Freshwater Theatre Company

What Freshwater Theatre Company does

Freshwater Theatre Company is a UK-based educational theatre company that delivers curriculum-aligned drama workshops and shows to primary schools, secondary schools, libraries, and museums. Founded in 1996 and headquartered at St Margaret's House, 21 Old Ford Road, London, the company operates with approximately 32 employees and a flexible network of DBS-checked drama facilitators who travel to school premises. Its catalogue spans history (Ancient Egypt, Greeks, Romans, Vikings, Victorians, WW1/WW2, Windrush, Titanic), geography (continents, weather, rivers, environment), MFL (French, Spanish, German storytelling for KS1–KS3), literacy classics, Shakespeare, Early Years storytelling, and specialist PSHE/specialist subjects (Inspiring Women, Anti-Bullying, Times Tables Rock Stars). Large-format History Shows serve up to 120 students per session, and a separate Teacher CPD line monetizes facilitation expertise directly to educators.

The business model is professional services, transactionally priced per session with all prices excluding VAT. Standard workshops (up to 30 children, 60 minutes) are £148+VAT; large group sessions (up to 120 children) are £245+VAT; online workshops are £132+VAT; bundled History Days up to £593+VAT. Freshwater delivers in-person across London/Greater London, North West, West Midlands, and South West regions, and nationwide via Freshwater Online. Sales are direct-to-schools via website enquiry forms, with email and phone as backup channels. Marketing is content-led: a website with detailed workshop listings, regional brochures as PDF downloads, an email newsletter, and organic social on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The company is privately held (Freshwater Theatre Company Limited, incorporated in England) with no disclosed funding, no parent company, and no institutional investors in the source data. Customer logos are exclusively UK primary and secondary schools (e.g., Birdwell School Academy, Hague Bar Primary, Trinity Primary Academy Wood Green, The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy), distributed across geographies rather than concentrated. A 2026 partnership with Trent Park House of Secrets Museum extends the company into the museum-education segment. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is fundamentally human-delivered live performance.

Name

Freshwater Theatre Company

Legal name

Freshwater Theatre Company Limited

Website

https://freshwatertheatre.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Freshwater Theatre Company is a UK educational theatre company delivering curriculum-aligned drama workshops to primary schools, secondary schools, libraries, and museums across London, North West, West Midlands, South West, and nationwide via online sessions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Theatre Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• School drama workshops
• Educational theatre services
• Curriculum-aligned workshops
• School assembly programs
• MFL storytelling workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. School Workshop Services: Professional drama workshop services delivered directly to schools at their premises. Workshops are priced per session with additional travel charges. Also offers online workshop versions and large group sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Freshwater Theatre Company delivers drama-based educational workshops and shows to schools, libraries, and museums across the UK. Facilitators travel to school premises to run curriculum-aligned sessions covering history, geography, literacy, MFL, science, and PSHE topics using role-play, tableaux, and interactive storytelling. Sessions are available in-person across multiple UK regions and online nationwide.

