KYSO | Where Young People Thrive

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.

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

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

• Youth performing arts
• Music education programs
• Community arts engagement
• Dance and DJ training
• Live event performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Accepts donations through PayPal for supporting the organization's mission of youth development through music and performing arts.
2. 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

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MSV (Manchester Street Voices)coreOthersMSV is listed as a sponsor and partner of KYSO Project CIC, supporting the organization's youth music and performing arts programs in Manchester.
• CulturevillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultureville is a Manchester-based arts and culture organization partnered with KYSO to support youth creative development.
• Caribbean African Health Network Greater ManchesterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth network organization partnered with KYSO for community wellness and youth engagement activities.
• Power House Moss Side ManchestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community organization based in Moss Side, partnering with KYSO to support youth in the neighborhood.
• UA92 (Lancaster University)minorOthersUA92 is listed as a sponsor of KYSO, providing educational partnership opportunities for young members.
• Pie RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerManchester-based community radio station partnered with KYSO for media promotion and youth music exposure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kyso

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 KYSO | Where Young People Thrive