What Devonshire Collective CIC does

Devonshire Collective CIC (DC) is a UK Community Interest Company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Eastbourne, operating across a network of ex-retail sites in the Devonshire West ward. Its core offerings are three pillars: VOLT, a free gallery at 67-69 Seaside Road commissioning solo exhibitions by East Sussex and national artists; DC Learn, a learning and engagement programme for families, young people and the Devonshire ward community, including the Devonshire Youth Collective for ages 16-25; and Collective Books, a physical and online shop offering limited-edition artworks, contemporary publications, and merchandise under a 50/50 revenue-share model with participating artists. The organisation also delivers public art commissions, schools programmes, refugee/asylum-seeker creative sessions in partnership with Sanctuary, a community garden (Seaside Community Garden / Grow Club), and a heritage trainee placement, alongside DC Learn Studio hire (£140/day, £150/weekend).

DC's business model blends grant-funded and earned income. Public funding flows from Arts Council England (including a Touring Projects grant for the Tessa Boffin exhibition and a National Lottery Project Grant to artist Emily Hawes), National Lottery Heritage Fund, Eastbourne Borough Council, National Lottery Community Fund, and trusts including the Blagrave Trust, Chalk Cliff Trust, John Jackson Charitable Trust, Sussex Community Foundation, and Duke of Devonshire's Charitable Trust. Corporate partners include Forsters LLP, Long Man Brewery, The Beacon, and TrustLaw. Earned income streams comprise artwork and edition sales (£8 to £2,500), books (£4.99 to £50) and merchandise (£5 to £37.50) via the online shop with global delivery, supporter memberships from £30/year with Champion and Philanthropy Circle tiers, daily and weekend venue hire (with a 25% Devonshire ward community discount), donations at £10/£20/£50, and pay-what-you-can vendor tables at Collective Books Fair. Distribution is multi-channel: two physical sites (VOLT and DC Learn Studio) plus partner venues (St Augustine's Hall, Christ Church Hall, Sanctuary's All Souls Church Hall, outdoor public art locations) and the global e-commerce storefront. Marketing relies on a website, email newsletter, Instagram (@devonshirecollective), Facebook (DCLearn), event programming, and partner cross-promotion with Photoworks, BACKLIT, Aspex, Eastbourne ALIVE, and Towner Eastbourne. The 2026 tenth anniversary (DC10) is anchored by the Tessa Boffin: Where We Touch the Archive national touring exhibition, co-commissioned with Photoworks, BACKLIT, and Aspex, touring Eastbourne, Nottingham, Brighton, and Portsmouth through 2026-27.

Name

Devonshire Collective CIC

Legal name

The Devonshire Collective C.I.C.

Website

https://devonshirecollective.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Devonshire Collective CIC is a 2016-founded Eastbourne-based Community Interest Company operating free galleries (VOLT), a learning programme (DC Learn), and a bookshop (Collective Books) serving Devonshire West ward residents, artists, young people, and refugees through exhibitions, workshops, public art commissions, and venue hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Eastbourne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Artwork and Edition Sales: Sale of limited edition artworks, artist multiples, books, and merchandise through VOLT gallery and online shop. Proceeds split between artists and DC
2. Membership/Supporter Scheme: Annual supporter memberships from £30/year, including Champion tier and Philanthropy Circle options. Provides recurring revenue from engaged supporters
3. Venue Hire: DC Learn Studio available for daily hire (£140/day, £80 half-day) and weekend studio hire (£150). 25% discount for Devonshire ward community groups
4. Donations: One-off donations accepted via PayPal and in-person. Donation options at £10, £20, £50 levels
5. Public Funding and Grants: Core funding from Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Eastbourne Borough Council, National Lottery Community Fund, and various trusts and foundations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Devonshire Collective CIC is a Community Interest Company that runs a multi-use arts and cultural venue in Eastbourne, providing contemporary art exhibitions through VOLT, creative learning courses and studio hire through DC Learn, and an independent bookshop (Collective Books), alongside community projects such as the Seaside Community Garden, the Associate Artists network, and the Devonshire Youth Collective. The organisation serves local residents, visitors, schools, families, and creative practitioners with a mix of exhibitions, events, talks, short courses, and participatory community programmes.

