Manipulate Arts

What Manipulate Arts does

Manipulate Arts is a registered Scottish charity (SC022042) and company limited by guarantee (SC169132), founded in 1984 as the Puppet Animation Festival and rebranded in November 2023 to reflect its broader remit across animated film, puppetry and visual theatre. Headquartered at Summerhall in Edinburgh with a six-person staff, the organisation operates a multi-programme portfolio: the biennial Manipulate Festival (an international festival attracting 3,800 attendees in 2024 across Edinburgh venues), the annual Undercurrents platform for experimental work (first standalone edition in February 2027), and the Captivate nationwide community engagement programme operating across four Scottish regions (North Lanarkshire, Uist, Edinburgh West and Caithness). The organisation supports Scotland-based artists through the Artist Network membership scheme, the Creative Fund (up to £5,000 per project), the Animation R&D Fund (£2,000 bursaries) and Producing Surgeries mentorship, while reaching audiences through live performances, film screenings, workshops and free community programmes such as Puppetry at Home and Puppetry and Emotional Resilience.

The business model is non-commercial charity funding. Primary revenue comes from Creative Scotland's Multi-Year Funding Programme, with supplementary project grants from City of Edinburgh Council, Film Hub Scotland, Screen Scotland, Ragdoll Foundation and BFI. Secondary income streams include festival ticket sales at varying price points (some events free), individual donations via PayPal and EasyFundraising, and legacy gifts. The organisation is a Living Wage employer and operates a hybrid remote model with staff in the office 1-2 days per week. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with audience development supported by email newsletters (Mailchimp), social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), earned media through national press coverage, and word-of-mouth referrals through community partner networks.

The competitive position is built on a 40-year operating history, a curated 18+ edition festival archive, multi-year community partnerships with anchor organisations (WHALE Arts, Taigh Chearsabhagh, Cumbernauld Theatre, Lyth Arts Centre), and an end-to-end artist development pathway that is unique within Scotland's visual theatre and animation ecosystem. No AI/ML, proprietary technology platforms, apps, or commercial SaaS products are present; the underlying "technology" is programmatic and curatorial rather than software-based.

Name

Manipulate Arts

Legal name

Manipulate Arts Ltd

Website

https://manipulatearts.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Manipulate Arts is a Scottish arts charity and company limited by guarantee, founded 1984 and headquartered in Edinburgh, that champions animated film, puppetry and visual theatre through a biennial festival, a nationwide community engagement programme, artist development funds, and partnerships with community organisations across Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Visual Theatre Festival and Artist Development

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Creative Writing & Storytelling (Fiction, Poetry, Screenwriting) (EDAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Visual theatre festivals
• Puppetry and animation
• Artist development funding
• Community arts engagement
• Arts charity programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Manipulate Arts receives donations via PayPal (one-off or regular), bank transfer, legacy gifts, and EasyFundraising (shopping affiliate). Donations support the organisation's charitable activities including artist support and community engagement.
2. Festival Ticket Sales: Revenue is generated through ticket sales for Manipulate Festival events including live performances, film screenings, workshops and other festival programming across Edinburgh venues.
3. Public Funding and Grants: Manipulate Arts receives multi-year funding from Creative Scotland's Multi-Year Funding Programme, as well as project-specific grants from City of Edinburgh Council, Film Hub Scotland, Ragdoll Foundation, Edinburgh City Council, and other public and charitable funders.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Manipulate Arts is a registered Scottish charity that curates, develops and presents animated film, puppetry and visual theatre through the biennial Manipulate Festival, the annual Undercurrents platform, and the nationwide Captivate community engagement programme. It supports Scotland-based artists through seed funding (Creative Fund up to £5,000, Animation R&D Fund £2,000 bursaries), mentorship, rehearsal space, networking and performance platforms, and delivers accessible creative experiences to communities including families, D/deaf and neurodiverse audiences.

