What Future Yard does

Future Yard is a Community Interest Company (CIC) operating a 280-capacity live music venue at 75 Argyle Street in Birkenhead, United Kingdom, with a multi-revenue model that combines live event programming, food and beverage, rehearsal studio hire, music education programmes, and venue hire. The venue runs a diverse ticketed calendar spanning alternative, jazz, electronic, folk, punk, and theatre for touring and local artists, and is supported by a 7-day-a-week bar, specialty coffee shop (La Marzocco espresso, ALL CAPS roastery), and a sustainable Neapolitan-style pizza kitchen that draw walk-in foot traffic independent of show tickets.

The business monetises through eleven identifiable streams: ticketed live events (sold via Eventim and See Tickets), bar and coffee sales, kitchen service, two recurring subscription products (Band Clubs at £34.99/month for ages 6–16 and New Noise at £52.99/month for ages 13–17), Mosh Tots family events and birthday parties (£14 per child / £17.95 per child for parties), rehearsal studio hire from £6.25/hour, private venue hire for parties, weddings and corporate events, a Birkenhead Craft Beer Festival, branded merchandise, and an 'Access All Areas' corporate partnership programme. It also operates a Neighbourhood Ticket Scheme providing free tickets to residents of the CH41/CH42 postcodes, which rank within the most deprived 0.3% of UK neighbourhoods.

The organisation is governed by a seven-member board of Non-Executive Directors chaired by John Whaling (Lead Officer for Innovation and Commercialisation at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) and co-founded and led by CEO Craig Pennington. Co-located youth-focused programmes including Sound Check (free industry training, nearly 500 participants engaged), Propeller (artist development), and a 2025 pilot across 13 Wirral primary schools position the venue as community cultural infrastructure rather than purely commercial entertainment. A 2026 Build Our Future project commits to a new 600-capacity performance space and 12 mixed-use studios, with a £150,000 crowdfunding campaign and a Birkenhead UK Town of Culture 2028 shortlisting providing the funding and reputational backdrop.

Name

Future Yard

Legal name

Future Yard CIC

Website

https://futureyard.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Future Yard is a Community Interest Company operating a 280-capacity live music venue, bar, coffee shop, and pizza kitchen in Birkenhead, UK, serving local residents, touring artists, families, and young musicians through ticketed events, music education programmes, rehearsal studios, and venue hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF), Music Venues & Venue Operators (Clubs, Theaters, Arenas) (MPAIAFAB), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD), Live Music Bars & Venues (CRANACAH)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Music education programmes
• Rehearsal studio hire
• Community arts space
• Artist development

Headquarters

HQ city

Birkenhead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Live Event Ticketing: Revenue from ticket sales for live music shows, theatre, comedy, festivals, and other ticketed events in the 280-capacity Live Room. Eventim and See Tickets serve as primary ticket vendors.
2. Bar and Coffee Shop Sales: Revenue from sale of craft beers, wines, cocktails, soft drinks, and specialty coffee (La Marzocco machine, ALL CAPS roastery). The bar is open 7 days a week without requiring show tickets, serving as a standalone revenue stream.
3. Kitchen / Pizza Sales: Revenue from in-house Neapolitan-style pizza kitchen serving sustainable, plant-based menu. Open on all show nights (5-9pm), Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sundays (12-3pm) after Mosh Tots shows.
4. Band Clubs Subscriptions: Monthly subscription at £34.99 per month for weekly music lessons (drum, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, vocals) for children aged 6-16. Runs on rolling monthly basis.
5. New Noise Subscriptions: Monthly subscription at £52.99 per month for the New Noise Music Club for young people aged 13-17, providing year-round access to sessions, showcases, and performance opportunities.
6. Mosh Tots Events and Birthday Parties: Revenue from Mosh Tots Sunday morning gigs (tickets £14 per child aged 1-8, £7 for under-1) and birthday party packages at £17.95 per child (minimum 9 children, 50% deposit).
7. Venue and Space Hire: Revenue from hiring the Live Room for private parties (up to 250 guests), weddings (up to 250, sit-down up to 80), business meetings, conferences, away days, exhibitions, and location shoots.
8. Rehearsal Studio Hire: Revenue from five rehearsal studios in the basement, available from 10am-11pm daily from as little as £6.25 per hour, with options for backline included or PA and microphones only.
9. Corporate Partnerships: Revenue from corporate partnerships via the 'Access All Areas' programme and Build Our Future campaign, offering brand sponsorship, venue branding, training programme support, and staff/client engagement benefits.
10. Merchandise and Shop: Revenue from sale of branded merchandise including tote bags, t-shirts, prints, and the Left Bank periodical magazine.
11. Birkenhead Craft Beer Festival: Revenue from ticketed craft beer festival sessions (£8 per person per session, with group discounts) featuring multiple breweries, DJs, and vinyl record sellers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion6 records

