopGap Dance Company: UK inclusive dance company delivering participation programs, education, and touring performances featuring disabled and non-disabled dancers. Highly comparable mission, structure, and audience.

Broad incumbents

• Rambert: One of the UK's largest contemporary dance companies with national touring and participation programs. Comparable as a UK dance organization with both performance and learning/participation activity, though not disability-focused.
• Scottish Ballet: Scotland's national ballet company and Indepen-dance's strategic partner (hosts Professional Touring Company technique classes). Comparable as a Scotland-based dance institution but operates at much larger scale and broader repertoire.

Regional players

• Scottish Dance Theatre: Scotland-based contemporary dance company producing touring work and engagement programs. Comparable as a fellow Scottish dance organization with touring and participation activity, though not specifically disability-focused.

Emerging players

• Graeae Theatre Company: UK theatre company led by disabled artists producing performances and access-led participation. Comparable mission around disability inclusion in performing arts, but theatre-rather-than-dance focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IndepenDance_1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6X091nv-VQ9qyhwxkHyQ5A
• Facebookfacebook.com/independance.scotland
• Instagraminstagram.com/indepen_dance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indepen-dance-scotland-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Indepen-dance