Abandon Normal Devices
Abandon Normal Devices is a UK non-profit founded in 2009 that produces the country's only nomadic, site-responsive digital arts festival, commissioning works at the intersection of creativity, technology, and science for delivery in unconventional venues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Abandon Normal Devices does
Abandon Normal Devices (AND) is a UK-registered non-profit arts organisation and charity (Charity No: 1161585), founded in 2009 and headquartered in Manchester, operating as a company limited by guarantee with a six-person staff team. AND is the producer of what sources describe as the UK's only nomadic, site-responsive digital arts festival, commissioning works that sit at the intersection of creativity, technology, and science and placing them in unconventional venues including caves, car parks, forests, ferries, mines, observatories, and online portals.
The core product is the biennial AND Festival — the 2026 edition in Barnsley is the landmark 10th edition under the theme "Unsecuring Infrastructures" — supported by a portfolio of ancillary programmes: the Creative Associates scheme for artists and technologists, The Networked Condition research project on environmental impacts of digital cultural production (delivered with Arts Catalyst and Fast Familiar), the Digital Carbon Calculator tool for the creative sector, the Wild Natures long-term collaboration with Hwa Young Jung, and the international W Brzask sunrise concert series co-produced with Unsound in Warsaw. Technical production spans spatial audio (e.g., MONOM's Acoustic Memories), interactive game design (Northern Passage by Jazmin Morris), AR sculpture (Clusterduck's (W)HOLE), multi-screen film, and durational audiovisual performance.
Revenue is grant-dependent rather than transactional. Core operating funding comes from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation, supplemented by project-specific grants from the Wellcome Trust, British Council, Julie's Bicycle, and other trusts and foundations, and by co-commissioning arrangements with UK venues (Cornerhouse, FACT, Furtherfield, Somerset House Studios) and international partners (Unsound). Distribution to audiences is free or low-cost through site-specific events, venue partnerships, online platforms, and international touring, with earned media coverage from outlets including The Guardian, BBC and Wired supporting top-of-funnel reach.
Abandon Normal Devices firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Abandon Normal Devices
- Legal name
- Abandon Normal Devices
- Website
- https://andfestival.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Abandon Normal Devices is a UK non-profit founded in 2009 that produces the country's only nomadic, site-responsive digital arts festival, commissioning works at the intersection of creativity, technology, and science for delivery in unconventional venues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Abandon Normal Devices industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Arts Festival
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH)
Keywords
Where Abandon Normal Devices is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Abandon Normal Devices business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Arts Council England Funding: AND is a National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England, providing core operational funding as a charity and company limited by guarantee.
- Project Grants and Trust Funding: Project-specific funding from trusts and foundations including Wellcome Trust for bio-art projects, British Council for international partnerships, and Julie's Bicycle Accelerator Programme supported by Arts Council England.
- Co-Commissioning Revenue: Revenue generated through co-commissioning arrangements with cultural partners such as Cornerhouse, FACT, and international festivals for commissioned works.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Abandon Normal Devices product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AND produces the UK's only nomadic, site-responsive digital arts festival that commissions works combining creativity, technology, and science. The festival places immersive installations in unexpected locations such as caves, car parks, forests, ferries, mines, observatories, and online portals. Alongside the festival, AND runs artist development programmes (Creative Associates), co-commissions international works with partners such as Unsound, and operates research and tool initiatives including The Networked Condition and the Digital Carbon Calculator.
Product overview
Abandon Normal Devices (AND) is a radical arts organisation producing the UK's only nomadic, site-responsive digital arts festival. The main offering is AND Festival, which commissions works combining creativity, technology, and science. Supporting programmes include the Creative Associates Programme for artists and technologists, and The Networked Condition research project examining environmental impacts of digital cultural production. The organisation also co-produces the W Brzask sunrise concert series and offers a Digital Carbon Calculator tool for the creative sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AND Festival
- Creative Associates Programme
- The Networked Condition
- Digital Carbon Calculator
- W Brzask
- Wild Natures
Companies that use Abandon Normal Devices
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Abandon Normal Devices technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Abandon Normal Devices partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and key.
- Arts CatalystcoreCollaborative partner on The Networked Condition: Environmental Impacts of Digital Cultural Production research project, exploring the environmental impact of digital technology in arts. Partnership part of Julie's Bicycle Accelerator Programme.
- Fast FamiliarcoreCollaborative partner on The Networked Condition research project, contributing expertise in digital sustainability and producing tools like the Digital Carbon Calculator.
- University of LancastersupportingOngoing collaboration including Night of the Living Deadwood workshop with microbiologists Dr Rod Dillon and Dr Jackie Parry exploring biological sciences through art.
- Julie's BicyclecoreAND participates in Julie's Bicycle Accelerator Programme to advance sustainable practice. Julie's Bicycle provides tools for environmental monitoring and supports the creative community in sustainability efforts.
