FACT Liverpool

What FACT Liverpool does

FACT Liverpool (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) is a registered charity (No. 702781) and company limited by guarantee (No. 2391543) founded in 1988 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. It operates a single venue at 88 Wood Street, L1 4DQ that integrates three free interactive galleries, a Picturehouse-operated cinema, and Studio/Lab — a creative technology workspace on the third floor equipped with video editing suites, podcast recording studios, motion capture technology, virtual production environments, and TouchDesigner access for artist members.

The organisation's primary products include free contemporary art exhibitions (e.g., Rachel Maclean's 'They've Got Your Eyes', Sahjan Kooner's '(darkforest) The Zone of Ghosts', ONLY SLIME's 'AFTERLIFE'), arthouse and mainstream cinema programming through its Picturehouse partnership, the Studio/Lab membership programme at £50-£120/month, multiple artist residency streams (Digital Artist Residencies, Jerwood x FACT Fellowship, Curatorial Development Programme, EMARE, FACT Together), and learning programmes including the BFI Film Academy for ages 16-19 and a schools programme for the Liverpool City Region. FACT also maintains a 20-year digital archive of exhibitions, artists, and projects.

FACT's revenue model is hybrid: core institutional funding from Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council underpins operations, supplemented by foundation grants (Bloomberg Philanthropies, Foyle Foundation, John Ellerman Foundation, Jerwood Arts, BFI), individual donations, and earned income from cinema ticket sales, Studio/Lab membership subscriptions (£50/month Flexi or £120/month Full), venue hire, and equipment hire at £120/day. The organisation serves distinct customer segments: digital artists and creatives (Studio/Lab members), schools and educators, the general arts audience, cinema-goers, young people and families, and early-career artists based in the North of England. Strategic partnerships include Picturehouse (cinema channel), DaDa (disability arts), Lucid Games (game development and Unreal Engine 5 workshops), Arts at CERN (Collide International residency), and consortium partnerships with HOME Manchester, Touchstones Rochdale, Aunty Social, and Signal Film & Media for BFI Film Academy delivery.

Name

FACT Liverpool

Legal name

FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology)

Website

https://fact.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

FACT Liverpool is a registered charity operating a single venue in Liverpool combining free contemporary art galleries, a Picturehouse cinema, and Studio/Lab, a creative technology workspace serving digital artists, schools, and the general public across the North West of England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Centre

NAICS

Museums (712110), Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAH

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYTHAHAAAG

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Conference & Convention Venues (Convention Centers, Civic Centers)

SECONDARYEDAMAAAJ

Media Arts & Performance (Film, Stagecraft, Lighting, Sound)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Arts & Creative Enrichment (Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance)

SECONDARYMPADAKAB

Independent & Art-house Cinemas

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Digital artist residencies
• Arthouse cinema programming
• Creative technology workspace
• Cultural learning programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding & Charitable Support: FACT is a registered charity (No. 702781) supported by public funding from Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council. Donations and charitable giving supplement operations.
2. Cinema Box Office & Ticket Sales: Picturehouse cinema at FACT generates ticket revenue from film screenings including mainstream releases, arthouse films, cult classics, and indie gems. Ticket prices range from £3 (children) to £15 (adults), with discounted rates for members, students, and seniors.
3. Artist Membership Subscriptions: Studio/Lab offers two membership tiers: Flexi Membership at £50/month or £500/year (2 days/week hot desk access) and Full Membership at £120/month or £1,000/year (5 days/week access). Filming equipment hire at preferential rates (£120/day) for additional bookings.
4. Venue Hire: Studio/Lab and FACT spaces are available for hire for meetings and events at discounted rates for members.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

FACT Liverpool is a contemporary art centre that operates three free interactive gallery exhibitions showcasing contemporary art and digital installations, a Picturehouse-operated cinema showing arthouse, mainstream, and cult films, and Studio/Lab — a dedicated creative technology workspace offering video editing suites, podcast studios, motion capture, and virtual production tools to artist members. The organisation also runs multiple artist residency programmes, schools learning programmes, the BFI Film Academy for young filmmakers, and a 20-year online digital archive of its artistic output.

