PLAYFUL ANYWHERE C.I.C.

What PLAYFUL ANYWHERE C.I.C. does

Playful Anywhere CIC is a Leeds-based Community Interest Company (CIC) that designs and deploys mobile play experiences to catalyse creativity, inventiveness, and community engagement across UK cities. Founded in 2012, the firm operates a physical fleet of repurposed shipping containers in 20ft and 10ft formats (Playbox01, Pink Playboxes, DazzleBox, Mini Playboxes) equipped with lighting, heating, shelving, and curated collections of games, toys, and creative activities that can be transported to events, festivals, and community sites via haulage logistics.

The company generates revenue primarily through commissioned projects with local authorities (Leeds City Council, Kirklees Council, Cambridge City Council), housing associations (Sanctuary Housing, LS14 Trust), property developers (CEG Group at Kirkstall Forge), and cultural venues. Supplementary revenue comes from custom-quoted Playbox hire, paid regular sessions at the Playlab Leeds pop-up space (£5-10 per child), consulting/play sufficiency advisory work, and retail product sales (Neighbourhood Play Window Decals at £5). GTM is event-driven and community-led, blending direct commissioning and competitive tendering with grassroots demand generated through pop-ups, festivals, and the Neighbourhood Play Movement.

With a 6-person team led by founder Emma Bearman, the firm has executed projects across Leeds, Sheffield, Huddersfield, York, Cambridge, Birmingham, and Bradford over more than a decade, focusing on Child Friendly City initiatives, placemaking, and participatory programming. The business is asset-locked under CIC rules, with no external institutional investors and no disclosed funding rounds.

Name

PLAYFUL ANYWHERE C.I.C.

Legal name

Playful Anywhere CIC

Website

https://playfulanywhere.fun

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Playful Anywhere CIC is a Leeds-based Community Interest Company that designs and deploys a fleet of mobile shipping-container Playboxes and pop-up play experiences for community engagement, placemaking, and Child Friendly City programs commissioned by UK local authorities, developers, and cultural organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Engagement & Placemaking Services

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Amusement Arcades (71312)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Party Games, Activities & Interactive Entertainment (HSACACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Entertainment Centers (Indoor развлечения: Arcade, Soft Play, Party Centers) (THAJAEAC), Kids Party Entertainment (Clowns, Magicians, Characters) (HSACACAG)

Keywords

• Community engagement services
• Mobile play spaces
• Placemaking consulting
• Civic participation events
• Pop-up creative workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Playbox Hire and Commissioning: Hiring out the fleet of Playboxes (with or without team) to businesses, local authorities, developers, communities, cultural venues, festivals, and retailers. Clients commission Playboxes for events, community engagement, and place activation.
2. Event and Program Delivery: Delivering participatory events, festivals, open space events, civic participation programs, team building activities, and community engagement projects for commissioned clients.
3. Consulting and Advisory Services: Play consultation services for advocating children's voices in planning and development, playful learning, engagement strategies, and community play support.
4. Product Sales: Selling physical products like Neighbourhood Play Window Decals at £5.00 each.
5. Space Rental (Playlab): Rental of pop-up maker space for events, workshops, team builds, away days, and parties. Previously offered on 'pay as you feel' donation basis.
6. Regular Sessions and Classes: Weekly sessions including Crafternauts for under 5s (£5 per child), Story Club for children (£5 per child), and Saturday Crafternauts for all ages (£5-10 per session).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Playful Anywhere CIC hires out a fleet of converted shipping-container mobile play spaces (Playboxes, Pink Playboxes, DazzleBox, Mini Playboxes, Playcarts) and delivers participatory events, placemaking programmes, and play consultation services for local authorities, housing associations, developers, cultural venues, and community organisations. They also run a pop-up maker space (Playlab Leeds), offer weekly creative sessions for families, and sell small physical products such as Neighbourhood Play Window Decals and Playful Explorer Cards.

Product overview

Playful Anywhere CIC operates as a portfolio of physical play experiences and community activation services rather than a unified software platform. Their core offerings include a fleet of mobile shipping container-based units: the flagship 20ft Playbox01, two Pink Playboxes (10ft units), and the visually distinctive DazzleBox. They also offer portable pop-up activities (giant marble runs, wonder domes), Mini Playboxes for early years settings, and the Playlab Leeds pop-up maker space. The company provides play consultation services and sells physical products including Neighbourhood Play Window Decals and Playcarts. These offerings work together to deliver community engagement, creative programming, and activation across Leeds and the wider UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Playbox: Mobile shipping container play spaces available for hire, including Playbox01, Pink Playboxes, and DazzleBox
• Playlab
• Playcart
• Play Plaques
• Cambridge Playlaws
• Mini Playboxes

