Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination

Name

Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination

Legal name

Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination

Website

https://cambridgecandi.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Wellbeing Charity Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

School, University & NGO Outdoor Programs (Curriculum/Program Delivery) (THAAAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Personal Enrichment & Creative Arts Programs (EDAAAEAG), Environmental Interpretation & Ranger-Led Education Programs (Visitor Education) (THAAAOAJ)

Keywords

• Arts in nature
• Creative health programmes
• Youth wellbeing initiatives
• Outdoor creative learning
• Community arts charity

Headquarters

HQ city

CAMBRIDGE

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Voluntary donations and individual giving: CCI is a registered charity (No. 1126253) that relies almost entirely on voluntary income from members of the public, charitable trusts, foundations, and philanthropic businesses and individuals. Donations are accepted via LocalGiving, cheque, and one-off or regular monthly contributions with Gift Aid option.
2. Charitable trusts and foundations grants: CCI receives funding from charitable trusts and foundations including National Lottery Community Fund, Evelyn Trust, Art Fund, and others to support specific programmes and core costs.
3. Business and corporate partnerships: CCI receives support from businesses and organisations including those listed as partners and funders. Corporate sponsors support specific projects and the charity's general operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination (CCI) is a registered arts and wellbeing charity that delivers the 'Artscaping' methodology, an arts-in-nature practice combining outdoor creative activities with nature engagement for children, young people and communities. It runs programmes in schools, healthcare settings (notably Addenbrooke's Hospital), communities (Fantastical Forest, Creative Care, Imaginarium events) and provides paid teambuilding workshops for businesses. The charity also produces free publications, guides, soundscapes and downloadable wellbeing resources to support its practice.

Product overview

Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination (CCI) is an award-winning arts and wellbeing charity, not a technology company. It offers a portfolio of community programs and creative resources centered around its 'Artscaping' methodology—a practice of being creative outdoors with children and young people. The core offerings include Artscaping programs for schools and communities, the Fantastical Forest public art project, Creative Care mental health resources, and the Taking Note poetry project at Addenbrooke's Hospital. CCI also produces publications, guides, soundscapes, and educational resources that support its mission to help children and communities thrive through creativity and nature connection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Artscaping: The distinctive practice of being creative outdoors pioneered by Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination, working with children, young people and communities in nature settings
• Fantastical Forest
• Imaginarium
• Creative Care
• Taking Note
• Artscapers