Product overview

Manipulate Arts operates as a multi-programme arts organization focused on animated film, puppetry, and visual theatre. The core portfolio includes the biennial Manipulate Festival (international celebration of visual performing arts), the annual Undercurrents platform (for experimental and emerging work), and the Captivate nationwide communities programme. Artist development is supported through the Artist Network membership scheme, Artist Ticket Fund, Creative Fund (up to £5,000 for visual performance), and Animation R&D Fund (£2,000 bursaries for animators). Producing Surgeries provide mentorship while Perform or Screen your Work offers pathways to programming. Community engagement includes Puppetry at Home tutorials, AnimATE (animation and cookery workshops), and Puppetry and Emotional Resilience school programmes. The organization was formerly Puppet Animation Scotland until rebranding in November 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Manipulate Festival A biennial international celebration of animated film, puppetry, and visual theatre, presenting the best of international and Scottish work to adult audiences in Edinburgh and beyond, featuring eclectic boundary-pushing performances, film screenings and workshops.
• Undercurrents An annual platform for raw ideas, bold experiments, and untested work in puppetry, visual theatre, and animation, showcasing emerging Scottish talent at every development stage.
• Captivate A nationwide community and partnership programme delivering productions, screenings, workshops, and co-creation projects in puppetry, animation, and visual theatre across Scotland, currently operating in North Lanarkshire, Uist, Edinburgh West, and Caithness.
• Artist Network A free membership scheme for emerging or established artists in Scotland whose practice aligns with Manipulate Arts' work, offering access to the Artist Ticket Fund, quarterly networking events, opportunity updates, and invitations to works in progress.
• Artist Ticket Fund Ticket funding launched in 2021 to support independent artists in Scotland to attend visually led work, covering ticket costs, travel, childcare, and access costs for productions within Manipulate's remit.
• Creative Fund Seed funding supporting Scotland-based artists developing new work in visual performance, puppetry and object theatre, offering up to £5,000, rehearsal space, and mentorship in partnership with Vanishing Point Theatre Company.
• Animation R&D Fund A seed fund for Scotland-based animators supporting visual and technical development of new independent projects, offering £2,000 bursaries and mentorship.
• Producing Surgeries Focused 90-minute mentorship sessions with Manipulate Arts' producing or marketing team to help artists with funding applications, project budgets, touring, international festival screening, website building, and finding collaborators.
• Puppetry at Home Free puppetry tutorials for families featuring step-by-step instructions on crafting puppets and crankie theatres using household materials, originally created in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• AnimATE Intergenerational project where families explore creativity through animation and cookery, learning cut-out animation techniques and preparing seasonal meals together with professional animators and cooking facilitators.
• Puppetry and Emotional Resilience Programme harnessing puppetry to raise levels of attainment and self-confidence among nursery and primary school pupils, helping improve communication, confidence and problem-solving abilities through bespoke hand-puppets.
• One Bum Cinema Club A travelling pop-up cinema for one audience member at a time, presenting animated shorts at Edinburgh libraries and community spaces, touring for up to 8 weeks. Free to attend.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500,000 people engaged since 1984 across all 32 Scottish council areas, internationally and online
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lyth Arts CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Lead partner for the Captivate programme in Caithness from 2024, developing a bespoke programme of visual arts engagement across Thurso, Wick and rural Caithness.
• Taigh ChearsabhaghcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Lead partner for the Captivate programme in Uist (Outer Hebrides), delivering animation workshops, performances and co-creation projects with schools, community groups and care homes across South Uist, North Uist and Benbecula.
• WHALE Arts AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Lead partner for the Captivate programme in Western Edinburgh, hosting family engagement events, animation workshops, puppet performances and Visual Virtuoso projects in the Wester Hailes and Sighthill areas.
• Cumbernauld Theatre at LanternhousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Lead partner for the Captivate programme in North Lanarkshire, hosting visual theatre performances, community storytelling workshops, and artist development labs such as Visual Theatre Labs.
• Vanishing Point Theatre CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in the Creative Fund, embedding Vanishing Point's producing expertise into the programme. Vanishing Point provides rehearsal space in Glasgow and mentorship support for artists developing new visually-led performance work.
• Scottish EnsembleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Blind Summit puppet company to present The Law of Gravity at Traverse Theatre during Manipulate Festival 2025.
• Blind SummitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPuppeteering company that partnered with Scottish Ensemble to present The Law of Gravity at Manipulate Festival 2025. Previously partnered with LA Philharmonic Orchestra at Hollywood Bowl.
• SurgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Surge for the annual Double Bill work-in-progress strand at Manipulate Festival, bringing new visual theatre works to the Traverse Theatre.
