Entelechy Arts

What Entelechy Arts does

Entelechy Arts is a UK-registered charity (No. 1068469) founded in 1989 (originally as New Moves) and headquartered at The Albany arts centre in Deptford, London, with approximately 25 employees. The organisation designs and delivers participatory arts programmes for marginalised and excluded communities, principally isolated older people, adults and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), and care home residents including those with dementia and palliative needs. Core programmes include Ambient Jam (a 30+ year-old multi-sensory, non-verbal dance improvisation practice), Meet Me at the Albany (a cultural day hub for housebound elders at The Albany café, with sub-programmes Meet Me Choir, Meet Me Writing, Meet Me Making, and Meet Me on the Move), Walking Through Walls (long-term artist residencies in care homes), and the 21st Century Tea Dances (public live-arts events). The Ambient Jam Collective is a ~30-member ensemble of dance artists, volunteers, older people, and care staff that delivers training, research, and public performances.

The organisation has no proprietary technology platform. Its digital footprint is limited to a WordPress website with MailChimp newsletter delivery, Google Analytics, and standard social media integrations. Digital tools are used for outreach and donor/participant communication rather than as programme-delivery infrastructure. Programmes are delivered in-person at The Albany (Deptford), care homes across South London (Tower Bridge Care Home, Manly Court, and others), and partner venues including Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, and Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art. The organisation has expanded regionally into Wales via Ambient Jam Wales with National Lottery Awards for All Wales funding.

Entelechy Arts operates as a non-revenue-generating charity; all programmes are free to participants. Income comes from two streams: (1) institutional grants and restricted funding from Arts Council England, The National Lottery Community Fund, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, London Borough of Lewisham, and London Catalyst, and (2) individual donations processed via JustGiving (PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Apple Pay, Bank Transfer, Direct Debit). The organisation is cited by Arts Council England as a model of best practice in their 'Create' document and was referenced in the 2016 Arts White Paper. Leadership comprises Creative Director Rebecca Swift and Associate Director Hannah James (appointed 2023), with the organisation actively recruiting new Director(s) as of 2026.

Name

Entelechy Arts

Legal name

Entelechy Arts

Website

https://entelechyarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Entelechy Arts is a UK-registered charity (founded 1989, ~25 staff, London-based) that delivers free participatory arts programmes for isolated older people, adults with profound disabilities, and care home residents through Ambient Jam, Meet Me at the Albany, and Walking Through Walls, funded by Arts Council England, National Lottery, and trusts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF)

Keywords

• Participatory arts programmes
• Community arts charity
• Inclusive dance workshops
• Older people engagement
• Disability arts programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Entelechy Arts receives donations from individual supporters via JustGiving and direct payment methods including PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Bank Transfer, Apple Pay, and Direct Debit.
2. Institutional Funding and Grants: The organisation is funded by Arts Council England, The National Lottery Community Fund (including Awards for All Wales), Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, London Borough of Lewisham, and London Catalyst. Additional past funding from Dept City Trust and Attend.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Entelechy Arts is a registered charity that creates participatory arts programmes for marginalized and excluded communities, particularly isolated older people and adults with profound and multiple disabilities. Its core offerings include the Ambient Jam multi-sensory dance improvisation programme, the Meet Me at the Albany cultural day hub, the Walking Through Walls care home residency programme, and the 21st Century Tea Dances public arts events.

Product overview

Entelechy Arts is a community arts organization offering a portfolio of participatory arts programs primarily serving marginalized and excluded communities, including older people and those with disabilities. The core offerings include Ambient Jam (multi-sensory dance improvisation), the 21st Century Tea Dances (live arts events blending music, theatre, and dance), Meet Me at The Albany (a cultural hub for isolated elders), and Walking Through Walls (care home residencies). These programs are delivered through various formats including the Meet Me Choir, Meet Me Writing, Meet Me Making, Meet Me on the Move, the Entelechy Elders Theatre Company, and the Ambient Jam Collective ensemble. The organization also runs collaborative projects like What Will Survive of Us and has expanded with Ambient Jam Wales. Website accessibility tools allow users to customize font size and color schemes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ambient Jam A multi-media dance improvisation programme developed over 30+ years for adults and young people with profound and multiple disabilities. Sessions are sensory, mindful and predominantly non-verbal, creating unique forms of communication and creative expression.
• Ambient Jam Collective An ensemble of approximately 30 members including volunteers, older people, care staff and dance artists who come together for training, research and public performances, bringing improvisation into diverse spaces including outdoor settings.
• Ambient Jam Wales Regional extension of the Ambient Jam programme in Wales, supported by the National Lottery Awards for All Wales grant.
• 21st Century Tea Dances Public events that mix live music, video, theatre, dance performance, storytelling, dancing and singing served with tea and cake, reimagining the conventional tea dance for a 21st century audience.
• Meet Me at The Albany A cultural day hub for isolated older people based at the Albany arts centre in Deptford, Lewisham, offering weekly activities including the Meet Me Choir, Meet Me Writing and Meet Me Making.
• Walking Through Walls A programme of long-term collaborations with nursing homes for residents, families, volunteers and staff. Artists work on-site in care homes creating cultural spaces through improvisation and creative activities.
• Entelechy Elders Theatre Company A theatre group of older people who create and perform theatrical works, collaborating with artists to produce original performances.
• What Will Survive of Us A project by artist Kit Green that invites individuals to choose six pieces of art they love and consider their creative legacy, exploring how they would like to be remembered.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

