Creative Stirling

What Creative Stirling does

Creative Stirling is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO, charity number SC046431) operating as a community arts charity and social enterprise from 44 King Street, Stirling FK8 1AY. Founded in 2012, the organisation delivers a portfolio of programmes serving young people, LGBTQIA+ communities, local artists, and Forth Valley residents. Core activities include creative skills training (CAMM – Community and Media Matters), the Lavender Lives LGBTQIA+ project delivered in partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland, Jasmine Journeys mental health and wellbeing work, the youth-led "A Bird's Eye View on Hate Crime" campaign, and the Data Knight cyber-resilience animation project. The charity also operates a creative venue and runs Made in Stirling, a wholly-owned Community Interest Company (CIC) constituted in 2022 that functions as its retail and maker trading arm.

The 2025–2026 pipeline adds the Speakeasy Stirling monthly cultural events series (£12.50 per ticket), the Defining Spaces 2026 youth arts programme, the Shifting Horizons 2026 community wellbeing programme, and a partnership with NFTS Scotland developing film and television career pathways. Forth Valley Pride activity and the wider Forth Valley Creative Network extend the organisation's geographic and sectoral footprint. The charity reports an annual economic contribution of approximately £250,000 to the Stirling local economy.

The revenue model is hybrid: multi-year grants from Creative Scotland, the Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund, Youthlink Scotland, and Cyber Security Scotland are supplemented by trading income from Made in Stirling retail, workshop fees, venue hire, and event ticketing. The organisation employs seven staff and operates a free community membership. The SCIO-plus-CIC structure separates charitable activity from VAT-able trading in line with UK social-enterprise convention.

Name

Creative Stirling

Legal name

Creative Stirling

Website

https://creativestirling.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Creative Stirling is a Stirling-based Scottish charity (SC046431) delivering community arts, youth, mental health, and LGBTQIA+ programmes, operating a venue, the Made in Stirling retail CIC, and cultural events such as Speakeasy Stirling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts & Cultural Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crafts & DIY (Paper, Fiber, Wood, Resin, DIY Projects) (EDAAAGAB), Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Community arts
• Cultural events
• Youth programs
• Social enterprise
• Media training

Headquarters

HQ city

Stirling

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Made in Stirling Store Retail Sales: Trading arm generates income from sales of local artists' work and crafts. All profits reinvested into supporting creative enterprise and community programs.
2. Creative Workshops and Classes: Revenue from creative workshops, skill-building sessions, and courses delivered at the venue
3. Venue and Space Hire: Income from hiring out event space, studio, and office space for artists at 44 King Street venue
4. Speakeasy Stirling Event Tickets: Ticket sales for monthly cultural nights featuring live performances, comedy, music, and spoken word programming
5. Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding: Core operational funding from Creative Scotland supporting Speakeasy Stirling and other programming
6. Community Mental Health & Wellbeing Funding: Project-based funding for Jasmine Journeys and other community wellbeing programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Creative Stirling is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) and community arts charity that delivers cultural events, youth development programmes, media training, mental health and wellbeing projects, and inclusion-focused initiatives from its 44 King Street venue in Stirling. It also operates Made in Stirling, a Community Interest Company (CIC) trading arm that retails locally-made products, with surplus reinvested into community activity.

Product overview

Creative Stirling is a community arts charity and social enterprise operating in Stirling, Scotland. The organisation operates under a dual-entity structure: the Creative Stirling SCIO (charitable parent, registration SC046431) that wholly owns Made in Stirling CIC (trading arm). Their portfolio comprises cultural programming including Speakeasy Stirling monthly performance events, educational programmes such as CAMM (Community and Media Matters) media skills training, youth development initiatives through Creative Youth Assembly, and specialist community projects addressing LGBTQIA+ inclusion (Lavender Lives), hate crime awareness (A Bird's Eye View on Hate Crime), and mental wellbeing (Jasmine Journeys, Shifting Horizons 2026, Defining Spaces 2026). These programmes are delivered through the Creative Stirling Venue at 44 King Street, with Made in Stirling store serving as both a retail outlet for local artists and the social enterprise trading arm that funds charitable activities. The organisation generates approximately £250,000 annually for the local economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Made in Stirling: Trading arm/CIC of Creative Stirling, generating income from sales, workshops, hires and events.
• Community and Media Matters (CAMM)

Products and services

• Speakeasy Stirling Monthly cultural events programme held in Stirling, providing a platform for community creative performance and participation.

