Heart of Glass

What Heart of Glass does

Heart of Glass is a Merseyside-based community arts non-profit and registered charity (number 1179366), founded in 2015 and headquartered at 9–11 Haydock Street, St Helens. It is one of 21 national Creative People and Places (CPP) programmes funded by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), and operates through a consortium comprising Helena Partnerships, FACT (Foundation for Art + Creative Technology), St Helens Council, St Helens Arts Partnership and St Helens College. Its core function is the delivery of long-term, co-created collaborative arts projects — including public art installations, murals, mosaics, performances, podcasts, exhibitions and an annual With For About conference — with residents of St Helens, Knowsley and the wider Liverpool City Region, prioritising women, LGBTQIA+, working-class and other under-represented communities. Signature programmes include The Suicide Chronicles and Baa Baa Baric (with Mark Storor, the latter running for twelve years), Strong Women (with Carrie Reichardt, supported by a £95,998 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant), Nature Neighbours (with Juneau Projects, 120 ceramic tiles and 130 residents), Boys in the Making (UK pilot with Brokentalkers and Rialto Youth Project), and Making Shapes in Huyton (with Northern railway). All events and workshops are free to attendees; the organisation does not sell or licence any technology. The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: primary income streams are institutional grants from Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, with de minimis ticket-related revenue processed via Eventbrite (many events free). The operating stack consists of standard off-the-shelf tools — Craft CMS for the website, Google Analytics, Mailchimp for newsletters, and Eventbrite for ticketing — with no proprietary platform, app, API or AI components. Governance is led by Patrick Fox (Chief Executive) and Tracy Gentles (Chair of the Board of Trustees), with a producer-led delivery team of approximately 23 staff.

Name

Heart of Glass

Legal name

Heart of Glass Ltd.

Website

https://heartofglass.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heart of Glass is a Merseyside-based community arts non-profit delivering co-created public art, performances, exhibitions and conferences with residents of St Helens, Knowsley and the wider Liverpool City Region, funded primarily by Arts Council England and charitable foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Community arts programs
• Collaborative public art
• Socially engaged practice
• Creative co-creation
• Arts and cultural engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

St Helens

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Heart of Glass is primarily funded through institutional grants from Arts Council England (as an NPO and Creative People and Places programme), The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Esmeé Fairbairn Foundation, and other charitable foundations.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated through free and paid event ticketing via third-party platform Eventbrite. Many events are free to attend, supported by funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Heart of Glass is a Merseyside-based community-led arts organization that co-creates collaborative arts projects, public art installations, workshops, performances, and social events with local residents in St Helens and Knowsley. It is one of 21 national Creative People and Places programmes funded through Arts Council England, operating as a consortium with Helena Partnerships, FACT, St Helens Council and St Helens Arts Partnership. All programmes are delivered free to participants, supported by institutional grant funding.