Products and services

• Artscaping (Schools Programme) CCI's signature arts-in-nature methodology delivered as a programme for primary and secondary schools, helping children develop creativity, wellbeing and nature connectedness through outdoor creative activities with artists.
• Fantastical Forest A public art project featuring over 100 exquisite hangings of extraordinary illustrations of the natural world, co-created with communities and artists and displayed at venues across the region to advocate for a greener, fairer future.
• Creative Care A mental health and wellbeing programme providing creative resources, care packs and activities to help families and young people connect with nature and creativity; partners included Centre 33, The Kite Trust and Cambs Youth Panel.
• Taking Note A hospital-based creative project delivered with Addenbrooke's Hospital inviting patients, staff and visitors to notice and record moments of happiness, culminating in a published poetry collection.
• Teambuilding Workshops Paid outdoor creative teambuilding workshops facilitated by CCI artists for businesses and organisations seeking creative outdoor team strengthening experiences.
• Imaginarium Takeover A community imagination event held at King's College during the Cambridge Festival exploring 'What Would Nature Do?', delivered in collaboration with Cambridge Carbon Footprint and partner organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,033 Artscapers strengthened their relationships with nature and one another in 2024-2025
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cambridge City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CCI works with Cambridge City Council on the River Cam Climate Action through Nature (CAN) project and the DiversiTree project, engaging local residents in creative opportunities that encourage nature connectedness and support health and wellbeing.
• Anglia Ruskin UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CCI works with Professor Hilary Bungay at Anglia Ruskin University as part of the national research programme coordinated by the National Centre for Creative Health, investigating new approaches to tackling health inequalities.
• University College London (UCL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CCI works closely with Professor Nicola Walshe at UCL's Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education since 2021. This collaboration has informed CCI's schools programmes and advocacy work with policy makers. UCL is an academic partner in the Branching Out research programme.
• Cambridge University Hospitals (Addenbrooke's)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014CCI's partnership with the arts programme of Cambridge University Hospitals began in 2014. More than 40,000 people visit the main site every day. CCI has been involved in thinking about how creative experiences can support patients, staff and visitors, delivering projects including Trolley of Ideas, Taking Note, and Rooted wellbeing walk.
• FullscopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI is a founding partner in Fullscope, a consortium of organisations working to improve children and young people's mental health and wellbeing across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Fullscope members include Arts and Minds, Ormiston Families, Blue Smile, Centre 33, CPSL Mind, The Kite Trust, and YMCA Trinity. CCI brings 20 years of experience to the group, offering knowledge of how and where children can flourish. Fullscope is a key partner in Artscaping research and advocacy.
• Cambridge Acorn ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI works with Cambridge Acorn Project (CAP) on the Branching Out research programme and to amplify Artscapers, helping more children and adults share art-in-nature experiences. CAP contributes therapeutic practitioners to CCI's training events.
• Cambridge Carbon FootprintcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI co-produces the Imaginarium events with Cambridge Carbon Footprint, combining creative community imagination with climate action. Cambridge Carbon Footprint hosts and facilitates these events.
• King's College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI works with Dr Zoe Moula at King's College London on research and policy briefing publications, including a wellbeing-focused edition of The House parliamentary magazine.
• National Centre for Creative HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI participates in a national research programme coordinated by the National Centre for Creative Health, funded through a collaboration between three major research councils (MRC, AHRC and NERC), focused on how local, cultural, natural and community assets can mitigate health inequality.
• King's College CambridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI has an ongoing partnership with King's College Cambridge, hosting the Imaginarium Takeover at the college and providing access to the Fellows' Garden for creative programmes with young people. Head Gardener Steve Coghill and his team support these activities.
• Cambridge Past Present and FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI partners with Cambridge Past Present and Future as part of the River Cam CAN project.
• Bath Spa UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI has written on the role of creative activism with Dr Penny Hay at Bath Spa University.
• Goldsmiths University of LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI works with Dr Esther Sayers at Goldsmiths University of London on creative activism and advocacy publications.
• Crop Science CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Jen McGaley from the Crop Science Centre collaborates with CCI on mycorrhizal fungi research, bringing microscopes and scientific expertise to young people's creative explorations. Her work makes underground fungal networks visible and has inspired creative outputs including the Rooted wellbeing walk.
• TOWN (master developer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI works with TOWN, master developer for Hartree in North Cambridge, on creative consultation with young people to inform the development of new communities. CCI's work ensures children's voices contribute to planning decisions.
• U+I (Urban & Civic)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI collaborates with U+I, co-masterplanner of North East Cambridge, on community imagination projects including the 'What Makes a Place?' consultation.
• Cambridge City CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCambridge City Council is listed as a key funding partner and supporter, with funding provided through various grants including S106 Public Art Grant and support for Fantastical Forest and River Cam CAN project.
• Cambridge Nature NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI is part of the River Cam Climate Action through Nature project led by Cambridge Nature Network, which coordinates the DiversiTree initiative with funding from the National Lottery Community Fund's Climate Action Fund.
• Artist Hilary Cox CondroncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist Hilary Cox Condron is a long-term creative collaborator with CCI, serving as Creative Producer for the Imaginarium series, leading Fantastical Forest, and contributing to multiple community and school programmes.
• InSEA (International Society for Education through Art)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI works with Susan Coles, Vice President of InSEA, to advocate for change in arts education internationally.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Create: UK charity delivering creative workshops and arts programmes for children and young people in schools and community settings, addressing wellbeing and disadvantage. Closest comparable to CCI in mission (arts for young people's wellbeing), delivery model (school and community workshops) and funding base (grants and donations).
• Children's University: UK charity encouraging learning outside the classroom for primary-aged children through accredited activities. Comparable to CCI's Artscaping in offering structured, curriculum-aligned extra-curricular learning experiences delivered via school partnerships.
• The Art Room: UK charity providing art-therapy programmes in primary schools to boost children's emotional wellbeing and self-esteem. Closely comparable to CCI's Creative Care and Artscaping work in schools, with overlapping funder base and beneficiary group.
• Cambridge Acorn Project: Cambridge-based therapeutic project supporting children's mental health through nature-based activities and partner of CCI on the Branching Out research programme. Most directly comparable local peer, sharing geography, beneficiary group and complementary outdoor-wellbeing methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Wildlife Trusts: UK federation of 46 wildlife trusts running environmental education and nature-connection programmes for children and families. Overlaps with CCI's nature-connection mission but at much larger scale and without the creative-arts methodology.
• Roundhouse: Larger London-based youth arts charity providing creative programmes for 11-25 year olds. Comparable on creative-arts-for-young-people mission and Arts Council funding model, though much larger and focused on performing arts rather than outdoor nature practice.
• The Prince's Trust: Major UK youth charity supporting 11-30 year olds through education, training and enterprise programmes. Comparable on beneficiary age group and UK charity funding ecosystem, though much larger and with a broader employability rather than arts-in-nature focus.
• National Centre for Creative Health: UK charity advancing creative health approaches to health inequalities. CCI is an active research partner of this organisation; comparable as a creative-health advocate, though NCCH operates as a national umbrella rather than a delivery charity.
• National Youth Theatre: Long-established UK charity providing performing-arts training and creative opportunities for young people. Comparable on the creative-youth-development mission and Arts Council funding pathway, but operating at significantly greater scale and in performing rather than outdoor arts.

Emerging players

• Forest School Association: UK membership body promoting Forest School outdoor learning approach for children, sharing CCI's emphasis on outdoor nature-based education but with a different pedagogical lineage and not specifically arts-led.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cambridge-curiosity-and-imagination

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 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination