Brighton People's Theatre

What Brighton People's Theatre does

Brighton People's Theatre (BPT) is a UK-registered charity (CIO, Charity No: 1196082) founded in 2015 by Naomi Alexander that co-creates theatre with local people in Brighton and Hove, prioritizing residents of the BN postcode who have had the fewest opportunities to take part in arts and culture. The organization operates a community-led model built around weekly drop-in theatre workshops (Pay What You Decide), area-specific programmes such as Hawk in the Valley in East Brighton, and a portfolio of large-scale co-created productions — Tighten Our Belts (2016), Born and Bread (2022-2023, 1,300+ audience), 12 Days (2020), The Songbird Café (Brighton Festival 2024 commission), Mabrouk (2023), and The Museum of Life (March 2026, 600 audience). Underlying the model is a proprietary methodology: the Way of Being framework (Open, Fearless, Playful, Respectful) and Way of Caring toolkit guide facilitation, while a structured Conversation-Based Research process — 200+ community conversations stored at The Keep community archive — feeds script and production development.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix including grants from Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Heritage Lottery Fund, Enjoolata Foundation, Chalk Cliff Trust, Brighton & Hove City Council and others; the BPT100 monthly individual giving campaign; tiered professional training in 'Producing Co-Creation' (£300-£750); Pay What You Decide workshop fees; gift vouchers (£4-£60) and on-demand merchandise via Printful. The organization operates with a lean staff equivalent to 2 full-time roles plus a contracted dramaturg and a 6-person Board of Trustees, supplemented by a network of 37 freelance creatives. Distribution runs through venue partnerships with ACCA (Sussex University) and Brighton Dome, community workshops at Friends Meeting House and Robert Lodge (Whitehawk), and a website / newsletter / social-media-led engagement funnel. The organization is currently transitioning from its 'Act 1' plan (2022-2025) into 'Act 2' (2026-2031), signaling an intentional scaling phase focused on production complexity, new revenue streams, and expanded demographic reach.

Name

Brighton People's Theatre

Legal name

Brighton People's Theatre

Website

https://brightonpeoplestheatre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Brighton People's Theatre is a Brighton-based registered charity that co-creates theatre with local non-professionals, focusing on residents with limited arts access through weekly workshops and community productions. It is funded by charitable trusts, donations, training fees, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Theatre / Participatory Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Community theatre workshops
• Co-created theatrical productions
• Participatory arts programs
• Community engagement theatre
• Non-professional performer training

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations & Grants: Primary revenue from charitable donations, trusts, foundations and public funding including Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Enjoolata Foundation, Chalk Cliff Trust, and Brighton & Hove City Council.
2. BPT100 Monthly Giving Campaign: Monthly recurring donations from individual supporters called the BPT100 campaign.
3. Workshop Fees (Pay What You Decide): Workshops operate on a Pay What You Decide model, making theatre accessible to all regardless of financial situation.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including hoodies, t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, and tote bags through the BPT shop.
5. Gift Vouchers: Digital gift vouchers sold at £4 (subsidised), £10, £20, and £60 denominations for workshop participation.
6. Training Programs: Fee-based training in 'Producing Co-Creation' offered to professionals, artists, and organisations at tiered pricing based on organisational size.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Brighton People's Theatre co-creates theatre with local Brighton residents, operating weekly drop-in workshops, location-specific community programs, and ticketed co-created productions at partner venues. The organization runs professional training in co-creation methodology and sells gift vouchers and merchandise. Audience is Brighton adults (BN postcode) with limited prior access to arts and culture.