Product overview

FACT Liverpool is a cultural organization operating as a single unified venue rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core offering comprises free interactive gallery exhibitions, a Picturehouse cinema showing arthouse and mainstream films, Studio/Lab (a creative technology workspace with membership tiers for artists), artist residency programmes, a digital archive of 20 years of work, educational programmes for schools and families, and special initiatives like the BFI Film Academy and STASHED monthly film nights. The organization functions as a charitable arts center where these various programmes interconnect through shared spaces, events, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Studio/Lab: Dedicated space for artists, researchers, curators, and technologists providing access to digital production tools, video editing, podcast suites, and immersive technology equipment.
• Picturehouse at FACT

Products and services

• FACT Galleries and Exhibitions Three free interactive gallery spaces open to visitors 7 days a week, showcasing contemporary art exhibitions, digital installations, and participatory artworks exploring themes of technology, society, and creativity. Entry is free.
• Picturehouse at FACT Cinema Cinema screenings operated by Picturehouse at FACT, showing arthouse films, mainstream releases, cult classics, and indie gems. Ticket prices range from £3 (children) to £15 (adults), with discounted rates for members, students, and seniors.
• Studio/Lab Artist Membership A creative technology workspace offering video editing and podcast suites, motion capture, virtual production, TouchDesigner, and post-production tools to artists, researchers, curators, and technologists. Two membership tiers: Flexi at £50/month (2 days/week) and Full at £120/month (5 days/week), each also available as annual subscriptions.
• Artist Residencies Programme Multiple residency programmes supporting artists, curators, and researchers including Digital Artist Residencies for early-career artists in the North of England, the Curatorial Development Programme, the Jerwood Arts x FACT Fellowship, FACT Together online commissioning, and the Board of Trustees Artist Residency. Residencies provide production budgets, mentorship, and exhibition opportunities.
• Schools Learning Programme Educational programmes for schools including free exhibition tours, hands-on creative technology workshops, and professional development (CPD) sessions for educators, tailored to curriculum focus across all Key Stages.
• BFI Film Academy at FACT A free film academy for young filmmakers aged 16-19, run in partnership with BFI, Let's Make Films, and HOME Manchester, teaching development, production, post-production, and distribution skills over a 3-month programme in the North West.
• Venue Hire and Video Production Services FACT's spaces, including Studio/Lab and event areas, are available for hire for meetings, events, and video production at discounted rates for artist members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 early-career artists supported since 2020 through Digital Artist Residencies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 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

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

• PicturehousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPicturehouse operates the cinema at FACT Liverpool, programming and managing film screenings. Picturehouse sets its own ticket prices for screenings including evenings, matinees, and Happy Mondays.
• DaDa (Disability and Deaf Arts)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDaDa partners with FACT on digital artist residencies, with one residency place specifically for disabled artists. The selected artist showcases work as part of DaDaFest International. DaDa creates opportunities for Disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent people to access the arts.
• Lucid GamesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiverpool-based game developer Lucid Games partners with FACT on a digital artist residency, offering additional support from their award-winning team with expertise in game engines, photogrammetry, audio design, and VFX. They also co-deliver workshops such as Introduction to Unreal Engine 5.
• HOME ManchestermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHOME Manchester partners with FACT in the BFI Film Academy consortium, hosting celebration screenings for young filmmakers alongside FACT. Also a partner in Film Hub North.
• Let's Make FilmsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLet's Make Films partners with FACT to deliver the BFI Film Academy programme, providing industry professionals who guide young filmmakers through the filmmaking process.
• Touchstones RochdaleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of of the BFI Film Academy consortium (HOME, FACT, Touchstones, Aunty Social, Signal Film & Media) delivering film academy across the North West.
• Aunty Social BlackpoolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of the BFI Film Academy consortium delivering film education across the North West.
• Signal Film & Media (Barrow-in-Furness)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of the BFI Film Academy consortium delivering film education across the North West.
• Kino BeatmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKino Beat led a partnership residency with FACT between August 2025 and January 2026, as part of the UK/Brazil Season of Culture. Four artists (two from Brazil, two from North West UK) participated in a curatorial laboratory and in-person residency culminating at the 10th Kino Beat Festival in Porto Alegre.
• Cine Esquema NovomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Kino Beat and FACT on the UK/Brazil Season of Culture residency programme, culminating in an exhibition 'Portos Conectados / Connected Ports' at the Kino Beat Festival in Porto Alegre.
• Arts at CERNmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts at CERN collaborated with FACT to create the Collide International residency programme (2015-2018), inviting artists to advance their practice at CERN in Geneva alongside particle physicists. The collaboration also produced the Broken Symmetries exhibition.
• LABoral (Gijón, Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in the EMARE network, alongside FACT (UK), Onassis Stegi (Athens), and RIXC (Riga), enabling artist residencies across European media art institutions.
• Onassis Stegi (Athens, Greece)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in the EMARE network enabling cross-institution artist residencies.
• RIXC (Riga, Latvia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in the EMARE network enabling cross-institution artist residencies.
• Liverpool Hope UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFACT partners with Liverpool Hope University on the HOPE + FACT Graduate Production Residency Award (2017-2019), offering BA Fine Art graduates a two-month residency at FACT with curatorial support and full access to equipment and workshop space.
• OUTPUT GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOUTPUT Gallery collaborated with FACT on Ivy Kalungi's residency exhibition 'New Trail, Old Stories', presenting work investigating collective history and memory.
• CCCB BarcelonaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCCB Barcelona hosted the touring Broken Symmetries exhibition, which originated at FACT Liverpool and also toured to iMAL Brussels, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Le Lieu Unique Nantes, and Kumu Tallinn.
• iMAL (Brussels, Belgium)minorStrategic or Co-development PartneriMAL hosted the touring Broken Symmetries exhibition as part of its international tour following the FACT Liverpool premiere.
• RSPB LiverpoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSPB Liverpool collaborated with FACT on educational content about bird identification and conservation as part of The Living Planet programme.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Barbican Centre: London's largest multi-arts centre with cinema, galleries, theatres, and learning programmes. Overlaps with FACT across every programme line but operates at significantly larger scale, with substantial local-authority backing and a much bigger commercial audience base.

