What Attenborough Arts Centre does

Attenborough Arts Centre is a non-profit arts venue and department of the University of Leicester, operating as a registered charity (X23305) and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Founded in 1997 and headquartered at Lancaster Road, Leicester, the centre delivers rotating exhibitions across three purpose-built galleries (opened 2016), a programme of performances, creative courses, family and youth workshops, and specialist SEND provision through the Sensory Atelier. It engages over 250,000 people annually through a combination of free and ticketed events, school and community partnerships, and a youth development programme (Next Gen Creatives) for 16-25 year-olds.

The centre's technology footprint is deliberately lean and built on standard SaaS tools: a WordPress website for content, TicketSolve for online and box office ticketing, Mailchimp for email communications, and the Bloomberg Connects app for a free multilingual digital guide with accessibility features. There is no proprietary platform, no AI/ML capability, and no mobile product of its own; the centre's intellectual property sits in its curatorial programming and physical venue rather than in software.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: ticket sales for performances, courses and workshops (including a Pay What You Can tier and concessions for DLA/PIP recipients and university staff/students); commercial venue hire of the Main Hall, studios and galleries; donations and charitable support; and ancillary retail and café income. Substantive operating funding flows from Arts Council England NPO grants and University of Leicester institutional support, supplemented by ticket and ancillary revenue. Prestige partnerships include Wellcome Collection (co-presenting the Jason Wilsher-Mills exhibition), Bloomberg Philanthropies (digital guide platform), and Southbank Centre / Hayward Gallery Touring (Material Worlds touring programme).

Name

Attenborough Arts Centre

Legal name

Attenborough Arts Centre

Website

https://attenborougharts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Attenborough Arts Centre is a non-profit university arts venue in Leicester delivering exhibitions, performances, creative courses, and family, youth and SEND programmes to over 250,000 people annually, funded through ticket sales, venue hire, donations, and Arts Council England NPO support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Cultural Venue Services

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Arts venue hire
• Creative arts courses
• Community arts programmes
• Accessible performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from performances, courses, workshops and events through box office sales (online, telephone, in-person). Dynamic pricing model with concessions for DLA/PIP recipients and University of Leicester staff/students.
2. Venue Hire: Rental of centre spaces (Main Hall, Studios, galleries) to individuals, groups, and organisations for events, workshops, and performances.
3. Donations and Support: Charitable donations, gifts, and bequests enabling artistic vision. Centre is a registered charity (X23305) and part of University of Leicester.
4. Retail and Food & Beverage: Attenborough Shop and café operations offering refreshments and merchandise to visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Attenborough Arts Centre runs a contemporary arts programme including rotating gallery exhibitions, live performance events (theatre, comedy, music), creative courses and workshops, family and youth activities, and specialist SEND-inclusive programmes. It also rents out its Main Hall, studios, and gallery spaces for external events. The centre operates as a University of Leicester department and registered charity, generating revenue from ticket sales, venue hire, donations, retail and food and beverage, and Arts Council England NPO funding.