Product overview

Heart of Glass is a Merseyside-based community arts organization offering a portfolio of collaborative arts programmes and public art initiatives. The core offerings include long-term community co-creation projects (such as The Suicide Chronicles, Baa Baa Baric, and Boys in the Making), public art programmes featuring murals and sculptures by women and LGBTQIA+ artists (Strong Women, Public Art Programme), and annual conference events (With For About). The organization also produces podcasts (Conversations Over a Brew), social events (The Posh Club), and exhibitions (Close To Home). These programmes are delivered through collaboration with artists, communities, schools, and partner organizations across St Helens and Knowsley.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Close to Home Exhibition A collaborative, contemplative installation exploring lived and living experiences of suicide, presenting films, photographs, sculptures, poetry and music created by award-winning artist Mark Storor in collaboration with communities. Hosted at the Cunard Building, Liverpool.
• Boys in the Making (UK) A creative programme exploring how boys and young men are shaped by and influence the world they live in, co-creating fictional characters to consider their needs and experiences. Delivered with Rainford High School and partner organisations in the UK and Dublin.
• Nature Neighbours A public art trail celebrating local wildlife across six parks in Halewood, Knowsley, featuring 120 ceramic tiles created by 130 residents in collaboration with artist duo Juneau Projects.
• Strong Women Programme A mural and community heritage project highlighting the untold stories of local women in St Helens and Knowsley, created by mosaic artist Carrie Reichardt in collaboration with communities and featuring ceramic tile hearts dedicated to inspiring women, including LGBTQIA+ role models.
• Public Art Programme A series of 12 co-created public artworks across Merseyside since 2021, featuring women and LGBTQIA+ artists including murals, mosaics, and sculptural works developed with local communities.
• Baa Baa Baric: Have You Any Pull? A twelve-year collaborative undertaking by artist Mark Storor with the people of St Helens, exploring themes of community, resilience, and challenging negative statistics through creativity and imagination.
• With For About Conference An annual gathering inviting practitioners from the UK and beyond to discuss the role of art in the modern world, creating a space for public critical reflection on collaborative and social art.
• The Suicide Chronicles A collaborative artistic project led by Mark Storor working with communities impacted by suicide, collectively finding a language to articulate and explore complex experiences across eight years.
• The Posh Club (Merseyside) A social event series created by Duckie (London's LGBTQ club night and performance collective) for older adults aged 60+, using performance to combat isolation and create meaningful connections through showbiz and social experiences. Hosted as The Posh Club Merseyside in St Helens.
• Conversations Over a Brew (HoGCasts Podcast) A podcast series featuring conversations with practitioners, artists, and collaborators, exploring themes of socially engaged arts, listening practices, and creative collaboration across multiple seasons.
• What We Hold Programme An autumn programme holding space for grief, joy, identity, and memory, featuring performances including Good Grief by Ugly Bucket, The Posh Club cabaret, and Dee Mulrooney storytelling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 co-created public artworks created across St Helens and Knowsley since 2021
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Helena PartnershipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Heart of Glass consortium providing organizational partnership and support for community arts delivery.
• FACT (Foundation for Art + Creative Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Heart of Glass consortium as a leading arts and technology organization in Liverpool.
• St Helens CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Heart of Glass consortium providing local government partnership and support for arts in St Helens.
• St Helens Arts PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner including The Citadel, The World of Glass, and Platform Artist Studios providing venue and arts infrastructure.
• St Helens CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Heart of Glass consortium providing educational partnership and support.
• Knowsley CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner for Nature Neighbours project and other Knowsley-based programmes. Provides funding and support for community arts delivery.
• Culture LiverpoolstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Close to Home exhibition at the Cunard Building, providing cultural programming expertise in Liverpool.
• Public Health LiverpoolstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Close to Home exhibition exploring suicide experiences and mental health themes.
• Torus FoundationstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional supporter of Strong Women programme and partner for community housing engagement through Torus Housing.
• Northern (Railway)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Making Shapes in Huyton public art project at Huyton Train Station.
• Change Grow LivestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Baa Baa Baric project and community engagement with people in recovery.
• YMCA St HelensstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term community partner delivering services across accommodation, family work, health & wellbeing, training & education, and support & advice.
• BrokentalkersstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerDublin-based theatre company collaborating on What Does He Need? project exploring masculinity with Fiona Whelan and Rialto Youth Project.
• Rialto Youth ProjectstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerDublin-based youth project co-developing What Does He Need? and Boys in the Making programmes with Heart of Glass for UK expansion.
• CreatestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting Boys in the Making international exchange and action research programme as part of This Place, This Stage Arts Council England Place Partnership.
• Juneau ProjectsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist duo (Philip Duckworth and Ben Sadler) creating public artworks for Nature Neighbours project in Halewood parks.
• Rainford High SchoolstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school for Boys in the Making UK pilot programme with 12 boys aged 12-14 from the school.
• Carrie ReichardtstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationally recognized mosaic artist leading Strong Women mural projects in St Helens and Knowsley with communities.
• Mark StororstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning artist leading The Suicide Chronicles collaborative project and Baa Baa Baric twelve-year undertaking.
• Knowsley ArchivestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for oral history collection and community archiving as part of Strong Women project heritage work.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Bluecoat: Liverpool-based arts centre and NPO supporting artists and audiences with a programme of exhibitions and participatory projects. Comparable as a Liverpool arts NPO with community programming, though operating in a more central urban footprint.

Direct peers

• Activate Performing Arts: UK community-focused performing arts charity and one of the 21 Creative People and Places programmes funded by Arts Council England. Directly comparable as a fellow CPP delivery organisation focused on underrepresented communities.
• Same Sky Arts: Creative People and Places programme working in areas of low engagement in the East of England. Directly comparable as a fellow CPP organisation with co-created community arts methodology.
• Helix Arts: Creative People and Places programme serving the North East of England, focused on arts engagement in communities where engagement is low. Directly comparable CPP peer with similar co-creation methodology.
• Artsadmin: London-based charity supporting independent artists making socially engaged work, including in non-traditional spaces. Comparable mission around socially engaged, collaborative, place-based arts practice.
• Curious Minds: Liverpool-based charity supporting creativity in children and young people and a Creative People and Places programme. Highly comparable in geography (Merseyside), CPP funding model, and community-engaged cultural delivery.
• People's Palace Projects: UK charity producing socially engaged arts projects with communities often excluded from mainstream cultural life. Comparable in mission around marginalised voices and co-created practice.
• Battersea Arts Centre: South London-based arts centre running community co-creation programmes and an Arts Council England NPO. Comparable as a community-engaged arts NPO with participatory programming.
• Metal Culture: Community-rooted arts organisation operating in Liverpool and other UK locations, delivering co-created programmes and public events. Comparable mission, structure, and Merseyside footprint.

Broad incumbents

• FACT (Foundation for Art + Creative Technology): Liverpool-based arts and technology organisation and member of the Heart of Glass consortium. Comparable as a Liverpool arts NPO with public programming, though focused more on media/digital art than grassroots co-creation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heart-of-glass-st-helens-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Heart of Glass