Distribution channels11 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Future Yard is a 280-capacity live music venue at 75 Argyle Street, Birkenhead, operated as a Community Interest Company, hosting year-round ticketed concerts, theatre and festivals alongside a seven-day bar, coffee shop and Neapolitan-style pizza kitchen. It runs a portfolio of paid and free music education and artist development programmes (Sound Check, Band Clubs, New Noise, Propeller, Mosh Tots), five hireable rehearsal studios, private venue hire for weddings and corporate events, and a Neighbourhood Ticket Scheme providing free access for deprived local residents.

Product overview

Future Yard is a 280-capacity live music venue in Birkenhead, UK, operated by a non-profit Community Interest Company (CIC). The venue offers a multi-faceted portfolio combining a core live music venue (the Live Room) with bar/café facilities, five rehearsal studios available for hire, and a kitchen serving sustainable Neapolitan-style pizza. The venue extends its impact through a portfolio of youth music education programmes: Sound Check (free industry training for young people), New Noise Music Club (for teenagers aged 13-17), Band Clubs (weekly music lessons for ages 6-16), and Mosh Tots (family-friendly Sunday gigs for children aged 0-8). Artist development is supported through the Propeller programme, while community access is facilitated via the Neighbourhood Ticket Scheme providing free tickets to local residents. The venue also offers venue hire services for private events and hosts initiatives such as the Leftbank Soundtrack audio walking tour and the WDMM2U community engagement project. The venue operates a crowdfunding campaign (Build Our Future) to expand capacity to 600 and add 12 additional studio spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Propeller: Artist development programme providing rehearsal studios, mentorship and masterclasses for emerging artists.
• Mosh Tots
• New Noise
• Band Clubs
• Sound Check
• Leftbank Soundtrack

Products and services

• Live Room Ticketed Events Year-round ticketed live music, theatre, comedy and festival programming in the 280-capacity Live Room, featuring national and international touring artists plus local acts. Tickets sold via Eventim and See Tickets.
• Bar + Coffee Shop

