New Art Exchange Ltd

What New Art Exchange Ltd does

New Art Exchange Ltd (NAE) is a registered charity (no. 1121755) and private company limited by guarantee operating the UK's largest gallery dedicated to contemporary visual arts from the Global Ethnic Majority. Founded in 2003 through a partnership between APNA Arts (South Asian arts) and EMACA Visual Arts (African/Caribbean arts), the organisation is headquartered at 39-41 Gregory Boulevard, Hyson Green, Nottingham, and is open to the public Tuesday–Saturday with free admission. Its programming spans exhibitions, artist residencies (RESIDE), annual open exhibitions (OPEN), curatorial development (CURATE), youth talent initiatives (YOUlead, Younique), community outreach (Beyond the Wall), family workshops (Saturday Art Club), and film screenings. Exhibited artists include John Akomfrah, Sonia Boyce, Zarina Bhimji, Zanele Muholi, Hassan Hajjaj, Hetain Patel, and Phoebe Boswell.

NAE operates a Three-Pillar Leadership model comprising an Executive Team, a Board of Trustees, and the VOICE Assembly — the first permanent Citizen Assembly integrated into a cultural institution's leadership structure worldwide, with 12,000 Hyson Green residents receiving invitations and 40 selected via lottery led by the Sortition Foundation. Its core technology consists of physical gallery and exhibition spaces plus digital engagement capabilities including a live-streaming suite (available for hire), VR walkthroughs of past exhibitions, and an online events platform. The underlying architecture is event-driven and community-led rather than platform-based.

Revenue is generated primarily through institutional grant funding — Arts Council England (NAE is an NPO and the fifth-most-funded UK gallery as of 2023), the Freelands Foundation (£500k over three years), Nottingham City Council, Nottingham Trent University, and Art Fund (£35k) — supplemented by Corner Café operations (Tue–Sat 10am–4pm), space hire, and public donations. The organisation has 17 listed staff, is led by CEO and Artistic Director Saad Eddine Said (appointed 2021), and serves Global Ethnic Majority artists, local families and young people, the Hyson Green community, and general arts audiences through programmes such as the Freelands-funded 'Power to Change' and the Art Fund-supported 'Change Makers Rising'.

Name

New Art Exchange Ltd

Legal name

New Art Exchange Ltd

Website

https://nae.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

New Art Exchange Ltd (NAE) is a Nottingham-based registered charity operating the UK's largest contemporary visual arts gallery dedicated to Global Ethnic Majority artists. It runs exhibitions, residencies, curatorial and youth programmes, and the world's first permanent citizen assembly integrated into cultural institution leadership, funded primarily through Arts Council England and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Gallery

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Art Museums (THAJADAA)

Keywords

• Contemporary visual arts
• Art gallery exhibitions
• Artist talent development
• Community arts engagement
• Cultural venue hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue from Arts Council England, Nottingham City Council, Freelands Foundation (£500k over 3 years), and other institutional funders. NAE is the most-funded cultural institution in UK led by a Global Ethnic Majority CEO.
2. Corner Café Operations: On-site café open Tue-Sat 10am-4pm generating food and beverage revenue. Rebranded as 'Corner' in February 2025.
3. Space Hire: Gallery and studio spaces available for hire to external organisations and individuals for events, exhibitions, and activities.
4. Donations: Public donations accepted through online donation platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

New Art Exchange operates a contemporary visual arts gallery in Nottingham that presents exhibitions, runs talent development programmes for emerging Global Ethnic Majority artists (OPEN, RESIDE, CURATE, DESIGN), and delivers community engagement initiatives. It also operates the Corner Café on-site and offers gallery and studio spaces for hire. The organisation integrates a permanent citizen assembly (VOICE Assembly) into its governance, making it the first cultural institution worldwide with this structure.

