Clod Ensemble
Clod Ensemble is an award-winning UK interdisciplinary performance company creating original productions blending music, movement, dance and theatre. It runs Performing Medicine (healthcare training), Ear Opener (music education), Catalyser (young artist development), and operates Greenwich Peninsula studios.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Clod Ensemble does
Clod Ensemble is an award-winning UK interdisciplinary performance company founded in 1995 by choreographer Suzy Willson and composer Paul Clark, operating as a registered charity (No. 1064633) and company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The company creates original live productions that blend music, movement, dance, theatre and visual arts, performed at tier-one UK venues including Sadler's Wells, Tate Modern, the Barbican, the V&A Museum, the Royal Academy and the Southbank Centre, with international touring to the Public Theatre of New York and the Venice Architecture Biennale. It is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
The company's core product is live performance, supported by four learning and talent development sub-brands: Performing Medicine (arts-based training for healthcare professionals and medical students, founded 2006 and embedded in Queen Mary University of London's medical curriculum); Ear Opener (music composition education combining in-school workshops with a YouTube channel of 12,000+ subscribers and 350,000+ views); Catalyser (free intensive professional development for 20 emerging artists aged 18-25, launched 2022); and Choreozone (a National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported multi-year archival project launched in 2023). The company also operates Clod Ensemble Studios in Greenwich Peninsula—a 2,000 sq ft top-lit rehearsal, music production and design studio complex available for hire—and sells production-related merchandise through an online shop.
Revenue is generated through five streams: performance fees and co-productions with venues; fees from learning programmes, workshops and mentoring (charged at hourly or daily rates on a sliding scale); merchandise sales; studio hire; and a mix of grants and donations including Arts Council England NPO funding, Wellcome Trust awards, National Lottery Heritage Fund support, and individual monthly donations ranging from £5 to £100. Customers span four primary segments: healthcare professionals and NHS trusts (delivered through Performing Medicine across multiple trusts including Guy's and St Thomas', Imperial College Healthcare, Barts Health and UCLH); emerging and professional artists (Catalyser, mentoring, co-creation programmes); secondary and higher education students (Ear Opener workshops, conservatoire partnerships with Trinity Laban, London Contemporary Dance School and Royal Northern College of Music); and cultural institutions that commission, co-produce and host productions.
Clod Ensemble firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clod Ensemble
- Legal name
- Clod Ensemble
- Website
- https://clodensemble.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Clod Ensemble is an award-winning UK interdisciplinary performance company creating original productions blending music, movement, dance and theatre. It runs Performing Medicine (healthcare training), Ear Opener (music education), Catalyser (young artist development), and operates Greenwich Peninsula studios.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clod Ensemble industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Sound Design (Creative/Design-Heavy FX, World-Building) (MPAHAEAE)
Keywords
Where Clod Ensemble is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Clod Ensemble business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Performance Fees: Revenue from staging live performances at venues across UK and internationally, including ticketed events at major cultural institutions.
- Learning Programme Fees: Fees from workshops, courses, and professional development programmes delivered to artists, healthcare professionals, and students. Mentoring charged at hourly or daily rate on sliding scale.
- Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling merchandise related to productions including prints, postcards, books, CDs, and clothing items.
- Studio Hire: Studio spaces available for hire for rehearsal and private events, including a 2000 square foot rehearsal top-lit studio, music production studio, and small design studio.
- Donations and Grants: Income from individual donations (£5/£25/£100 monthly tiers), trust and foundation support, Arts Council England National Portfolio funding, and corporate sponsors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Mentoring Services |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise |
| Subscription | Monthly | Donation Tiers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Clod Ensemble product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clod Ensemble creates and tours interdisciplinary live performances combining movement, dance, sound and theatre, staged at major UK and international cultural venues. Alongside its productions, the company delivers a portfolio of learning and talent development programmes — Performing Medicine, Ear Opener, Catalyser, Workshops & Courses, Higher Education, Mentoring, and Choreozone — for artists, healthcare professionals, students and educators.
Product overview
Clod Ensemble is an award-winning interdisciplinary performance company founded in 1995 by Suzy Willson and Paul Clark. The company operates as a unified creative platform combining live productions with extensive learning and talent development programmes. Its core offering is Productions—genre-defying performances presented in diverse venues. Supporting this are educational initiatives including Performing Medicine (arts-based healthcare training), Ear Opener (music composition education), Catalyser (young artist development), and Workshops & Courses. The company also maintains Clod Ensemble Studios in Greenwich Peninsula as rehearsal and research space, and operates Choreozone, a National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported archival project documenting three decades of work.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Performing Medicine: An award-winning initiative drawing on techniques and ideas in the arts to provide training to medical students and healthcare professionals. Founded by Suzy Willson in 2006.
- Ear Opener
- Catalyser
- Choreozone
Products and services
- Productions
- Performing Medicine
- Ear Opener
- Catalyser
- Workshops & Courses
- Higher Education Programmes
- Mentoring
- Clod Ensemble Studios (Hire)
- Clod Ensemble Online Shop (Merchandise)
Quantifiable outcome
- Average grade A/9 for students attending Ear Opener sessions
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Clod Ensemble
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Clod Ensemble technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Clod Ensemble partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.