Product overview

Brighton People's Theatre is a community theatre organization offering co-created theatre experiences. The core offering consists of weekly theatre workshops for non-professionals (Workshops for All), professional artist networking events (Artist Swap Shop), and area-specific programs (Hawk in the Valley). Productions include The Museum of Life, Born and Bread, The Songbird Café, Tighten Our Belts, and 12 Days. Supporting offerings include gift vouchers for workshop attendance, BPT branded merchandise via Printful, and professional training in Producing Co-Creation. The organization also conducts community conversations to gather stories for future productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theatre Workshops for All Weekly drop-in theatre workshops for non-professionals in Brighton offering games, exercises, improvisation, and script work in a safe, accessible space. Operates on a Pay What You Decide basis and is targeted at adults aged 18+ with BN postcodes who have had the fewest opportunities to take part in arts and culture.
• Artist Swap Shop Regular networking and practice-sharing sessions for professional theatre-makers, workshop facilitators and performance artists with BN postcodes. Held at Brighton Dome Founders Room, offering a low-stakes supportive environment to share games, exercises, and activities at £10 per session.
• Hawk in the Valley A place-based community workshop programme exploring the theme of Opportunity with East Brighton residents aged 18+ living in Whitehawk, Manor Farm or Bristol Estate. Initial six-week workshop series with additional performance opportunities, delivered at Robert Lodge on Whitehawk Road.
• Producing Co-Creation Training Two-day professional training course sharing Brighton People's Theatre's methodology for power-sharing, ethical partnerships, and community-rooted work. Skills are transferable across the wider creative sectors and the course is suitable for experienced artists, emerging producers, and graduates seeking practical co-creation tools. Pricing is tiered by organizational size.
• BPT Gift Vouchers Digital gift vouchers for BPT workshops sold at four denominations: £4 subsidised (covering one workshop, offered for accessibility during the cost-of-living crisis), £10 (one workshop), £20 (two workshops) and £60 (six workshops). Vouchers are valid for one year and redeemable against any BPT workshop.
• BPT Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise store selling BPT hoodies, sweatshirts, t-shirts, mugs and tote bags, including Museum of Life specific merchandise. Apparel is produced on-demand through Printful to reduce overproduction and is delivered within 3-21 days.
• Tighten Our Belts (Production) Ticketed co-created theatrical production about the cost of austerity, made in partnership with Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project (BUCFP) and Brighton Dome. Audience-facing show staged at Brighton Dome, sold on a Pay What You Decide basis.
• Born and Bread (Production) Ticketed co-created theatrical production exploring themes of food, home and belonging through stories gathered from over 100 Brighton residents. Performed at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) with audiences fed as part of the show; cast of 30 local non-professional performers.
• The Museum of Life (Production) Ticketed co-created theatrical production exploring the theme of ageing from cradle to grave as a celebration of what we gain as we age. Staged at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) in two performances to 600 audience members in March 2026.
• The Songbird Café (Production) Family-friendly musical commissioned by Brighton Festival exploring mental health crisis, loneliness and isolation, presented as part of Brighton Festival 2024 following an R&D phase of writing, singing, movement, and set/costume design workshops.
• 12 Days (Production) Short magical satirical film celebrating key workers, co-created with writer Rebecca Manley, musician Toby Park and 20 BPT members. The film was recorded via Zoom during the pandemic lockdown and is presented as a digital production.
• Mabrouk (Production) Co-created production in development, drawing on the stories of Brighton & Hove residents with heritage from Arabic-speaking countries and focusing on Special Occasions such as weddings, Eid, Easter, birthdays and funerals. Development is led by writer Suhayla El-Bushra and Director Tanushka Marah with Heritage Lottery Fund support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% would recommend BPT to others
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Artswork's Breakthrough ProgrammeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with Artswork to offer paid 6-month employability programme for young creatives aged 18-25 in the south-east, providing Production Assistant and Communications Assistant roles.
• Brighton FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Commissioned The Songbird Café with a view to being part of the Festival in 2024. Festival is mental health and loneliness crisis-focused family-friendly musical.
• Open Up Arts Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with community organisations in East Brighton and Hangleton & Knoll for Open Up Arts research: Bristol Estate Community Room, Crew Club, Due East, Manor Gym, Robert Lodge, Serendipity, St Cuthman's Church, Wellsbourne GP Surgery.
• Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project (BUCFP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2015Community partner for BPT's first production Tighten Our Belts. Over 40 people from BUCFP participated in research and development of the show about austerity.
• Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary performance venue for major productions including Born and Bread and The Museum of Life. ACCA hosted sold-out performances and provides technical support for BPT shows.
• Brighton DomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for performances (Tighten Our Belts sold out shows) and location for Artist Swap Shop professional workshops in the Founders Room.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mind the Gap: Bradford-based learning disability and inclusive theatre company producing professional work with and for learning-disabled artists. Comparable as a small-staff, mission-led, co-creative theatre organization working with underrepresented communities.
• Camden People's Theatre: North London venue and producing theatre focused on emerging and experimental artists, with a strong participatory and community strand. Listed as a prior affiliation of BPT board member Lily Einhorn, making it a closely aligned peer in participatory/community theatre.
• Cardboard Citizens: London-based participatory theatre company working with people affected by homelessness and social exclusion. Directly comparable to BPT as a co-creative community theatre organization, and named as a prior employer of two BPT staff members (Emma Ghafur and Niamh Hicks).
• 20 Stories High: Liverpool-based theatre company co-creating bold, high-quality work with young people aged 14–25 from disadvantaged backgrounds. Directly comparable in mission, methodology (co-creation with underrepresented groups) and small-staff operating model.
• The Albany: Deptford-based community arts centre running participatory theatre, dance and music programmes with local residents, alongside professional productions. Directly comparable as a community-anchored arts organization combining workshops and productions.

Emerging players

• Heart & Soul Storytelling Theatre: Small UK theatre company that co-creates work with adults with learning disabilities and other marginalized groups. Comparable as a small, co-creative community theatre organization focused on inclusion and participation outcomes.
• LUNG Theatre: Touring, campaign-focused theatre company producing work that responds to social issues. Comparable as a small, values-driven touring theatre with co-creation and community engagement elements, though its thematic focus is more explicitly political/issue-led.

Broad incumbents

• Battersea Arts Centre: Major London community arts venue with a national profile, running participatory programmes, co-created productions and a busy programming calendar. Comparable in community-theatre mission, though at significantly larger scale; named as a prior affiliation of BPT CEO Naomi Alexander.
• Old Vic Theatre: Historic London theatre running community engagement programmes alongside its mainstage work. Comparable in combining professional productions with community participation; listed as prior affiliation of BPT CEO Naomi Alexander.
• Young Vic: Major London theatre with a long-standing Taking Part department producing community-co-created work. Comparable in co-creative community theatre practice, though operating at far greater scale; listed as prior affiliation of BPT board member Lily Einhorn.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brighton-people-s-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Brighton People's Theatre