Action for Children's Arts

Name

Action for Children's Arts

Legal name

Action for Children's Arts

Website

https://childrensarts.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Action for Children's Arts is a UK registered charity (no. 1114530) founded in 1998 that advocates for children's access to the arts, runs the J.M. Barrie Awards, and delivers programmes including Arts Backpack UK, Young Voices and Zoom Network to schools, members and arts organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Advocacy and Children's Cultural Education Charity

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Children's arts advocacy
• Arts education charity
• Membership organisation
• Primary arts outreach
• Cultural recognition awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Girton, Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Individual memberships at £30/year (£2.50/month standing order) and student memberships at £18/year. Organisation memberships range from £50-£300/year based on annual turnover, with additional colleague inclusions at each tier.
2. Donations: The charity accepts donations via PayPal and operates crowdfunding campaigns (e.g., Aviva Community Fund) to support the Arts Backpack UK pilots.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Action for Children's Arts is a UK registered charity that advocates for children's access to and experience of the arts. It sells individual and organisational memberships, runs recognition awards (J.M. Barrie Award and Vicky Ireland Award), delivers the Arts Backpack UK outreach programme for primary schoolchildren, convenes practitioners via the Zoom Network, and stages Inspiration Day events and a regular newsletter.

Product overview

Action for Children's Arts operates as a single unified offering—a membership-based advocacy charity rather than a software platform. The core portfolio consists of the J.M. Barrie Awards and Vicky Ireland Award (annual recognition programs), the Arts Backpack UK cultural enrichment program, ACA Young Voices youth advisory panel, ACA Membership (individual and organizational tiers), and supplementary offerings including an email newsletter, Zoom Network virtual events, and Inspiration Days in-person professional gatherings. These offerings work together to advance ACA's mission of championing children's rights to access and participate in the arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Subscription package for individuals working in or with children's arts (artists, teachers, performers, educators) granting access to the Zoom Network, member newsletter, and invitation to events and recognition activities.
• Organisational Membership Subscription package for UK theatres, arts organisations, schools, and cultural institutions supporting children's arts work, giving institutional alignment with a national voice and access to member events and networks.
• J.M. Barrie Award Awards programme recognising individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the lives of children through the arts.
• Vicky Ireland Award Awards programme honouring contributions to children's arts, named after the founder of Action for Children's Arts.
• Arts Backpack UK Outreach programme distributing free arts resource bags (backpacks) containing creative materials to primary schoolchildren across the UK, supporting hands-on engagement with the arts.
• ACA Young Voices A youth advisory committee that gives children and young people a voice in ACA's advocacy, ensuring the charity's work reflects the perspectives of its young beneficiaries.
• Zoom Network A practitioner network for children's arts professionals (artists, teachers, theatre makers) enabling peer connection, knowledge sharing, and event participation.
• Inspiration Days Events programme offering talks, performances, and workshops for teachers, practitioners, and members designed to inspire and develop children's arts practice.
• ACA Newsletter A regular newsletter providing members and the wider public with updates on children's arts news, opportunities, awards, and ACA activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 400,000 people reached through The Story Museum alone since 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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 core and minor.

• Young at ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Delivery partner for the Arts Backpack Belfast pilot (January-June 2022), running in four primary schools across Belfast. Young at Art delivered cultural experiences including visits to Belfast Children's Festival, the Lyric Theatre, and the MAC.
• Attenborough Arts CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner for planned Arts Backpack Leicester pilot, bringing arts education to Leicester primary schools.
• The Spark Arts for ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Main partner for Arts Backpack Leicester pilot through City Classroom initiative, delivering arts education across Leicester.
• Place2BecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Mental health charity partnership since 2017, joint winners of 2021 Outstanding Contribution Award. Delivered BAFTA Kids at Home with Place2Be during pandemic and mental health support programmes.
• BAFTA KidscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Joint winners of 2021 Outstanding Contribution Award. Partnership since 2017 delivering roadshows and at-home content with Place2Be supporting children's mental health and creativity.
• Theatre AlibiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts Backpack partner providing online resources for Fife pilot.
• Magic LanternminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts Backpack partner providing online resources for Fife pilot.
• ImaginateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish arts organisation partner for Arts Backpack UK providing content for Fife pilot.
• Scottish OperaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing content for Arts Backpack UK Fife pilot.
• Little Angel TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPuppetry partner for Arts Backpack, providing shadow puppetry and pocket theatre activities.
• ChickenshedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInclusive theatre company partnered for Arts Backpack feasibility study, with research group of 8 children exploring performing arts importance.
• First NewsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK national newspaper for young people helping distribute children's voices questionnaire for Arts Backpack research.
• The Story MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Outstanding Achievement Award winner, Oxford museum on mission to promote literacy, creativity and wellbeing for children and families. Reached nearly 400,000 people since 2021 reopening.
• ASSITEJ InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Association of Theatre and Performing Arts for Children and Young People. ACA's Children's Arts Manifesto was used as basis for ASSITEJ International Manifesto.
• Young V&AminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACA was invited to Young V&A Online Symposium discussing plans to transform Museum of Childhood and support young creativity.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ASSITEJ UK: UK branch of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People. Directly comparable as a sector body championing theatre and performing arts for children, with networking, advocacy and international linkages that overlap with ACA's mission.
• Engage (National Association for Gallery Education): UK membership organisation advocating for visual arts and gallery education for children and young people. Comparable as a small, membership-based advocacy body promoting children's access to the arts through professional development and campaigns.
• One Dance UK: UK national dance advocacy and support body. Comparable as a sector membership organisation championing a children's arts discipline (dance), with awards, networks and policy advocacy that mirror ACA's structure.
• Children's Media Foundation: UK advocacy body for children's media and screen content. Comparable as a small, mission-driven organisation running campaigns and member events around UK children's creative industries, overlapping with ACA's children's television and screen arts focus.
• Kids in Museums: UK charity advocating for children and families in museums and cultural venues. Highly comparable as a small advocacy charity focused on widening children's cultural access, with membership, awards (Family Friendly Museum Award) and training programmes.

Emerging players

• Children's University: UK charity providing children with learning experiences outside school hours, including cultural and creative activities. Comparable as a programme-based charity increasing children's cultural exposure, with overlapping school-partnership and pilot delivery models.

Regional players

• Barnsley's Spot On... (Children's Arts) / Big Imaginations: UK regional children's theatre networks and partnerships focused on widening access to high-quality theatre for young audiences. Comparable in mission to expand children's arts access, but operating through regional theatre partnerships rather than a national advocacy voice.

Broad incumbents

• Youth Music: UK charity funding music education for children and young people. Comparable as a national children's arts funder and advocate, but focused specifically on music and operating at materially larger scale.
• Place2Be: Large UK children's mental health charity and ACA partner (joint 2021 Outstanding Contribution Award winner). Comparable as a national children's-services charity working through schools, though operating at significantly greater scale and on a mental-health mandate.
• National Children's Bureau: Long-established UK charity focused on improving children's wellbeing and services. Comparable in mission (children's rights and access to services) and advocacy function, though operating at much larger scale and across broader policy areas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/childrensarts
• Facebookfacebook.com/160911273567
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/action-for-children's-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Action for Children's Arts