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Made in Stirling CICcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Creative Stirling wholly owns Made in Stirling CIC, a separate Community Interest Company registered with Companies House. Made in Stirling handles all trading activity including retail sales, workshops, venue hire, and studio/office space, with all profits paid annually to the charity.
• Stirling Community MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint delivery of Community and Media Matters (CAMM) course for young people, providing media skills, radio training, and podcasting opportunities. Ryan Rocks serves as both CAMM Coordinator and trustee for Stirling Community Media.
• LGBT Youth ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership delivering LGBTQIA+ projects including Lavender Lives and Jasmine Journeys. Collaboration on hate crime awareness campaign, Stirling Pride development, and youth digital skills programs like Data Knight animation project.
• Police Scotland Forth Valley DivisionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport from Police Scotland's Forth Valley EDI Coordinator Rebecca Northover for hate crime awareness campaign. Guidance on hate crime reporting, prevention education, and community safety initiatives.
• National Film & TV School (NFTS) ScotlandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'Making a Scene: Real Jobs in Film & TV' events bringing industry professionals to deliver hands-on workshops and panel discussions. Supported by Judith Milne (Assistant Director, NFTS Scotland) and Alison Goring (NFTS Scotland).
• University of StirlingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Forth Valley Pride Consultation (2023) alongside Creative Stirling and LGBT Youth Scotland to gather community input on local Pride celebrations.
• Creative ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore funding partner providing Multi-Year funding that enables Speakeasy Stirling programming and other cultural initiatives.
• David GalletlymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal artist collaborating on multiple creative projects including 'A Bird's Eye View on Hate Crime' animation campaign and 'Data Knight' cyber resilience animation, providing animation and visual storytelling expertise.
• The Kitchen at 44 King StreetmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity kitchen and café project at the venue providing community meals, cooking classes for youth, and supporting Mercat Cross area residents.
• Forth Valley Creative NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative Stirling founded and leads the Forth Valley Creative Network, a super connector for local collaborative partnerships across academia, businesses, and community organizations in the region.
• Forth Valley Sensory CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for Forth Valley Creative Network Creative Flow events, providing accessible venue for networking sessions.
• Youth Theatre Arts Scotland (YTAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for knowledge exchange events focused on youth theatre career pathways and professional skill development opportunities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Traverse Theatre: Edinburgh-based theatre presenting new writing, comedy, and spoken word. Comparable in its fringe/experimental performing arts focus, programming of named talent, and reliance on ticketed cultural nights — directly aligning with Speakeasy Stirling's format.
• Citizens Theatre: Glasgow-based producing theatre and creative learning charity with strong community and youth programming. Comparable in its charitable/community operating model, emphasis on access for underserved audiences, and creative skills development for young people.
• The Lemon Tree: Aberdeen Performing Arts' intimate venue hosting comedy, music, and spoken word in a Scottish city-centre setting. Comparable as a regional cultural-night venue with mixed ticketed programming targeting similar local artist and audience communities.
• The Byre Theatre: St Andrews-based theatre and arts hub offering performances, workshops, and community participation programmes. Comparable as a Scottish regional arts venue combining ticketed performances with creative learning for local communities.
• Macrobert Arts Centre: Stirling-based arts centre presenting theatre, comedy, music, film, and creative learning programmes. Most directly comparable peer given shared Stirling geography, similar performing arts and workshop programming, and overlapping audience of local artists and young people.
• Heart of Hawick: Community arts and culture hub in the Scottish Borders transforming a historic mill into a multi-use creative space with cinema, gallery, and learning facilities. Highly comparable as a community-led creative hub model anchored by a physical venue in a small Scottish town.
• An Tobar & Mull Theatre: Isle of Mull-based arts charity presenting performing arts, workshops, and creative programmes in a remote Scottish community. Comparable in its charitable structure, mix of performances and creative learning, and focus on access for underserved rural communities.

Broad incumbents

• Fruitmarket Gallery: Edinburgh-based contemporary art gallery with public programming and learning activities. Comparable in operating a creative venue with retail/artist support elements and educational programming, though focused on visual art rather than performing arts.
• Creative Scotland: Scottish Government's national arts funder and development body for culture. Comparable as the funding ecosystem Creative Stirling operates within; broader in mandate, distributing grants and shaping policy that Creative Stirling depends on.
• Wasps Artists Studios: Scotland-wide provider of affordable studio and workspace for artists and makers, operating multiple creative hubs. Comparable through its provision of studio space and artist support infrastructure, though broader in geographic scope and focused on workspace rather than events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/creativestirling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creative-stirling-cic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Creative Stirling