Council for Higher Education in Art and Design

What Council for Higher Education in Art and Design does

The Council for Higher Education in Art and Design (CHEAD) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered in England and Wales (Charity Number 1174589) that functions as the representative body for UK higher education institutions offering degree or postgraduate provision in art, design, creative media and related disciplines. It is governed by a Board of Trustees drawn from its membership and operates from a registered address in Hemel Hempstead with a small staff team of approximately nine people led by two Directors covering Policy and External Relations and Membership and Operations, plus a Programme Administrator and membership support staff.

CHEAD's core offering is institutional membership, supplemented by a portfolio of sector services: an Annual Conference, monthly Policy Briefings, the Creative Leadership Programme, the Technical Leadership Programme, and a set of specialist communities of practice including the RIKE Alliance (research, innovation and knowledge exchange), the Technical Alliance, the EDI Alliance, the Subject Association Alliance, and the Sustainability Think Tank. It is not a technology company and has no proprietary software, API, or app.

The organisation's revenue model is subscription-based, with annual membership fees tiered by institutional student numbers from £773 to £7,122 per annum. Membership runs from 1 August to 31 July and is managed by a nominated representative at each member institution. CHEAD also delivers advocacy and partnership work alongside a broad coalition of sector bodies including Arts Council England, British Council, Design Council, Crafts Council UK, NSEAD, and the Design Business Association, and operates only within the United Kingdom across its four nations.

Name

Council for Higher Education in Art and Design

Legal name

Council for Higher Education in Art and Design

Website

https://chead.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CHEAD is the UK membership association for higher education institutions offering art, design, creative media and related disciplines, representing 69+ member institutions across the four UK nations through policy advocacy, leadership programmes, and specialist communities of practice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Sector Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Higher education association
• Art and design education
• Membership organisation
• Professional development programmes
• Sector advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Hemel Hempstead

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. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees based on student numbers at member institutions. Fees range from £773 to £7,122 per annum depending on institution size.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CHEAD is a membership association for UK higher education institutions offering art, design, creative media and related disciplines. It provides institutional members with policy representation, monthly policy briefings, an annual conference, professional development programmes (Creative Leadership Programme and Technical Leadership Programme), and access to specialist community alliances covering research, technical practice, EDI, subject associations, and sustainability. The organisation is funded through tiered annual membership fees based on institution size.

Product overview

CHEAD is a membership-based association for UK higher education institutions offering art, design, creative media and related disciplines. The organization provides a unified platform connecting over 70 member institutions through shared services including membership programs, professional development (Leadership Programme and Technical Leadership Programme), an Annual Conference, monthly Policy Briefings, and specialist alliances (RIKE Alliance for research, Technical Alliance, EDI Alliance, Subject Association Alliance, and Sustainability Think Tank). These offerings work together to advance knowledge, promote the sector's interests, and provide a collective voice for higher education art and design in the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CHEAD Membership

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ACID (Anti Copying in Design)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerACID's 5 pillars include Education & Awareness. Partnership enables outreach to ensure students are equipped with IP knowledge to protect their designs, creations and future careers.
• ANdÉAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner organisation for art and design education collaboration.
• Arts Council EnglandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational development council for the arts in England, supporting creative education initiatives.
• British CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership has helped strengthen creative education collaboration between the four nations of the UK and France, including student and faculty mobility and collaborative research.
• Crafts Council UKcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCrafts Council partnership built on aligned vision and shared priorities particularly in advocacy and lobbying for craft education.
• Creative UKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports creative industries development and education initiatives.
• Contemporary Visual Arts NetworkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCVAN partnership essential for advancing policy and advocacy for visual arts, connecting research, education and practice.
• CumulusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational association of art, design and media universities and colleges.
• Design Business AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint report produced on shared vision for HE and Industry Collaboration. Partnership aims to ensure graduates enter careers ready and equipped to contribute to design industry.
• Design CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHEAD has been a key partner in Design Council's Skills for Planet movement. CHEAD has enabled engagement at scale across design departments with Skills for Planet Regional University Champions in each of 12 UK regions.
• ELIA (European League of Institutes of the Arts)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network supporting art and design education internationally.
• Fashion Academics Creating Equality (FACE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership addresses decline of creative arts education and advocates for equity of opportunity, learner-centred curriculum, and diverse subject-specialist workforce.
• Freelancer ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports creative freelancers and education initiatives.
• National Saturday ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared commitment to ensuring art and design education is valued, recognised and accessible. Partnership reflects ambition to widen participation and strengthen pathways into art and design HE.
• NSEAD (National Society for Education in Art and Design)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership addresses decline of creative arts education in schools, colleges and universities. Collective ambition to secure equity of opportunity for all learners.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Advance HE: UK HE membership organisation focused on teaching, leadership, governance and EDI in higher education. Directly comparable professional development and accreditation model to CHEAD's Leadership and EDI Alliance programmes.
• National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD): The UK subject association for art and design education at school and FE level. Closest peer to CHEAD by mission and member-base structure, but CHEAD covers HE specifically while NSEAD covers schools/colleges.
• GuildHE: UK membership body for smaller and specialist higher education institutions including several creative arts colleges. Directly comparable as a sector representative association with tiered membership and policy advocacy.

Regional players

• ANdéA (Association Nationale des Écoles Supérieures d'Art): French national association for higher education art and design schools. Direct functional analogue to CHEAD in France; comparable membership-based advocacy model and programme offerings.
• Cumulus Association: International association of art, design and media universities and colleges. Comparable international membership and conference model; CHEAD is a listed partner.
• ELIA (European League of Institutes of the Arts): Europe-wide network of arts higher education institutions. CHEAD is a partner member; ELIA is the continental analogue operating across multiple countries with comparable membership and advocacy functions.

Others

• Arts Council England: National development agency for the arts in England. Listed as a core CHEAD partner; comparable in advocacy and funding-distribution role but operates as a public body rather than a membership association.

Broad incumbents

• Universities UK: The overarching representative body for UK universities. Broader in scope than CHEAD but provides a benchmark for how a UK HE membership association operates at scale, with policy influence and member services.
• MillionPlus: UK mission group representing modern universities, many of which house CHEAD member art & design departments. Comparable HE representative/advocacy function but at institutional rather than subject level.
• Design Council: UK national advisory body for design. CHEAD is a named partner in Design Council's Skills for Planet movement. Comparable as a UK-wide design sector advocate and policy influencer, though broader than HE alone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/council-for-higher-education-in-art-and-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Council for Higher Education in Art and Design