Extant
Extant is the UK's leading professional performing arts company for visually impaired artists, producing touring theatre productions, delivering VI-led access training to venues via its Enhance programme, and running professional development pathways for blind and partially sighted practitioners from its London base.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Extant does
Extant is a registered UK charity (Charity Number 110 8728) and Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation founded in 1997 by Dr Maria Oshodi to address the invisibility of blind and partially sighted artists in professional theatre. Operating from a single office at Brixton House in London with a team of approximately 15 employees, the company produces touring theatre productions (recently including Unseen audio drama, Flight Paths, Catching the Ghost, and Sheer), delivers touring Edinburgh Festival Fringe appearances with partner Underbelly, runs professional development programmes for visually impaired artists (Pathways, Associate Artist, Trainee Artistic Director, Write Stage), and provides VI-led access training and consultancy to UK venues through the Enhance programme (Pre-Enhance and Post-Enhance components).
The company's underlying proprietary technology centres on Integrated Audio Description (IAD) — a methodology in which access description is woven into dialogue, sound design, and performance rather than delivered via headphone-only technical services — and the Haptic Lotus, a haptic feedback device co-developed with The Open University and robotics specialist Adam Spiers for immersive theatre. Extant has secured regional venue partnerships across Birmingham, Manchester, and London, alongside a research collaboration with Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and Visually Impaired Creators Scotland (VICS).
Extant's revenue model is a hybrid charity structure: a recurring ACE NPO core grant (£156,000/year confirmed for 2018-2022 with extension funding through 2027/28); restricted project grants from foundations such as Paul Hamlyn Foundation (Enhance 2, 2023-2026) and Vision Foundation (Unseen); transactional revenue from touring performances and festival appearances; professional services revenue from Enhance training commissions; and voluntary income via donations including the £25 for 25 years appeal. The customer base spans theatre venues and touring companies commissioning training, VI artists participating in development programmes, and VI audiences consuming accessible productions. The organisation is undergoing a leadership transformation in 2026 — The Extant Hive collective leadership model — with visual impairment established as a Genuine Occupational Requirement for new roles and a stated goal of all internal roles being held by VI people by 2033.
Extant firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Extant
- Legal name
- Extant
- Website
- https://extant.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Extant is the UK's leading professional performing arts company for visually impaired artists, producing touring theatre productions, delivering VI-led access training to venues via its Enhance programme, and running professional development pathways for blind and partially sighted practitioners from its London base.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Extant industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Services
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE), Performing Arts & Music Lessons (Dance, Drumming, Instrument Lessons, Theater) (THAJAKAC)
Keywords
Where Extant is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Extant business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Arts Council England NPO Funding: Extant receives National Portfolio Organisation funding from Arts Council England as a core revenue stream. Currently in receipt of NPO extension funding for 2026/27 and 2027/28.
- Performance Revenue: Revenue generated from touring productions at venues across the UK and internationally, including Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
- Training and Consultancy Services: Extant earns revenue through the Enhance programme providing Visual Impairment Awareness Training, Touch Tour training, and bespoke access consultancy to venues and theatre companies.
- Donations and Support: Charitable donations from supporters, with specific appeals such as '£25 for 25 more years' campaign.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Donation campaign: £25 for 25 years |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Extant product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Extant is the UK's leading professional performing arts company of visually impaired artists. It produces and tours theatre productions featuring VI performers, delivers access training programmes (notably Enhance) to venues and theatre companies, and runs professional development programmes such as Pathways for emerging VI artists. The organisation also pioneers Integrated Audio Description methodology, embedding accessibility directly into performance sound design.
Product overview
Extant is the UK's leading professional performing arts company for visually impaired artists, operating as a single unified organisation rather than a platform. The portfolio consists of touring theatre productions (such as Sheer, The Question, Flight Paths, Unseen, Catching the Ghost), professional development programmes (Pathways, Associate Artist Programme, Trainee Artistic Director), access training services (Enhance, VIAT, Bespoke Access Training), and participation initiatives (Youth Theatre, No Dramas). The core offering places visually impaired people at the centre of all activities—from production creation to artist support to audience services—with the new Extant Hive leadership collective launching in 2026 to advance this mission towards the company's 30th anniversary.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Enhance: A tried and tested two-part access training and consultancy programme led by professionally trained visually impaired facilitators, including Pre-Enhance and Post-Enhance training for venues and theatre companies.
