Arts Education Exchange

What Arts Education Exchange does

Arts Education Exchange (AEE) is a UK-registered charity (Number 1184494) and Community Interest Company founded in 2016 in Margate, Thanet, East Kent. It provides long-term, person-centred creative and therapeutic support to young people aged 11–25 in Thanet who face barriers to mainstream education, most of whom present with complex social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs and developmental diagnoses such as ADHD and ASD. The core service offering consists of 1:1 and group visual arts and music sessions, registered art, music and play therapy, a NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) re-engagement programme, Short Term Interventions delivered with school partners, self-directed studio access, holiday projects, and alumni drop-ins, all delivered free of charge from a single studio at 59 Northdown Road, Margate.

The operating model is grounded in a Creative Learning Framework that explicitly rejects rigid curricula, EHCP prerequisites, and institutional targets in favour of trust, stability, and interest-led pacing. Service delivery is entirely physical and human-led, supported by well-resourced studios (drum kit, guitars, keyboards, mixing desk, art materials, sensory equipment, courtyard). The team comprises roughly nine staff including qualified teachers, SEMH specialists, a registered HCPC/BAAT art psychotherapist, and a dedicated freelance fundraiser, overseen by four trustees. Referral pipelines run through schools, social workers, parents, and self-referral via online forms.

AEE is funded primarily through grants from a concentrated set of UK trusts and foundations (Arts Council England, Colyer Fergusson, Community Fund, Freelands, Garfield Weston, Paul Hamlyn, Youth Music, UK Government, plus Masonic organisations and TDC), supplemented by individual donations via CAF Donate, easyfundraising, the Thanet Community Lotto, and community fundraising events. The organisation is explicitly grappling with a funding squeeze, having been rejected for hundreds of thousands of pounds of grant applications amid public-sector cuts, and is actively appealing for donations to sustain operations.

Name

Arts Education Exchange

Legal name

Arts Education Exchange

Website

https://artsedex.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arts Education Exchange is a UK registered charity providing free, long-term creative arts, music, and therapy programmes in Thanet, East Kent, for young people aged 11–25 with complex SEMH and developmental needs who are excluded from mainstream education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Spectrum (ASD) Academic & Social-Communication Support Tutoring (EDANAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal Enrichment & Creative Arts Programs (EDAAAEAG), Staff Training, Coaching & Professional Development (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAL)

Keywords

• Youth arts programmes
• Creative therapy services
• Alternative education provision
• Youth mental health support
• Community arts charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Margate

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant funding: Primary revenue source from grants and funding bodies including Arts Council England, Colyer Fergusson, Community Fund, Freelands, Garfield Weston, Paul Hamlyn, TDC, Youth Music, and Masonic organizations. The organization states they are struggling to secure funding and facing rejection from hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of funding applications.
2. Donations: Individual donations through CAF Donate platform (4% fee) or direct bank transfer. Donations are unrestricted and can be used to cover any costs including snacks, youth phone support, and art therapy sessions.
3. Fundraising: Community fundraising activities including events, sports activities, and online shopping through easyfundraising (over 8,000 retailer partners).
4. Thanet Community Lotto: Local lottery where tickets cost £1/week with 60p going directly to the organization.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Arts Education Exchange provides free, long-term, person-centred creative arts and therapeutic support for young people aged 11-25 in Thanet, East Kent who face barriers to mainstream education due to complex social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH), often with co-occurring ADHD or ASD. Core services comprise 1:1 and group visual arts sessions, music sessions covering production, recording and songwriting, creative therapies (art therapy, music therapy and play therapy) delivered by registered practitioners, a NEET re-engagement programme, and additional short-term interventions, self-directed studio access, holiday projects and alumni drop-ins, all delivered at a single Margate studio.