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120,000 visitors welcomed since opening during COVID
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers29 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Regenda HomesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Housing association and Neighbourhood Partner for the WDMM2U 2026 community engagement project. Supporting delivery of Regenda's Neighbourhood Strategy by engaging residents on accessing culture and arts locally. Aligned with Future Yard's mission to remove barriers to live music.
• Northern MonkminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Regional craft brewery featured at the Birkenhead Craft Beer Festival 2026 alongside Wild Horse, Neptune Brewery, Zapato, and Azvex.
• Wild HorseminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Regional craft brewery featured at the Birkenhead Craft Beer Festival 2026 alongside Northern Monk and others.
• Wirral Met CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurther education college in Wirral, partner in Future Yard's training programmes and education initiatives. Joanne Brown, former Managing Director of The Learning Foundry, sits on Future Yard's board.
• The Culture Network LCRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural network organisation supporting arts and music organisations across the Liverpool City Region, partnered with Future Yard on programming and cultural development.
• SennheisermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal audio equipment company. Tim Sherratt, Strategy Manager at Sennheiser and founder of Sonosphere, serves on Future Yard's board. Sennheiser provides technical audio support for the venue's events.
• The Love Music TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic education charity in the region, partnered with Future Yard on music education initiatives and training programmes.
• Argyle TaxisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal taxi service recommended by Future Yard for transportation. Also provides sponsorship support and is listed as a venue supporter.
• ACC Liverpool Group / KimptonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner using Future Yard for staff reward events and CSR-aligned engagement. Kimpton representative Matt Breakwell publicly endorsed the partnership citing social value impact and staff benefits.
• Birkenhead Culture PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent group of artists, collectives, and arts organisations convened and led by Future Yard, including Williamson Art Gallery, Big Heritage, Carlton Little Theatre, The Leftbank Collective, and others. Led the successful UK Town of Culture 2028 bid in partnership with Wirral Council.
• Liverpool John Moores University (Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership shaping the long-term design of Future Yard's building, understanding energy consumption, and developing sustainability policies to achieve operational net zero by 2030.
• Leftbank Soundtrack ArtistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndy McCluskey (OMD), Bill Ryder-Jones, Forest Swords, She Drew The Gun, Half Man Half Biscuit, and Andrew PM Hunt commissioned to create location-specific audio works for the Leftbank Soundtrack walking tour.
• Glen Affric BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBirkenhead-based craft brewery that has collaborated with Future Yard on three co-branded beers: Dazzle Ships Lager, Pale House Futsal, and Dreaming Of Brew IPA, always available on Future Yard's taps.
• ALL CAPS Coffee RoasteryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChester-based specialty coffee roastery providing house espresso and coffee supplies for Future Yard's coffee shop. Committed to transparently sourcing sustainable coffees.
• Tappers GinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWirral-based artisan gin distillery partnering with Future Yard on co-branded cocktails including Big Pink, Ginger Spice, and Darkside Fizz.
• Neptune BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional craft brewery featured on Future Yard's taps and at the Birkenhead Craft Beer Festival.
• Neighbourhood Champions GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective of local organisations supporting Future Yard to make live music accessible, including distributing Neighbourhood Tickets, promoting learning programmes, providing financial support, and contributing in other meaningful ways to community access.
• 13 Wirral Primary SchoolsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPilot scheme launched in 2025 delivering music education curriculum in classrooms across 13 Wirral primary schools, extending Future Yard's training reach into the formal education sector.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• YES Manchester: YES Manchester is a grassroots music venue and creative hub in Manchester city centre operating a 250-capacity live room plus rehearsal and community programmes. Comparable to Future Yard as a small UK grassroots venue combining live music with community/educational programming and bar income.
• The Leadmill: The Leadmill is a long-running grassroots music venue in Sheffield operating a similar capacity profile (~250-400) across multiple rooms, with live music, club nights and community programming. Closely comparable as a UK grassroots venue of similar scale and cultural positioning to Future Yard.
• The Trades Club: The Trades Club is a small grassroots music venue in Hebden Bridge hosting touring artists, community events and local programming. Comparable to Future Yard as a small-capacity, community-rooted independent venue reliant on ticket sales, bar income and grants to operate.
• The Hug and Pint: The Hug and Pint is a grassroots music venue and kitchen/bar in Glasgow operating at similar small capacity with live music, food and bar income. Closely comparable to Future Yard's hybrid live-music-plus-bar-plus-kitchen operating model in a UK city of similar scale.
• Band on the Wall: Band on the Wall is a Manchester-based not-for-profit live music venue with a comparable grassroots capacity (~250-300) and a strong focus on community programming, music education and cultural diversity. Directly comparable to Future Yard as a community-focused, education-linked grassroots venue in North West England.
• Night & Day Café: Night & Day Café is an independent 200-capacity live music venue and café in Manchester Northern Quarter combining live music, food and bar trade. Highly comparable to Future Yard's hybrid live-music-plus-bar/cafe model in a similar North West catchment.
• Brudenell Social Club: Brudenell Social Club is a 400-capacity grassroots music venue in Leeds with two rooms and a strong reputation for hosting emerging and established indie/alternative artists. Closely comparable to Future Yard in its grassroots capacity profile, ticketed live programming model and community-oriented identity.

Regional players

• The Jacaranda: The Jacaranda is a historic Liverpool live music venue and bar that combines grassroots live music with a 7-day-a-week bar operation. Comparable to Future Yard's live-venue-plus-bar model, but located in Liverpool city centre rather than Birkenhead.
• Sound City Liverpool: Sound City is a Liverpool-based music festival and conference, with associated year-round live programming. Comparable to Future Yard as a Liverpool City Region live music operator but operates at a broader festival/event scale rather than a single grassroots venue.

Others

• Arts Council England: Arts Council England is a primary public funder of Future Yard's programming. Included as an ecosystem participant — not a competitor — that shapes the funding landscape in which Future Yard and similar grassroots venues operate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/future_yard
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDJcYOGb4Vrp5x78-hGWHgQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/futureyard
• Instagraminstagram.com/future_yard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Future Yard