- UnsoundkeyOngoing partnership for collaborative events including W Brzask concert series at Ephemera Festival in Warsaw, exploring creative partnership between Poland and England.
- British Council PolandsupportingSupported W Brzask at Ephemera Festival as part of UK/Poland Season 2025, enabling international cultural exchange.
- Cornerhouse (Manchester)keyKey venue partner and co-commissioner, hosting exhibitions and serving as festival hub. Co-commissioned Stanya Kahn's first UK solo exhibition.
- FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology)keyCo-production partner including The Humble Market collaboration, Derry-Londonderry City of Culture 2013 partnership, and ongoing exhibition collaboration.
- FurtherfieldkeyCo-commissioned A Crowded Apocalypse by IOCOSE, partnered for Invisible Forces exhibition at Furtherfield Gallery in London.
- SamsungsupportingSponsor of Samsung Olympic Games Media Art Collection that commissioned Blue Crystal Ball exhibition as part of London 2012 Cultural Festival.
- Somerset House StudioskeyAND joins Somerset House Studios' n-Space programme, a new initiative for interdisciplinary collaboration bringing together artists, technologists, academics, and researchers.
- Hwa Young Jung (Creative Associate)supportingCreative Associate programme bringing together artists, technologists, researchers and activists to explore new perspectives. AND has supported Hwa Young on Wild Natures project for 3 years.
- University of Liverpool Clinical Engineering UnitsupportingCollaborated on Pigs Bladder Football bioengineering project with Professor John Hunt developing protocols for harvesting animal tissue.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Abandon Normal Devices competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MUTEK: Montreal-headquartered international festival for digital arts and electronic music with editions across multiple cities. Comparable as a global touring digital-arts festival platform commissioning artists at the creativity/technology axis.
- Transmediale: Berlin-based annual festival for art and digital culture. Closest international analogue to AND Festival — a curated multi-disciplinary festival at the intersection of art, technology, and critical discourse.
- Somerset House Studios: London-based artist-residency and interdisciplinary collaboration programme. An active AND partner (n-Space), directly comparable in mission to support artists and technologists working across disciplines.
- Lighthouse: Brighton-based digital culture agency supporting artists and creative technologists. Closely comparable UK peer operating in commissioning, exhibitions, and digital arts curation with an overlapping funder and audience base.
- Unsound: Poland-based festival of music and art exploring experimental and electronic forms. An existing AND co-commissioning partner (W Brzask), directly comparable as a contemporary arts-and-technology festival with international touring activity.
- FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology): Liverpool-based charity presenting art and creative technology exhibitions. Directly comparable to AND as a UK digital/tech-arts nonprofit with overlapping commissioning, co-production (FACT is an existing AND partner), and gallery programming.
- Watershed: Bristol-based cultural cinema and media arts venue running creative technology programmes. Comparable UK peer in commissioning work at the intersection of art, film, and digital technology with an established public-engagement mission.
Broad incumbents
- Sónar: Barcelona-headquartered international festival of advanced music and technology. Broader incumbent operating at the same creativity/technology intersection, with a larger commercial ticketing model and global touring presence that contrasts with AND's free/grant-funded approach.
- ICA London: London's Institute of Contemporary Arts presents exhibitions, film, and performance programming. A broader incumbent in UK contemporary arts with overlapping audience and curatorial interest, particularly in moving image and digital practice.
- Ars Electronica: Linz-based festival and research institution for art, technology, and society. Much larger and broader incumbent operating at the same art/technology/science intersection as AND, with a permanent venue and global brand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Abandon Normal Devices social profiles
Digital presenceAbandon Normal Devices financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Abandon Normal Devices leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Abandon Normal Devices funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Abandon Normal Devices 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 Abandon Normal Devices
What does Abandon Normal Devices do?
AND produces the UK's only nomadic, site-responsive digital arts festival that commissions works combining creativity, technology, and science. The festival places immersive installations in unexpected locations such as caves, car parks, forests, ferries, mines, observatories, and online portals. Alongside the festival, AND runs artist development programmes (Creative Associates), co-commissions international works with partners such as Unsound, and operates research and tool initiatives including The Networked Condition and the Digital Carbon Calculator.
Is Abandon Normal Devices a public or private company?
Abandon Normal Devices is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Abandon Normal Devices founded?
Abandon Normal Devices was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Abandon Normal Devices based?
Abandon Normal Devices is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Abandon Normal Devices make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Arts Council England Funding is the primary driver. The others are project Grants and Trust Funding and co-Commissioning Revenue.
Who are Abandon Normal Devices's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MUTEK, Transmediale, Somerset House Studios, Lighthouse, Unsound, FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) and Watershed. Broad incumbents are Sónar, ICA London and Ars Electronica.
Does Abandon Normal Devices have an API?
No public API is recorded for Abandon Normal Devices.
What industry is Abandon Normal Devices in?
Abandon Normal Devices's product category is Digital Arts Festival. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAEAG, Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks), with a secondary code of BPAGAHAG, Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations. Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 7990.