Product overview

New Art Exchange Ltd operates as a contemporary visual arts gallery dedicated to serving the Global Ethnic Majority. The organisation offers a unified portfolio of services centred around its core gallery and exhibition space in Nottingham. Key offerings include the innovative VOICE Assembly (a permanent citizen assembly integrated into governance), the Corner Café, and talent development programmes (OPEN, RESIDE, CURATE, DESIGN) supporting emerging artists and curators. Youth and community engagement is delivered through Saturday Art Club, YOUlead, and Younique Festival. Major initiatives include the Power to Change Programme (Freelands Foundation funded) and Change Makers Rising (Art Fund supported). The organisation also provides space hire services and produces the annual Nottingham Mela festival.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corner Café
• OPEN Exhibition and Professional Development Programme
• RESIDE Artist Residency Programme
• CURATE Curatorial Development Programme
• Saturday Art Club
• Power to Change Programme
• Change Makers Rising
• Gallery and Studio Space Hire
• Film Screening Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Most-funded cultural institution in UK led by Global Ethnic Majority CEO as of 2023
• +2 more outcomes

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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CVAN EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAE serves as Co-Chair of CVAN England (Contemporary Visual Arts Network), supporting the Fair and Equitable agenda nationally. Also hosts CVAN East Midlands at NAE.
• The Sortition FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides lottery system for VOICE Assembly member selection, ensuring random and representative citizen participation in NAE's governance.
• 12 Local SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 12 local schools for 'Breaking Barriers: Forging Futures' programme developing life-enhancing opportunities and anti-racist young people.
• InspirateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Portfolio Organisation celebrating Indian subcontinent and UK intertwined culture. Co-founded by NAE Board Member Jiten Anand.
• National Justice MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Walk the Talk' community project bringing diverse people together through walking dialogues about social issues.
• Primary ( arts organisation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Sounds of Lockdown' creative project with young people aged 16-25, producing podcast about lockdown experiences.
• Fearless Youth AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Sounds of Lockdown' project, working with young people on digital storytelling and music.
• FMB RadiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Sounds of Lockdown' project, collaboration in creative project with young people.
• Peer to Peer: UK/HK NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by University of Salford Art Collection, Open Eye Gallery and Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art. NAE commissioned Hetain Patel for new work 'Spectrum 2' as part of UK-Hong Kong arts exchange.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art: Gateshead-based major contemporary art venue with much larger scale and visitor numbers. Comparable as a regional UK contemporary art institution but significantly bigger and broader in programming.
• HOME: Manchester-based multi-arts venue combining theatre, film, and visual arts. Comparable as a UK regional arts venue with gallery programming and community focus, but with a much broader multidisciplinary remit.
• Ikon Gallery: Birmingham-based contemporary art gallery with a broader international programme. A larger regional incumbent in the UK contemporary visual arts landscape with overlapping grant-funded NPO operations but a wider curatorial remit.

Direct peers

• Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts): London-based visual arts organization with a similar mission of supporting artists from diverse cultural backgrounds and addressing under-representation in the UK art world. Direct peer in both programming focus (GEM/BAME artists) and operating model (exhibitions, artist development, advocacy).
• The Showroom: London contemporary art gallery commissioning new work that explores social and political questions, with a similar community engagement and artist development model to NAE. Directly comparable in scale and programming approach.
• Autograph ABP: London-based photography gallery and archive focused on photography that explores race, identity, and human rights. Highly comparable mission around diversity in visual arts and similar gallery-based programming model.
• Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA): Manchester-based visual arts organization focused on Chinese and East Asian contemporary art. Direct peer in mission (culturally specific visual arts focus), grant-funded charity model, and UK regional gallery positioning.
• Gasworks: London-based contemporary art gallery running international artist residencies and exhibitions, with parallel focus on emerging international and UK artists. Comparable in residency/exhibition programming and grant-funded operating model.
• Spike Island: Bristol-based contemporary art space combining galleries, artist studios, and a residency programme. Directly comparable in artist development (studios/residencies), gallery exhibitions, and regional UK contemporary arts positioning.

Regional players

• Kaapsalon Foundation: Rotterdam-based creative organization focused on cultural diversity and urban arts in a multicultural neighbourhood context. Comparable mission (diversity-driven community arts) and grassroots engagement model, but operating in the Netherlands rather than UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/newartexchange
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/newartexchange
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/New-Art-Exchange/45183486841
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-new-art-exchange-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/new_art_exchange

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 New Art Exchange Ltd