Product overview

Devonshire Collective (DC) is a cultural and community arts organisation operating as a network of galleries and programmes across ex-retail sites in the Devonshire West ward of Eastbourne. The organisation's core offerings include: VOLT (a gallery commissioning significant solo exhibitions by artists), DC Learn (a learning and engagement programme for families, young people and communities), and Collective Books (a bookshop offering limited-edition artworks and contemporary publications). DC also runs public art commissions, artist development programmes (Associate Artists), youth collectives, community garden projects, and offers studio hire facilities. The galleries and programmes are free and open to all. The organisation is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VOLT Gallery

Quantifiable outcome

• Free gallery access for all visitors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, community and minor.

• PhotoworksflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2026Co-commissioner of Tessa Boffin: Where We Touch the Archive touring exhibition. Part of Photoworks Festival 2026 in Brighton. Led by emerging curators with queer and feminist frameworks.
• BACKLIT GalleryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2026Co-commissioner of Tessa Boffin touring exhibition. Host venue for second stop of national tour (September-October 2026). Emerging curator Jazz Swali leads project.
• Aspex PortsmouthflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2026Co-commissioner of Tessa Boffin touring exhibition. Final venue for national tour (December 2026-February 2027). Emerging curator Ricardo Reverón Blanco leads project.
• Towner EastbournecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner on Riviera public art commission with artist Navine G. Dossos. DC collaborated on community workshops and VOLT exhibition.
• Rooted Community Food Fox Cub ClubcommunityStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity food project co-running allotment adventures and workshops with DC. Kid-led programme for ages 6+ at Rooted Kitchen Plot.
• SanctuarycommunityStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly gathering space for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants at All Souls Church Hall. Partners with DC on creative activities and Nadina Ali public artwork.
• Eastbourne ALIVEflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership celebrating Turner Prize 2023 in Eastbourne. Resulted in 12 public art commissions including works by Rottingdean Bazaar, Adam Moore, Madeleine Pledge, Nadina Ali, and Devonshire Youth Collective.
• Forsters LLPminorOthersCorporate partner supporting DC's work.
• Long Man BreweryminorOthersCorporate partner providing support to DC.
• The Beacon (Eastbourne)minorOthersCorporate partner supporting DC's work.
• TrustLawminorOthersCorporate partner supporting DC.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Photoworks: Brighton-based photography and visual-arts organisation commissioning touring exhibitions and festivals. Co-commissioner of DC's Tessa Boffin tour, sharing the contemporary photography/queer curatorial remit and a UK-wide touring model that closely mirrors DC's ambitions.
• Pump House Gallery: Battersea Park-based contemporary art gallery run as a non-profit with free admission and a learning/community programme. Closely comparable operating model to DC: small gallery, free entry, artist-centred, place-based.
• BACKLIT: Nottingham contemporary art studio and gallery supporting emerging artists through residencies and exhibitions. Co-commissioner and tour stop on the Tessa Boffin exhibition; operates with similar artist-development and emerging-curator focus.
• Aspex Portsmouth: Portsmouth-based contemporary art gallery delivering exhibitions, learning and community programmes. Co-commissioner and tour stop for Tessa Boffin; structurally similar (gallery + learning/community) to DC but with a stronger maritime-city audience.

Regional players

• Towner Eastbourne: Public art gallery and museum located a few miles from DC in Eastbourne, with overlapping programming interests in contemporary art and major public commissions (e.g., the Riviera project). Functions as both a co-commissioning partner and a regional benchmark for DC's programming aspirations.

Broad incumbents

• Arnolfini: Bristol's major contemporary arts centre spanning gallery, performance, cinema and learning. Comparable to DC as a multi-disciplinary cultural organisation anchored in community engagement, though at a substantially larger scale.
• HOME: Manchester's multi-disciplinary arts centre combining cinema, theatre and gallery programmes with strong learning/community strands. Operates a comparable free-or-low-cost public programme model anchored in community access, though at a larger scale.
• Turner Contemporary: Margate-based public art gallery delivering major exhibitions and learning programmes in an area of regeneration. Comparable as a free-admission contemporary art gallery with strong community/mission focus, but operating on a much larger scale and budget.
• Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art: Gateshead's large public contemporary art gallery with learning and community programmes. Comparable free-admission, learning-led, community-anchored operating model, though at substantially greater scale and headcount than DC.

Emerging players

• Fuse Art Space: Bradford-based volunteer-led contemporary art space supporting emerging artists and community engagement. Comparable as a small, community-embedded arts organisation with limited staff and a learning/community remit, but smaller still than DC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DCLearn
• Instagraminstagram.com/devonshirecollective
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/devonshire-collective

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 Devonshire Collective CIC