Products and services
- Enhance A two-part access training and consultancy programme for venues and theatre companies led by professionally trained visually impaired facilitators. Pre-Enhance integrates audio description into script development; Post-Enhance provides lo-fi access support for touring shows post-production including VIAT, programme notes, and touch tour training.
- Pathways Programme Extant's flagship five-year professional development programme for visually impaired artists in the theatre industry, providing masterclasses, mentoring, shadowing, and showcase opportunities across acting, directing, writing, and crew/design disciplines.
- Access Training Visual Impairment Awareness Training (VIAT), Lunch and Learn sessions, and bespoke access consultancy services for arts venues and practitioners to support blind and partially sighted audiences.
- Unseen Audio Drama An audio drama exploring the impact of domestic abuse on blind and visually impaired individuals, co-created with VI survivors and the creative team. A 45-minute audio drama premiered online and at Camden People's Theatre.
- Flight Paths Multi-media production combining movement, music, narrative and creative audio description. Inspired by Goze blind female performers of medieval Japan, featuring aerial work and stories of blind artists from Japan, Nigeria and USA.
- Super Power Panto A unique family pantomime show created in collaboration with Simply Smiley, combining sighted and visually impaired artists from conception to final performance.
- Catching the Ghost A play about a young man confronting sight loss, originally commissioned for Guide Dogs Week 2016, with subsequent tours to Brighton Fringe, Wandsworth Arts Fringe, and Zagreb BIT Festival.
- The Chairs Extant's accessible interpretation of Eugene Ionesco's classic absurdist play, touring with fully accessible performances and audio description.
- I Dream in Colour A show by Extant Associate Artist Jasmin Thien, presented at Camden People's Theatre and Bloomsbury Festival 2023, receiving five-star reviews.
- Trainee Artistic Director (TAD) Fixed-term traineeship programme for visually impaired individuals to develop artistic leadership skills in theatre, building the next generation of VI artistic directors.
- Associate Artist Programme Programme supporting emerging visually impaired artists, providing opportunities to develop and present work-in-progress performances and develop their practice.
- Write Stage Writers' development project pairing visually impaired writers with mentors to develop new theatre scripts, culminating in rehearsed readings at New Diorama Theatre.
- Youth Theatre Projects Drama workshops and youth theatre projects for visually impaired young people aged 11-30, including regional programmes in Birmingham and Manchester.
- No Dramas Visually impaired facilitator training programme to develop a pool of VI facilitators for delivering drama workshops across the UK.
- Sheer Extant's 15th anniversary production blending burlesque, comedy and horror, featuring immersive theatrical experiences in dark and light settings.
- The Question Immersive theatre R&D project exploring haptic feedback and audio description in pitch-black environments, featuring the Haptic Lotus technology developed with The Open University and Adam Spiers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Supported career development of over 250 VI artists
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Extant
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Extant technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Extant partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UnderbellycoreEdinburgh Festival Fringe partnership for presenting Extant productions. Partnership for 2025 and 2026 programmes including Enhance shows and new showcases.
- SafeLivesminorPartnership for Unseen project providing creative writing workshops to VI survivors of domestic abuse, feeding into co-created audio drama.
- The Open UniversitycoreResearch partnership for The Question project and haptic technology development. Co-authored best paper at UbiComp 2011.
- Adam Spiers (Rusty Squid)coreRobotics specialist collaborator on Haptic Lotus development for immersive theatre experiences.
- Yellow Earth TheatrecoreCollaboration on Aerial Alloy R&D project and co-production of Flight Paths multimedia production.
- UpswingminorCollaboration on Aerial Alloy R&D project exploring aerial work with visual impairment access.
- Camden People's TheatrecoreVenue partner hosting Enhanced shows and Unseen live event. Regular host for VI artist development activities.
- The Lowry SalfordcoreRegional hub partner for participation programmes and VI awareness training delivery in Manchester area.