Product overview

Freshwater Theatre Company is an educational theatre company delivering drama workshops and shows for schools, libraries, and museums across the UK. Their portfolio includes in-person sessions in London/Greater London, North West, West Midlands, and South West regions, plus nationwide online delivery. The core offering consists of curriculum-aligned workshops organized by subject: History (Great Fire of London, Florence Nightingale, Victorians, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Egyptians, Greeks, Windrush, WW1/WW2), Geography (Continents and Oceans, Volcanoes, Weather, Environment), MFL (French, Spanish, German storytelling for KS1-KS3), Literacy (classic literature adaptations, world stories), Shakespeare plays, and Early Years storytelling. Additional offerings include History Shows (full theatrical performances for up to 120 students), Assemblies, and Teacher CPD. Sessions are priced at approximately £148 + VAT for standard workshops (up to 30 children), £245 + VAT for Large Group Sessions (up to 120 children), and £132 + VAT for online sessions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• History Workshops Drama-based history workshops for KS1 and KS2 covering topics such as Great Fire of London, Florence Nightingale, Victorian era, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, World War I and II, Guy Fawkes, The Windrush, and Titanic. Sessions use role-play, tableaux, and interactive storytelling to bring historical events and figures to life for primary school children.
• Geography Workshops Interactive geography workshops including Continents and Oceans, Volcanoes and Earthquakes, Weather and Seasons, Rivers and Water, Environment Alert, Baxter Bear adventures exploring UK and world geography, and Antarctic exploration workshops, designed for primary school pupils.
• MFL Storytelling Workshops Immersive foreign language workshops delivered entirely in French, Spanish, or German for KS1 to KS3. Includes traditional tale adaptations like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, and classic works such as Les Trois Mousquetaires, Don Quijote, and Les Misérables for older students.
• Literacy and Storytelling Workshops Drama-based literacy workshops bringing classic literature to life including The Gruffalo, The Rainbow Fish, The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, Alice in Wonderland, Oliver Twist, Treasure Island, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Stories from Africa, Stories from Asia, Stories from Europe, and Festive Tales.
• Shakespeare Workshops KS1 to KS3 workshops exploring Shakespeare's plays including A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, and Twelfth Night. Students experiment with original text, vocalization, movement, and character embodiment.
• Early Years Storytelling Workshops Age-appropriate drama workshops for Early Years (EYFS) covering topics including All Creatures Great and Small, Fairytales, Nursery Rhymes, Carnival of Stories, Festive Fun, Transport, By The Sea, Jungle, London, Polar Regions, Pirates, and Teddy Bears. Features story hunts with collecting clues and collaborative story creation.
• History Shows and History Days Full-scale theatrical performances including Ancient Egyptian Exploration show, Ancient Greek Adventure show, and multi-format History Days that combine 80-minute shows with 45-minute workshops. Designed for up to 120 students with multiple facilitators and portable props.
• Assemblies Large group assembly sessions for whole-school events covering Geography, Science, PSHE, and Maths topics. Available as 30-minute sessions for up to 120 children.
• Teacher CPD Courses Continuing Professional Development courses for teachers to gain skills and confidence in using drama as an effective teaching tool across all areas of the curriculum.
• Freshwater Online Nationwide online versions of popular workshops delivered via video conferencing, including Great Fire of London, Florence Nightingale, Victorian Schooldays, Inspiring Women, and Early Years Story Hunts. Priced at £132 + VAT per session.
• Specialist Subject Workshops Additional specialist workshops including Inspiring Women (featuring Rosa Parks, Frida Kahlo, Amelia Earhart, Edith Cavell), Mary Seacole, Ada Lovelace, Democracy Law and Liberty, Careers Workshop, Anti-Bullying Workshop, Environment Alert, Dance Through Stories and Celebrations, and Times Tables Rock Stars Assembly.

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Trent Park House of Secrets MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2026Partnership with Trent Park House of Secrets Museum to offer free workshops for pupils as part of the museum's educational program. Freshwater facilitators deliver 'Secret Listener' workshops at the museum, allowing children to participate in interactive educational experiences related to the museum's exhibitions.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bigfoot Arts Education: UK provider of drama, dance, and music workshops delivered in schools across multiple subjects. Closely comparable to Freshwater in B2B school workshop model, subject-spanning catalogue, and direct-to-schools booking flow.
• As Creatives: UK-based educational theatre company delivering drama and creative learning workshops directly to schools on curriculum topics. Directly comparable to Freshwater in target customer (UK primary/secondary schools), workshop-led delivery model, and curriculum-aligned content library.
• Hopscotch Educational Theatre: UK educational theatre company delivering story-led, interactive performances to primary schools. Comparable to Freshwater in delivering dramatic, curriculum-tied content to KS1/KS2 audiences through in-school sessions.
• M&M Theatrical Productions: UK educational theatre company producing curriculum-linked shows and workshops for primary schools. Comparable to Freshwater in show-plus-workshop product format, primary school focus, and per-session pricing model.
• Perform UK: UK provider of drama, dance, and singing workshops and holiday classes for primary-aged children, including in-school workshops. Comparable to Freshwater in primary school target audience, curriculum-aligned content, and per-session school pricing model.
• Konflux Theatre: UK educational theatre company that takes interactive theatre performances and workshops into schools on PSHE, history, and other curriculum themes. Comparable to Freshwater in operational model (facilitators travel to schools), pricing structure, and primary school audience.

Broad incumbents

• Chickenshed Theatre: UK inclusive theatre company with substantial education and outreach operations including workshops for schools and young people. Comparable to Freshwater in school-facing drama education, but operates at larger scale with theatre premises and a broader creative remit.
• Little Angel Theatre: London children's puppet theatre with established school workshops and education programmes. Comparable to Freshwater in serving primary-age audiences with curriculum-linked drama experiences, though focused on puppetry and based at a fixed venue.
• Polka Theatre: Established London children's theatre with a dedicated learning and participation programme offering in-school and on-site workshops. Comparable to Freshwater in audience (children) and educational mission, but operates a fixed venue and broader programmatic portfolio rather than a pure in-school workshop model.
• Unicorn Theatre: Major London children's theatre with a strong education and outreach arm delivering workshops, CPD, and participatory programmes to schools. Comparable to Freshwater in targeting UK primary schools with drama-based learning, but operates at significantly larger scale and from a fixed venue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/freshwater_tie
• Facebookfacebook.com/FreshwaterTheatreCompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/freshwater_education
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freshwater-theatre-company

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 Freshwater Theatre Company