KYSO | Where Young People Thrive
KYSO Project CIC is a Manchester-based Community Interest Company that delivers music, dance, and DJ training and live performance opportunities to young people aged 13–21, funded primarily by grants, sponsors, and donations from Manchester civic and charitable institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What KYSO | Where Young People Thrive does
KYSO Project CIC is a Community Interest Company (not-for-profit, limited by guarantee, registered in England as company number 12292211) operating as a Music and Performing Art Agency based in Moss Side, Manchester. The organization serves young people aged 13–21 who are aspiring singers, music artists, contemporary dancers, DJs, and performers, delivering a portfolio of in-person services rather than a unified software platform. Core offerings include music classes (vocal training, instrumentation, theory), contemporary dance classes, DJ classes (currently in development), live event performances (Manchester Carnival, Hulme Park festivals, awards nights reaching audiences of up to 2,000), and a structured membership program accessed via an online Microsoft Forms application.
The underlying technology footprint is minimal and not publicly disclosed; KYSO runs a community-built website (designed by TAD360), a PayPal donation portal, and an application form hosted on Microsoft Forms, with no proprietary platform, app, or API. Its technology posture is therefore best characterized as a low-tech, community-led service organization rather than a tech-enabled product company.
KYSO's business model is that of a UK social enterprise: revenue is generated through donations (PayPal) and institutional sponsorship/grants from public-sector and charitable funders, including the Big Lottery Fund, Manchester City Council, BBC Creative Interest Network, Forever Manchester, We Love MCR, and UA92. No membership fees, paid programs, or commercial pricing are disclosed. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on public performances at festivals, partner referrals, and social media rather than traditional sales or marketing channels. With 7 employees and a regional Greater Manchester footprint, KYSO operates as a small, founder-led (CEO Lord Kemoy Walker, PTLLS) grassroots nonprofit.
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KYSO | Where Young People Thrive
- Legal name
- KYSO Project CIC
- Website
- https://kysoclub.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- KYSO Project CIC is a Manchester-based Community Interest Company that delivers music, dance, and DJ training and live performance opportunities to young people aged 13–21, funded primarily by grants, sponsors, and donations from Manchester civic and charitable institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Performing Arts Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)
Keywords
Where KYSO | Where Young People Thrive is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations: Accepts donations through PayPal for supporting the organization's mission of youth development through music and performing arts.
- Sponsorship and Grants: Receives funding from corporate sponsors and grant-making organizations including Big Lottery Fund, Manchester City Council, and private sector sponsors to fund programs and operations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KYSO Project CIC is a not-for-profit Music and Performing Art Agency based in Moss Side, Manchester that delivers music classes, dance classes, DJ classes, live event performances, and a structured membership program for young people aged 13–21 who aspire to be singers, music artists, contemporary dancers, DJs, and performers. The organization combines professional arts training with performance opportunities at community events and festivals such as Manchester Carnival and Hulme Park festivals.
Product overview
KYSO Project CIC is a Not-for-profit Music and Performing Art Agency based in Moss Side, Manchester. Rather than a unified software platform, it operates as a service-based organization offering a portfolio of youth development programs including music artists representation, music classes, dance classes, DJ classes (developing), and live events management. The organization serves young people aged 13-21 who are aspiring singers, music artists, contemporary dancers, DJs, and performers, providing them with opportunities for creative development and public performance at community events and festivals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Music Classes
Quantifiable outcome
- Events with up to 2000 audience members
Companies that use KYSO | Where Young People Thrive
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MSV (Manchester Street Voices)coreMSV is listed as a sponsor and partner of KYSO Project CIC, supporting the organization's youth music and performing arts programs in Manchester.
- CulturevillecoreCultureville is a Manchester-based arts and culture organization partnered with KYSO to support youth creative development.
- Caribbean African Health Network Greater ManchesterminorHealth network organization partnered with KYSO for community wellness and youth engagement activities.
- Power House Moss Side ManchestercoreLocal community organization based in Moss Side, partnering with KYSO to support youth in the neighborhood.
- UA92 (Lancaster University)minorUA92 is listed as a sponsor of KYSO, providing educational partnership opportunities for young members.
- Pie RadiominorManchester-based community radio station partnered with KYSO for media promotion and youth music exposure.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tomorrow's Warriors: UK charity delivering jazz, urban, and classical music education and performance pathways for young people, particularly from underrepresented communities. Closest peer to KYSO in combining music training with live performance opportunities for underserved youth, although at a larger national footprint.
Broad incumbents
- The BRIT School: Free performing and creative arts school for 14–19 year-olds in Croydon, producing notable alumni across music, dance, and theatre. Comparable as a structured performing arts training pathway for UK youth, though formal school-based rather than community-agency based.
- mac birmingham: Birmingham arts centre running year-round young people's theatre, dance, and music participation programmes. Comparable as a regional UK venue-based organisation delivering structured performing arts training and youth development in the same community-arts charity category as KYSO.
- Manchester Camerata: Manchester-based orchestra running extensive education and participation programmes for young people, including schools and community projects. Operates in the same Manchester youth-arts ecosystem as KYSO with comparable music-education mission, though focused on classical/orchestral rather than urban contemporary disciplines.
- Contact Theatre: Manchester-based national youth theatre producing performing arts programmes for young people aged 13–30. Operates in the same city as KYSO with overlapping age range, mission, and performance disciplines, creating direct competition for the same Manchester youth-arts funding pool.
- Roundhouse: London-based charity running creative programmes for 11–25 year-olds across music, performing arts, and media. Directly comparable mission (youth creative development through performing arts) with a larger venue-based infrastructure and broader London reach than KYSO.
- National Youth Theatre: UK-wide charity that provides performing arts training and production opportunities for young people aged 14–25. Comparable to KYSO in serving youth through theatre, performance, and skills development, though operating at a much larger national scale with a broader curriculum.
Others
- Youth Music: UK charity and National Lottery-funded investor in grassroots music-making for children and young people. Comparable as a funder/ecosystem player — Youth Music provides grants to organisations like KYSO and shapes the same funding landscape KYSO depends on.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive social profiles
Digital presenceKYSO | Where Young People Thrive financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive 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 KYSO | Where Young People Thrive
What does KYSO | Where Young People Thrive do?
KYSO Project CIC is a not-for-profit Music and Performing Art Agency based in Moss Side, Manchester that delivers music classes, dance classes, DJ classes, live event performances, and a structured membership program for young people aged 13–21 who aspire to be singers, music artists, contemporary dancers, DJs, and performers. The organization combines professional arts training with performance opportunities at community events and festivals such as Manchester Carnival and Hulme Park festivals.
Is KYSO | Where Young People Thrive a public or private company?
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was KYSO | Where Young People Thrive founded?
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is KYSO | Where Young People Thrive based?
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does KYSO | Where Young People Thrive make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship and Grants.
Who are KYSO | Where Young People Thrive's main competitors?
Tomorrow's Warriors is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are The BRIT School, mac birmingham, Manchester Camerata, Contact Theatre, Roundhouse and National Youth Theatre. Youth Music is listed as an others.
Does KYSO | Where Young People Thrive have an API?
No public API is recorded for KYSO | Where Young People Thrive.
What industry is KYSO | Where Young People Thrive in?
KYSO | Where Young People Thrive's product category is Youth Performing Arts Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAJAE, Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater), with a secondary code of EDAMALAO, Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills). Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 8600.