Product overview

Attenborough Arts Centre is a university arts centre offering a diverse programme of exhibitions, performances, creative courses, and community engagement activities. The centre provides a unified arts experience combining physical gallery spaces with digital access via Bloomberg Connects, ticketing through TicketSolve, and email communications via Mailchimp. Core offerings span rotating exhibitions in three galleries, structured creative courses and workshops, performance events including concerts and comedy, family programmes, youth development initiatives (Next Gen. Creatives), and SEND specialist programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibitions Programme Rotating gallery exhibitions featuring local, national, and international artists, including solo shows and group exhibitions across three purpose-built contemporary art galleries at the University of Leicester.
• Performance Events Theatre, comedy, music concerts, and performance events including Soundbites Lunchtime Concerts, comedy shows, and theatrical productions such as Romeo and Juliet at the Botanic Gardens.
• Creative Courses Structured art workshops and courses including Adventures in Art (weekly multidisciplinary workshops), botanical drawing and painting courses, mosaic workshops, ceramic workshops, and piano lessons (Leicester Piano Club).
• Venue Hire Rental of arts centre spaces including Main Hall, Studio 3, Studio 4, and galleries for external events, performances, workshops, and functions on commercial hire rates.
• Family Programmes Family-friendly activities including Saturday Gallery Art Club, Sunday Sessions, school holiday activities, and craft workshops designed for children and families.
• Next Gen. Creatives Youth programme for people aged 16-25 empowering participants to shape the artistic programme, with opportunities for networking, workshops, and curating exhibitions.
• SEND Programmes (Sensory Atelier) Specialist programmes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, including sensory activities and accessible arts experiences aligned with the social model of disability.
• Digital Guide (Bloomberg Connects) Free digital guide available through the Bloomberg Connects app offering multimedia exploration of exhibitions, events, video content, maps, and virtual gallery access with multilingual and accessibility features.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250,000+ annual visitors engaged through arts and culture programmes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• University of LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttenborough Arts Centre is a department of the University of Leicester and operates within the institution. The university provides institutional oversight, governance (including safeguarding alignment), and strategic direction. The centre delivers the institution's public programmes.
• Arts Council EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funded by Arts Council England. Centre reports yearly on energy usage through Julie's Bicycle for environmental accountability. Arts Council white logo displayed on website.
• Wellcome CollectionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership exhibition 'Jason and the Adventure of 254' - a major solo exhibition by Jason Wilsher-Mills showcasing his largest and most personal commission. Curated by Shamita Sharmacharja, Wellcome Collection Curator, and commissioned by Wellcome Collection.
• Bloomberg PhilanthropiescoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies enables Bloomberg Connects digital guide platform, making cultural content accessible through a free app showcasing cultural organisations worldwide with multilingual and accessibility features.
• IlluminateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAs an Arts Council England NPO, the centre shares postcode data with Illuminate to report on audience demographics as part of funding requirements.
• Duke's Theatre CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre company returned for third consecutive year to perform Romeo and Juliet at Botanic Gardens, attracting over 900 visitors across three showings.
• Local Creative Community GroupscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular partnerships with local creative community groups for Sunday Sessions programme. Groups design and lead workshops bringing their expertise to facilitate creative activities ranging from painting to pottery, wellbeing to pattern-making.
• Disability Arts OnlineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Visual Artist Support Commissions programme, supporting disabled artists and disability arts movement.
• Southbank Centre and Hayward Gallery TouringflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition partnership for 'Material Worlds: Contemporary Artists and Textiles' touring programme, bringing major contemporary art exhibitions to the centre.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Midlands Arts Centre (MAC): Multi-art-form venue in Birmingham combining galleries, theatre, cinema and participatory learning. Directly comparable to Attenborough as a regional, publicly-funded arts centre delivering exhibitions, performances and creative learning for broad public audiences.
• Warwick Arts Centre: Large university-based arts centre at University of Warwick delivering theatre, music, film, visual art and family programmes. Closely comparable as a Midlands university-affiliated venue mixing professional programming with creative learning and community engagement.
• Nottingham Contemporary: Free-admission public contemporary art gallery in Nottingham presenting major international and UK exhibitions. Comparable regional contemporary-art programming model, audience-development focus and ACE NPO-style public funding base.
• Ikon Gallery: Free-admission contemporary art gallery in Birmingham with a strong learning and community programme. Highly comparable as a regional contemporary-art venue combining exhibitions with participatory work and a focus on inclusive access.

Regional players

• New Walk Museum & Art Gallery: Leicester city council-operated museum and art gallery offering free exhibitions and learning programmes. Direct local peer in visual arts programming and audience development, though without Attenborough's performing arts or hire model.
• Haymarket Theatre (Leicester): Leicester's community-led producing theatre presenting drama, comedy and family productions. Local peer in performance programming and participatory learning, with similar reliance on local and ACE-style public funding.
• Phoenix Leicester: Independent cinema and arts centre in Leicester showing film, video and media art alongside creative learning. Local peer in alternative-content exhibition and participatory programmes, sharing the inclusive/community-led ethos with Attenborough.
• Curve Theatre Leicester: Producing theatre and performing arts venue in Leicester city centre. Direct local geographic overlap with Attenborough Arts Centre's performance and learning programming, though focused primarily on theatre rather than visual art.

Broad incumbents

• Southbank Centre: London's largest arts centre presenting festivals, exhibitions, music and performance. Comparable multi-vertical programming model and an existing Attenborough partner through Hayward Gallery Touring — operates at much greater scale but shares the NPO and inclusive-access ethos.
• Tate Liverpool: Major regional contemporary-art gallery and part of the Tate network, presenting significant exhibitions with free admission. Comparable as a publicly-funded regional gallery with a learning and community programme; far larger in scale and budget.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AttenboroughAC
• Facebookfacebook.com/attenborougharts
• Instagraminstagram.com/attenboroughac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/attenboroughac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Attenborough Arts Centre