Bricks Bristol

What Bricks Bristol does

Bricks is a Bristol-based charitable incorporated organisation (UK Charity Commission number 1183118) founded in 2018 by Jack Gibbon, operating as a charity and social enterprise with a stated mission to build resilience in Bristol's creative, local and social enterprise communities. The organisation delivers three flagship programmes — Bricks Public Art (commissioning public art programmes for new developments), St Anne's House (a 25,000 sqft creative and community hub acquired via community asset transfer from Bristol City Council in 2021 and held under a five-year lease extension secured in 2023), and Bricks Creative Infrastructure Agency (consultancy on creative infrastructure viability, programming, and management for developers and local authorities). Supporting service lines include Cultural Strategies, Artist Development, Community Publishing (BRIZ community newsletter and Bricks Podcasts), and Collaborative Research, the latter anchored at St Anne's House as a test bed for partnerships with UWE Bristol, University of Bristol, University of Exeter, NHS England, and Bristol & Bath Creative R&D.

The underlying technology stack is effectively non-existent as a proprietary asset: the input explicitly characterises Bricks as a charity and social enterprise rather than a technology company, and there are no disclosed platforms, software products, APIs, or digital tooling beyond standard website, newsletter, and social channels (Instagram and Facebook). Core deliverables are human-intensive creative services — artist brief writing, commissioning, community engagement facilitation, foundry and fabrication management (e.g., Castle Fine Arts Foundry for the Crocodile sculpture), and venue operations.

Revenue mechanics combine restricted and unrestricted charitable income. Grant funding flows from Bristol Impact Fund 3 (£185,000 over four years, the largest single award to date, announced 2026), Arts Council England, National Lottery Community Fund, Nisbet Trust, West of England Combined Authority, and Power To Change. Commercial income is generated through project-based public art consultancy fees negotiated with developers and local authorities (e.g., £34,500 plus VAT for the Dovercourt Road 140-home programme with Vistry Group and Goram Homes), room and venue hire at St Anne's House, tenanted spaces within the building, individual donations solicited via the website, and trading activity routed through wholly-owned subsidiary Bricks Trading Limited (Company Number 12359038). Go-to-market is community-led and direct, with the Approved Public Art Producer designation from Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council acting as a procurement channel into developer and council commissions.

Name

Bricks Bristol

Legal name

BRICKS

Website

https://bricksbristol.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Bristol-based charitable organisation operating St Anne's House, a 25,000 sqft creative and community hub, alongside public art commissioning and creative infrastructure consultancy for developers, local authorities, and communities across the South West of England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Art & Creative Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Public art commissioning
• Creative infrastructure consultancy
• Community hub operations
• Cultural strategy development
• Artist development programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Charitable Funding: Bricks receives significant grant funding from Bristol Impact Fund 3 (£185,000 over four years), Arts Council England, National Lottery Community Fund, Nisbet Trust, West of England Combined Authority, and other charitable foundations to support operations and programmes.
2. Room Hire and Venue Trading: St Anne's House generates income through hiring out spaces for events, workshops, meetings, and community activities. The venue also hosts tenanted spaces including a cooperatively run gym, play therapy, and other wellbeing services.
3. Donations: Individual donations are solicited through the website to support the charity's mission. One-off and regular monthly payment options are available.
4. Public Art Consultancy Services: Bricks charges fees for public art programme development and delivery services to developers, local authorities, and landowners. This includes writing and delivering public art plans, managing planning conditions, and commissioning artists.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bricks Bristol is a Bristol-based charity and social enterprise that commissions and delivers public art programmes for new developments, operates St Anne's House as a 25,000 sqft creative and community hub, and provides creative infrastructure consultancy to developers, housing associations, hotel groups and local authorities. Its work bridges developer planning obligations with community benefit through artist commissioning, engagement events, cultural strategies, artist development and collaborative research. Funding comes from charitable grants (Bristol Impact Fund 3, Arts Council England, National Lottery Community Fund, Nisbet Trust, West of England Combined Authority), public art consultancy fees, room hire at St Anne's House, and individual donations.

Product overview

Bricks Bristol is a charity and social enterprise offering a portfolio of interconnected creative and community services. The core offerings include Bricks Public Art (public art programmes for developments), St Anne's House (a 25,000 sqft creative and community hub), and the Bricks Creative Infrastructure Agency (consultancy for creative space planning). Supporting services include Cultural Strategies, Artist Development, Community Publishing (including BRIZ newsletter and Bricks Podcasts), and Collaborative Research. The organization also operates the Community Living Room at St Anne's House as a free inclusive programming space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bricks Public Art Public art agency producing programmes of creativity and engagement in new developments across Bristol and the South West of England. Works with developers, local authorities and communities to create bespoke and locally-led public art programmes including permanent artworks, engagement events, live experiences, and long-term curation of creative spaces.
• St Anne's House Creative and community hub occupying 25,000 sqft of ex-office floorspace across three floors in St Annes, Bristol. Offers rooms to hire, artist studios, co-working spaces, tenanted spaces (including a cooperatively run gym and play therapy) and community programming. Secured via community asset transfer from Bristol City Council.
• Bricks Creative Infrastructure Agency Consultancy service identifying, programming and managing creative infrastructure spaces. Supports developers and local authorities to provide creative infrastructure as part of new developments via cultural strategies, viability assessments and management plans.
• Cultural Strategies Development of cultural and creative strategies for local authorities and landowners who wish to explore the social and economic value that culture can bring to their area or development.
• Artist Development Building inclusive and accessible opportunities for regional artists to develop their practices through commissioning approaches and promotion of a community of practice.
• Community Publishing (BRIZ Newsletter and Bricks Podcasts) Publishing opportunities and platforms working with communities of location or interest, including the BRIZ community newsletter serving as a central hub for sharing news, stories and support within Brislington, and the Bricks Podcasts series where artists produce episodes exploring creative potential of storytelling.
• Collaborative Research Research partnership activities exploring new ideas around community, creative space, environment and education, with St Anne's House serving as a test bed for research in collaboration with universities and NHS partners.
• Community Living Room Free, inclusive community programming space at St Anne's House shaped by local people, hosting creative workshops, skills exchanges, and co-creation workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• Secured £185,000 Bristol Impact Fund 3 grant over four years - described as 'our biggest grant to date'
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, key and supporting.