Product overview

Arts Education Exchange is a creative community organisation providing long-term, person-centred support for young people aged 11-25 in Thanet, East Kent. The core offering consists of Visual Arts Sessions and Music Sessions (both available as 1:1 and group formats), Creative Therapies (art therapy, music therapy, play therapy), and programmes for young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET Programme). Additional offerings include Short Term Interventions, Self Directed Learning, Holiday Projects, and Alumni Drop-ins. All services are free to access and delivered through a Creative Learning Framework that prioritises trust, stability, and individual pace over rigid timelines or institutional targets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visual Arts Sessions 1:1 and group visual arts sessions for young people aged 11-25, led by the Visual Arts Lead. Sessions are interest-driven, curriculum-free and designed to foster creative expression and confidence through mixed media collage, photography, drawing, spray painting and other visual practices.
• Music Sessions 1:1 and group music sessions covering drum lessons, music production, recording and songwriting, delivered by the Music Lead in a studio equipped with a mixing desk, drum kit, guitars, keyboards and microphones, designed to build confidence and creative skills.
• Creative Therapies Therapeutic sessions including art therapy, music therapy and play therapy delivered by registered practitioners, including a HCPC- and BAAT-registered art psychotherapist. In 2025, 20 young people accessed 113 hours of free therapy with an average waiting time of less than four weeks.
• NEET Programme Support programme for young people Not in Education, Employment, or Training, helping them reconnect with education and volunteering opportunities through creative engagement. In academic year 2024/25, five young people returned to education and three began volunteering.
• Short Term Interventions Short-term creative learning projects delivered in partnership with schools and other organisations, providing alternative educational support for young people with complex needs.
• Self Directed Learning

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 young people supported annually with creative sessions, snacks, and warm space
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Enterprise Learning AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership contract for Short Term Interventions programme. Young people referred through this partnership can access AEE's creative programmes.
• National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung person H participated in creative music projects with NYJO during their time at AEE.
• Irene Taylor TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung person H participated in creative music projects with the Irene Taylor Trust while attending AEE.
• Liberty CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEE helped young person H secure an interview and place at Liberty College based on evidence of their progress at AEE.
• Turner ContemporaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMargate art gallery. Young people from AEE have exhibited work at the gallery, including a project shown in 2018.
• Windmill Community GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung person H volunteered on a weekly basis at Windmill Community Gardens during their time at AEE.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Prince's Trust: The Prince's Trust is the UK's largest youth development charity supporting 11-30 year olds into education, training and employment. It is comparable to AEE as a charity serving NEET and marginalised young people in the UK, though it operates nationally at much larger scale and with a broader (non-arts) delivery model.
• BRIT School: The BRIT School is a free performing and creative arts school for 14-19 year olds in Croydon, funded partly by government and industry. Comparable to AEE as a UK arts-education provider for young people, though it operates at much larger scale as a formal free school rather than a small community charity.
• YMCA England & Wales: YMCA is a national federation of youth and community charities providing education, health, housing and arts programmes across the UK. Comparable to AEE as a UK youth charity serving young people with complex needs, though broader in scope and much larger in scale.

Direct peers

• Half Moon Theatre: Half Moon Theatre is a London youth theatre charity delivering creative arts programmes for children and young people, including those with SEND and from marginalised backgrounds. Directly comparable to AEE as a youth-focused creative arts charity using arts engagement as a wellbeing and development tool.
• National Youth Theatre: National Youth Theatre is a UK charity providing theatre and creative-arts education pathways for 14-25 year olds, including those from non-traditional backgrounds. It is directly comparable to AEE as a creative-arts education charity for young people, though focused on theatre rather than visual arts/music/therapy.
• Roundhouse: Roundhouse is a London-based youth charity running creative projects for 11-30 year olds including music, theatre and digital arts, with explicit focus on young people facing barriers. Directly comparable to AEE's model of long-term, interest-led creative arts engagement with marginalised young people.
• Create (London): Create is a UK charity delivering creative arts workshops for disadvantaged children, young people and adults including those with disabilities and mental health needs. Directly comparable to AEE as an arts-engagement charity targeting marginalised young people including SEND, using creative practice as a development tool.
• Mousetrap Theatre Projects: Mousetrap Theatre Projects is a London charity using theatre to improve the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Comparable to AEE as a UK arts charity using creative engagement for young people facing barriers to education and wellbeing support.
• Music for Youth: Music for Youth is a UK charity promoting music-making opportunities for children and young people, including those facing barriers to access. Directly comparable to AEE as a music-led creative youth charity working with marginalised young people in the UK.

Emerging players

• Kooth: Kooth is a UK digital mental health and wellbeing platform commissioned by the NHS for 10-25 year olds. It is comparable to AEE because it targets the same 11-25 demographic for mental health support, though it competes on a digital/scaled basis rather than local creative-arts therapy delivery.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/artsedex
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arts-education-exchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Arts Education Exchange