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

• The AlbanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Albany in Deptford is a key partner venue for Entelechy Arts. The Meet Me at the Albany programme operates from the Albany café, and the organisations jointly developed this cultural day centre for isolated older people. The Albany also hosts the 21st Century Tea Dances and other Entelechy Arts events.
• Siobhan Davies DancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntelechy Arts collaborates regularly with Siobhan Davies Dance on movement workshops and creative programmes, including joint activities at The Albany and Deptford locations.
• Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ambient Jam Collective was in residence at Goldsmiths CCA from November 2021 to October 2022 as part of the CCA's Residents programme, collaborating with artist Roland Carline. The residency involves immersive multi-sensory happenings open to the public.
• Tower Bridge Care HomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTower Bridge Care Home is a key partner for the Walking Through Walls programme. Entelechy Arts artists have been in residence at the home since 2015/2016, delivering long-term creative collaborations with residents, staff, and families.
• Manly Court Nursing HomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManly Court nursing home in New Cross Gate was the site of Entelechy Arts' first care home residency (2010–2014, four-year residency), which pioneered the Walking Through Walls methodology.
• Upswing (with The Albany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpswing, Entelechy Arts, and The Albany partnered on a project encouraging risk in participation work with elders and people with disabilities, resulting in a collaborative film.
• Spitz Charitable TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpitz musicians collaborated with Entelechy Arts at Manly Court care home and Deptford Mission tea dances, playing alongside residents at bedside and in corridors. The collaboration continues to the present day.
• Roland CarlinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist Roland Carline has collaborated extensively with the Ambient Jam Collective, including a residency at Goldsmiths CCA (2019 and 2021–2022), creating sculptural elements and loose parts for live performances and improvisations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• People Dancing: UK development agency for community and participatory dance, including work with older and disabled participants. Less directly operational than Entelechy but sits in the same sector and supports similar beneficiaries.

Direct peers

• Turtle Key Arts: London arts charity delivering participatory music and arts programmes for older people, including those living with dementia. Direct overlap with the Entelechy care home and elder-facing offering.
• Heart n Soul: UK charity working with learning-disabled artists to create music, performance and visual arts. Closely comparable in mission (disability-led community arts) and participatory co-creation approach.
• Magic Me: London charity running intergenerational and older-people arts programmes (now incorporating Equal Arts). Comparable participant cohort (isolated elders, care home residents) and similar charity funding model.
• Open Theatre: Midlands-based participatory theatre company working with learning-disabled and autistic artists using non-verbal and sensory methods. Closely comparable to the Ambient Jam methodology.
• Mind the Gap: Bradford-based learning disability-led theatre company producing professional touring work alongside participation programmes. Comparable in combining participatory practice with public performance and a disability-focused beneficiary base.
• Spare Tyre Theatre: London-based participatory theatre company creating work with and for older people, disabled adults and people living with dementia. Direct match for Entelechy's community-arts-for-marginalised-groups model within the same geography.
• ActionSpace: London charity providing visual arts studio opportunities for learning-disabled artists. Comparable beneficiary group and community-art ethos, with similar grant-funded operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Live Music Now: Nationally operating UK music charity delivering live music in care homes, hospitals and special schools. Overlaps with the Meet Me Choir and Spitz/Manly Court musical collaborations but at much larger scale.

Others

• Siobhan Davies Dance: London contemporary dance company listed as an Entelechy partner, also delivers cross-generational movement programmes. Sits in the same ecosystem rather than as a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/entelechy-arts

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 Entelechy Arts