• Bristol City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Bristol City Council is both a client and key partner. Bricks works with the council on public art programmes, has secured a community asset transfer of St Anne's House, and partners with the council to determine future use of the building. Also supported by council through Bristol Impact Fund.
• Trammell Crow CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Trammell Crow Company appointed Bricks to deliver a major public art commission for the Welcome Building at Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone. This is one of Bricks' most significant commissions, featuring Dorcas Casey's Crocodile sculpture.
• Vistry GroupkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerVistry Group is the delivery developer for the Dovercourt Road residential development. Bricks is appointed to deliver the public art programme for this 140-home development in Lockleaze.
• Goram HomeskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoram Homes is the housing company landowner for the Dovercourt Road development. They partner with Bricks on the public art programme as part of the development's creative placemaking.
• UWE BristolkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerUWE Bristol is a research collaborator on collaborative research projects. The organisation also hosts MA Curating Placements at St Anne's House and has team members from UWE on the board.
• NHS EnglandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS England collaborates with Bricks on research projects exploring connections between creativity, health, and wellbeing.
• Bristol & Bath Creative RNDsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative R&D partnership supporting collaborative research projects and creative initiatives in the Bristol and Bath region.
• University of BristolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaborator on projects exploring community, creative space, environment, and education topics.
• University of ExetersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner for collaborative research projects across sectors.
• Whitfield Tabernacle TrustkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerBricks was appointed to undertake cultural viability assessment and develop creative strategy for the Grade I Listed Tabernacle building in Kingswood, working with the Trust to envision its future as a creative and community hub.
• Melksham Town CouncilsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBricks was commissioned to support Melksham in developing a cultural strategy and events plan through significant local consultation.
• Clarion Housing AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Home Sweet Home public art programme at Roseneath Gardens residential development in Stoke Gifford.
• Vastint GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerVastint Group developed the Moxy Bristol hotel and partnered with Bricks to deliver a distinctive public art programme celebrating the St Paul's community through four local artist commissions.
• St Paul's CarnivalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBricks collaborated with St Paul's Carnival organisers to source photography for the Moxy Bristol public art commission, ensuring authentic community representation.
• Raised in BristolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for the Home Sweet Home project at Felix Road, including nursery and adventure playground workshops.
• Eastside Community TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for community workshops at Felix Road Adventure Playground as part of public art programming.
• Castle Fine Arts FoundrysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist foundry that created silicone moulds and bronze-resin casts for the Crocodile public art commission.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Create London: London-based arts charity/social enterprise producing public art commissions and creative placemaking programmes for developers and local authorities. Direct peer to Bricks because both occupy the same hybrid charity-plus-public-art-consultant model, working with developers to meet planning conditions while delivering community benefit.
• Futurecity: UK consultancy that develops cultural strategies and commissions public art for major developments and regeneration projects. Direct peer because Futurecity competes with Bricks' Creative Infrastructure Agency and public art producer roles on the same developer/council RFPs.
• Situations: Bristol/UK-based public art producer commissioning ambitious contemporary art projects in the public realm. Direct peer because both organisations are publicly-funded producers of public art commissions for sites, sharing both client base and artist networks.
• Bow Arts: East London charity and social enterprise operating creative workspace, artist development programmes, and public art commissions. Direct peer because Bow Arts combines the same three legs as Bricks: affordable creative space, artist development, and commissioned public realm work.
• SPACE Studios: UK charity providing affordable artist studios and creative workspace with associated public programmes. Direct peer because SPACE shares the Bricks model of operating a permanent creative hub (analogous to St Anne's House) while running artist development and community engagement.
• Widescreen (formerly CEPT): Bristol and South West-based creative placemaking consultancy working with developers and local authorities on cultural strategies and creative infrastructure. Direct peer because Widescreen operates in the same South West geography and competes for similar council/developer cultural strategy briefs.

Broad incumbents

• Artangel: Nationally-renowned UK public art commissioning body producing site-specific contemporary art projects. Broad incumbent peer because, while much larger and London-centric, Artangel operates in the same public art commissioning category for developer/council clients.

Regional players

• Knowle West Media Centre: Bristol-based charity operating a creative community hub with digital making, artist development, and community engagement programmes. Regional peer because KWMC shares Bricks' Bristol geography and community-hub-plus-artist-development model, though with a stronger digital/tech focus.

Emerging players

• Studio Voltaire: London-based arts charity combining artist studios, exhibitions, and community programming in a single venue. Emerging peer because Studio Voltaire shares the hybrid 'venue + artist development + community engagement' model that Bricks operates at St Anne's House, but with a stronger gallery/exhibition profile.

Others

• Eastside Community Trust: Bristol-based community development trust running creative community projects and partnering on public art programming. Others-adjacent peer because Eastside is a current Bricks delivery partner on the Felix Road workshops, and reflects the type of community organisation Bricks' model integrates with rather than competes against.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BricksBristol
• Instagraminstagram.com/bricksbristol

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Bricks Bristol