Direct peers

• ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe: German museum and production centre for media arts combining exhibitions, production studios, and residencies. ZKM's mix of museum, production facility, and artist-research programmes closely matches FACT's gallery + Studio/Lab + residency stack.
• Phoenix: Leicester's independent cinema and art centre, combining an arthouse cinema with contemporary art exhibitions and learning programmes. The two-venue integration (cinema + gallery + learning) and reliance on public/charitable funding directly mirror FACT's structure.
• Watershed: Bristol cultural venue combining an arthouse cinema with a creative-technology workspace and creative enterprise support. The cinema-plus-creative-tech hybrid and Pervasive Media Studio residency programme are highly comparable to FACT's Picturehouse + Studio/Lab combination.
• HOME Manchester: Manchester-based contemporary arts centre combining free galleries, an arthouse cinema, theatres, and artist development programmes — the closest UK analogue to FACT's hybrid gallery/cinema/residency model. HOME is also a BFI Film Academy partner alongside FACT, reinforcing the operational similarity.
• Ars Electronica: Linz-based centre for electronic art with media-arts production facilities, artist residencies, and an annual festival. Although at much larger scale, Ars Electronica is the global benchmark for what Studio/Lab aspires to — a media-arts production lab with international reach and residencies.
• LABoral Ciudad de la Cultura: Gijón-based centre for digital and contemporary art production and exhibitions, and an EMARE network partner alongside FACT. EMARE co-membership makes it a structural peer for media-art residency exchange and touring collaborations.
• Tramway: Glasgow's contemporary arts venue is known for international artist commissions, residencies, and major exhibitions. Its artist-residency-and-exhibition focus with international touring parallels FACT's residency-and-touring model, even without a cinema.
• CCA Glasgow: Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow operates galleries, an arthouse cinema, and a music/performance programme under one roof, with a similar public-funder-plus-earned-income structure. Comparable as a UK regional cultural centre with a comparable audience model.
• iMAL (interactive Media Art Laboratory): Brussels non-profit art centre for digital and media arts combining exhibitions, an artist-in-residence programme, and production facilities. iMAL is an EMARE partner and hosted FACT's Broken Symmetries tour, making it a directly comparable media-arts centre at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FACTLiverpool
• Facebookfacebook.com/FACTliverpool
• Instagraminstagram.com/fact_liverpool
• TikToktiktok.com/@fact_liverpool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/factliverpool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 FACT Liverpool