- mac BirminghamcoreRegional hub partner for participation programmes and VI awareness training delivery in Birmingham area.
- Edinburgh Festival Fringe SocietycorePartnership providing training and resources to artists through Artist Development Manager Louisa Sanfey.
- Visually Impaired Creators Scotland (VICS)minorPartnership on Artist Access Resources providing training and resources to artists.
- Blind in Theatre (BIT) Festival ZagrebminorBiannual international festival participation in Croatia, presenting Catching the Ghost and connecting with VI theatre makers globally.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Extant competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Birds of Paradise Theatre Company: Scotland's leading disability-led touring theatre company, producing accessible productions and running participation programmes. Direct comparable in mission, business model (NPO touring theatre with access integration), and funding profile (Creative Scotland portfolio).
- Mind the Gap: Bradford-based learning-disabled-led touring theatre company producing professional work and running artist development programmes. Comparable in being an ACE-supported disability-led touring NPO with parallel artist training and outreach operations, although focused on learning rather than visual impairment.
- Stopgap Dance Company: UK inclusive dance company producing work with disabled and non-disabled dancers, with an extensive participation and learning programme. Comparable to Extant as a disability-led touring NPO using integrated access (e.g., audio description integrated into performance), although focused on dance rather than theatre.
- Candoco Dance Company: One of the UK's leading integrated dance companies working with disabled and non-disabled performers. Comparable as a disability-inclusive touring NPO operating at a similar scale with ACE/NPO funding and an artist development remit.
- Graeae Theatre Company: UK's flagship disabled-led touring theatre company, producing work with and for Deaf and disabled artists. Highly comparable to Extant as a disability-led NPO producing touring theatre, delivering access training, and operating on ACE NPO funding with similar audience-development focus.
- Deafinitely Theatre: London-based Deaf-led touring theatre company producing professional work in BSL-integrated formats. Closely comparable to Extant in operating model (touring productions, professional development, integrated access), serving a different impairment community (Deaf vs. VI) but with analogous methodology of embedding access into the art form.
- Shape Arts: UK disability-led arts organisation supporting Deaf and disabled artists through training, open call programmes, and leadership development. Comparable as an NPO disability-led access training and artist development provider, though broader in scope than Extant's VI focus.
Emerging players
- CRIPSiE: UK-based disability arts festival and production entity championing work by and for disabled artists. Comparable as an emerging organisation operating in the same disability-led performing arts ecosystem where Extant competes for audiences and grant funding.
- Access All Areas: London-based inclusive performing arts company producing work with learning-disabled and autistic artists. Comparable as an emerging NPO working in disability-led touring theatre and access-integrated performance, with similar artist development programming.
Others
- Superfest Disability Film Festival: International disability film festival that awarded Extant's Flight Paths production the P.K. Walker Innovation in Craft Award in 2021. Adjacent rather than directly competitive: shares the disability arts ecosystem and recognises Extant's work, but operates in film rather than live performance.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Extant social profiles
Digital presenceExtant compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Extant financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Extant leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Extant funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Extant 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 Extant
What does Extant do?
Extant is the UK's leading professional performing arts company of visually impaired artists. It produces and tours theatre productions featuring VI performers, delivers access training programmes (notably Enhance) to venues and theatre companies, and runs professional development programmes such as Pathways for emerging VI artists. The organisation also pioneers Integrated Audio Description methodology, embedding accessibility directly into performance sound design.
Is Extant a public or private company?
Extant is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Extant founded?
Extant was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Extant based?
Extant is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Extant make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Arts Council England NPO Funding is the primary driver. The others are performance Revenue, training and Consultancy Services and donations and Support.
Who are Extant's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Birds of Paradise Theatre Company, Mind the Gap, Stopgap Dance Company, Candoco Dance Company, Graeae Theatre Company, Deafinitely Theatre and Shape Arts. Emerging players are CRIPSiE and Access All Areas. Superfest Disability Film Festival is listed as an others.
Does Extant have an API?
No public API is recorded for Extant.
What industry is Extant in?
Extant's product category is Performing Arts Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music), with a secondary code of EDAAAGAE, Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater). Its NAICS code is 71111 and its SIC code is 7812.