- Manchester CollectivesecondaryOngoing collaboration since Autumn 2019, challenging traditional concert formats. Week-long residencies at Royal Northern College of Music exploring immersive musical performances with Suzy Willson and Paul Clark working with students.
- Queen Mary University of LondoncoreSuzy Willson is Professor of Movement, Arts & Medicine at Faculty of Medicine. Performing Medicine embedded within faculty core curriculum for all five years of undergraduate medical education. Collaborative research projects ongoing.
- Nu Civilisation OrchestracoreOngoing collaboration on The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady production, performed at Shoreditch Town Hall, Barbican Centre, and Brighton Festival. Partnership led by Peter Edwards and Gary Crosby OBE.
- Sadler's WellscoreMajor commissioning partner for productions including Under Glass and The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. Jerwood Studio at Sadler's Wells supported research for An Anatomie in Four Quarters.
- NHS TrustscoreBespoke programmes created with NHS Trusts including Imperial College Healthcare Trust, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Yeovil District Hospital/Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, University College London Hospitals, and Barts Health NHS Trust. Address specific staff needs including harassment, diversity, teamwork and wellbeing.
- Education PartnerscoreRegular partnerships with Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London Contemporary Dance School, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Goldsmiths University of London, and Royal Northern College of Music for workshops, courses, and performance collaborations.
- Battersea Arts CentresecondaryOriginal commissioning partner for Silver Swan. Supported development of Under Glass through residencies and co-production.
- FuelsecondaryProducing partner for Red Ladies and Under Glass productions, supporting mission development and production coordination.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clod Ensemble competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Akram Khan Company: Small UK-based dance company producing large-scale international touring work that fuses Kathak, contemporary dance and music across stage productions and learning programmes. Directly comparable in solo-artistic-director leadership model, interdisciplinary dance/music focus, and NPO funding.
- DV8 Physical Theatre: UK NPO founded in 1986, producing interdisciplinary physical-theatre work that fuses dance, movement and visual storytelling presented at major venues. Closely comparable in scale, interdisciplinary methodology, NPO funding profile, and educational/community programming.
- Rosetta Life: UK arts-and-health charity producing participatory performance work in hospitals, hospices and community settings, closely partnered with NHS Trusts and healthcare education. The most direct peer for Clod Ensemble's Performing Medicine programme on arts-in-health work.
- National Dance Company Wales: Wales-based NPO dance company producing mid-scale touring work plus a distinct learning and engagement programme reaching healthcare and community settings. Comparable NPO funding model, scale and dance-plus-learning structure to Clod Ensemble.
- Forced Entertainment: Long-established Sheffield-based experimental performance ensemble producing devised, text- and movement-driven work toured internationally with associated learning activity. Closely comparable in ensemble methodology, 30-year-plus history and small-team/NPO operations.
- Punchdrunk: UK-based immersive theatre company producing large-scale interdisciplinary performance work at major venues, with associated learning and participation programmes. Comparable in interdisciplinary artistic approach, venue partnerships and education/community outreach.
- Hofesh Shechter Company: UK dance-theatre company led by a single choreographer-composer, producing theatrical work that combines original music and movement; small core team supported by producing team and touring at major international venues, mirroring Clod Ensemble's structure.
- Complicité: Long-running UK theatre company known for visually inventive, physically led productions with strong musical content presented internationally and complemented by an education programme. Comparable scale, longevity, interdisciplinary ethos and NPO-style funding mix.
- Michael Clark Company: UK contemporary dance company combining classical and post-modern dance with live music and visual art for international touring productions. Comparable in interdisciplinary performance language, longevity, and small-team operations.
Broad incumbents
- Rambert: One of the UK's flagship contemporary dance companies, an NPO presenting major touring work with a substantial learning and participation programme. Larger and more established than Clod Ensemble but overlapping audiences, venues and commissioning relationships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clod Ensemble social profiles
Digital presenceClod Ensemble financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clod Ensemble leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Clod Ensemble funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clod Ensemble M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clod Ensemble
What does Clod Ensemble do?
Clod Ensemble creates and tours interdisciplinary live performances combining movement, dance, sound and theatre, staged at major UK and international cultural venues. Alongside its productions, the company delivers a portfolio of learning and talent development programmes — Performing Medicine, Ear Opener, Catalyser, Workshops & Courses, Higher Education, Mentoring, and Choreozone — for artists, healthcare professionals, students and educators.
Is Clod Ensemble a public or private company?
Clod Ensemble is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Clod Ensemble founded?
Clod Ensemble was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Clod Ensemble based?
Clod Ensemble is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Clod Ensemble make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Performance Fees are the primary driver. The others are learning Programme Fees, merchandise Sales, studio Hire and donations and Grants.
Who are Clod Ensemble's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Akram Khan Company, DV8 Physical Theatre, Rosetta Life, National Dance Company Wales, Forced Entertainment, Punchdrunk, Hofesh Shechter Company, Complicité and Michael Clark Company. Rambert is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Clod Ensemble have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clod Ensemble.
What industry is Clod Ensemble in?
Clod Ensemble's product category is Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking), with a secondary code of EDAMANAC, Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir). Its NAICS code is 7111.