• Take One Action Film FestivalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-curated the On the Edge animated shorts programme focusing on climate in Arctic regions for Manipulate Festival 2025.
• Sanctuary Queer ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-curated a programme of Queer Stories animated shorts for Manipulate Festival 2025.
• Move SummitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMove Summit is a major UK animation/CGI industry conference held in Edinburgh. In partnership with Move Summit and Glasgow Film Theatre, Manipulate Arts launched the inaugural Manipulate Award for Scottish Animation.
• Glasgow Film TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm venue partner for the Manipulate Award for Scottish Animation. Also screens animated films as part of the broader Scotland animation celebration in February each year.
• Visible FictionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead delivery partner for Wee Wonders Scotland, a talent development programme supporting new and emerging animators to write and direct animation shorts, in partnership with Screen Scotland, Manipulate Arts, Edinburgh Short Film Festival, North Lanarkshire Council and others.
• Dance BaseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdinburgh venue partner for Manipulate Festival, hosting performances and workshops. Also partnered on I Might Not Make It Open Studios project at Manipulate Festival 2025.
• Traverse TheatrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Edinburgh venue partner for Manipulate Festival, hosting performances including The Law of Gravity (Scottish Ensemble/Blind Summit), These Things Aren't Mine and Snapshots work-in-progress.
• Capital Theatres (Festival Theatre / The Studio)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEdinburgh venue partner for Manipulate Festival. The Studio at Festival Theatre hosts productions including Groupwork's When Prophecy Fails and Open Studios like Dusk till Dawn.
• FruitmarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEdinburgh venue partner hosting the Cartography labyrinthian event at the Fruitmarket Warehouse during Manipulate Festival 2025.
• SummerhallcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEdinburgh arts venue and registered charity that is Manipulate Arts' headquarters (headquarters office location). Hosts festival events and the Manipulate Festival Party.
• Edinburgh Food SocialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise teaching young people and communities about local, seasonal food. Co-facilitates cooking elements of the AnimATE project alongside animation workshops.
• An LanntairminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArts centre in Stornoway, Lewis that supported Captivate performances (Little Murmur by Aakash Odedra Company) to additionally travel to schools in Lewis and Harris.
• Nevis EnsembleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLive music ensemble that collaborated with Manipulate Arts and Taigh Chearsabhagh on the Visual Virtuoso project in Uist, combining live music with animated film.
• FilmhousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEdinburgh's iconic independent cinema became the new home of the Manipulate Festival film programme in 2026, hosting animated features, shorts competitions, and One Bum Cinema Club for the duration of the festival.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visible Fictions: Scottish theatre company producing visually-led work for young audiences and family. Directly comparable to Manipulate Arts in scale, geography, and visual/non-verbal storytelling focus, and is a current delivery partner on Wee Wonders Scotland.
• Vanishing Point Theatre Company: Glasgow-based visual theatre company producing physically inventive, image-driven work. Closely comparable on art form and is a Creative Fund partner providing rehearsal space and mentorship to Manipulate Arts-supported artists.
• Tortoise in a Nutshell: Edinburgh-based visual theatre company producing object, puppet and visually-driven performance. Comparable niche positioning in visual/non-verbal storytelling and similar Scottish footprint.
• Little Angel Theatre: London-based dedicated puppetry theatre producing work for children and adults, with a year-round programme and touring activity. Closest dedicated puppetry/visual theatre peer by remit and structure, though operating at larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Edinburgh Festival Fringe: The world's largest arts festival where Manipulate Arts supports artists to present work. Larger, broader performing arts ecosystem in which Manipulate Arts operates as a specialist curator and sector developer.
• Traverse Theatre: Edinburgh's new writing theatre and core Manipulate Festival venue partner. Larger, broader-remit theatre that hosts Manipulate Arts' programming as part of its year-round calendar.
• National Theatre of Scotland: Scotland's national theatre company producing a wide range of work including visual and physical theatre. Larger, broader-portfolio incumbent whose programming overlaps with Manipulate Arts' visual theatre strand.

Regional players

• Cumbernauld Theatre at Lanternhouse: North Lanarkshire-based producing theatre and Captivate lead partner for Manipulate Arts. Comparable regional producing and community engagement remit, though without the puppetry/animation specialism.

Emerging players

• Macnas: Ireland-based visual theatre company specialising in large-scale puppetry, pageantry and street spectacle. Comparable art form focus but operates at larger scale and different national context.
• Surge: Scotland-based visual theatre producer partnering with Manipulate Arts on the annual Double Bill work-in-progress strand at the Traverse Theatre. Comparable visual theatre focus at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ManipulateArts
• Facebookfacebook.com/ManipulateArtsScot
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manipulate-arts
• Instagraminstagram.com/manipulatearts

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Manipulate Arts