Products and services

• Playbox01 Hire A 20ft mobile shipping container play space filled with games, toys, and furniture, hired out to local authorities, developers, and community organisations for engagement and play activities.
• Pink Playboxes (Bubble and Squeak) Pair of 10ft x 8ft x 8ft shipping-container play spaces with sliding doors, lighting, heating, and shelving, designed for flexible community activation and hire.
• DazzleBox

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ participants engaged in single Playbox deployment on Briggate, Leeds
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cambridge City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary commissioning partner for Play Is Anywhere public art project - a multi-site artwork encouraging playful interactions in public spaces across Cambridge wards.
• Cambridge JunctioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Cambridge Junction for the Play Is Anywhere public art commission, combining artistic excellence with community engagement expertise.
• CEG GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Kirkstall Forge Pink Plaza Playboxes - deploying Pink Playboxes in residence at Kirkstall Forge development.
• Pippa Hale (Artist)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with artist Pippa Hale on Cambridge Playlaws and Play Is Anywhere projects, combining genuine engagement with artistic excellence.
• Leeds LibrariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Mini Playboxes - compact play resources for children under 5, designed to support speech and language development.
• Stephanie Jeffries / PlayExploreArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist and educational play designer collaborating on Mini Playboxes and Play Together, Talk Together installations.
• LS14 TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Playbox003 in Seacroft at Rein Park - LS14 Trust hosts the shipping container and recruits staff to run community programming.
• Leeds City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple ongoing partnerships for Child Friendly Leeds initiatives, Play Sufficiency, and city center events including COVID-safe programming.
• Child Friendly LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration on Play Sufficiency Leeds and Lincoln Green projects advocating for children's right to play.
• University of LeedsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Inclusive Play Project with School of Civil Engineering to understand how children play in the city centre.
• SolidaritechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Digital Access West Yorkshire initiative to refurbish and redistribute devices to families during lockdown.
• Hyde Park Book ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Digital Access West Yorkshire for device drop-off locations during COVID-19 pandemic response.
• Foundation for Digital CreativityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Digital Access West Yorkshire initiative for device refurbishment and redistribution.
• Creative EnglandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Play Plaques project - research and development of physical markers linking video content to play prompts in specific locations.
• Fabrication CraftsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArtist/maker network providing craft activities for Playbox events including monster trails and creative workshops.
• Sally MolineauxminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFilmmaker documenting projects and co-facilitating YouTube Bakers Club and Playful Huddersfield video production.
• HappyasabeanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Neighbourhood Play Window Decal campaign promoting outdoor play and community connection.
• Fall Into PlaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity arts organization partnership for Playbox003 Creative Engagement Lead role recruitment in Seacroft and Killingbeck.
• Sanctuary HousingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Playbox01 for Shiregreen community engagement in May Half Term 2019.
• Orchestra of Objects (Ben)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProceeds from warehouse yard sale support Warm Spaces Events led by Orchestra of Objects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Imagine Children's Festival (Southbank Centre): Southbank Centre runs the Imagine Children's Festival, a major children's cultural and play festival. It overlaps with Playful Anywhere in family cultural programming, though at much larger scale and as part of a broader arts venue.
• Kompan: Kompan is a global incumbent outdoor play equipment manufacturer and installer, working with local authorities and developers. It is a much larger incumbent in the broader play infrastructure space.

Others

• Timberplay: Timberplay designs and installs outdoor play and natural playgrounds for councils, schools, and developers, an adjacent enabling supplier rather than a direct competitor.
• Play England: Play England is the national body advocating for children's right to play, funding and advising local authorities. It is an ecosystem partner/influencer rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• Emergency Exit Arts: Emergency Exit Arts is a participatory arts organisation creating large-scale outdoor events and community activation projects across the UK, sharing the artist-led, place-making, council-commissioned model.
• Activate Performing Arts: Activate delivers creative and participatory arts programmes for communities and councils in Yorkshire and the North, with overlapping council-commissioned placemaking work.
• People's Palace Projects: People's Palace Projects produces arts programmes and community engagement projects with local authorities and cultural partners, comparable in artist-led, council-commissioned model.
• Tangled Feet: Tangled Feet is a London-based participatory theatre company creating immersive, playful performances and community events, closely aligned with Playful Anywhere's playful, civic engagement focus.
• Coney: Coney is a London-based interactive theatre and play studio that creates participatory experiences and playful interventions for civic engagement, festivals, and public spaces. It is closely comparable in its artist-led, community-engagement approach.

Emerging players

• Mini Artists: Mini Artists runs creative, play-based classes and workshops for under-5s and families, overlapping with Playful Anywhere's Playlab Crafternauts and Mini Playboxes offerings for early-years audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/playfulleeds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/playful-anywhere-c.i.c.
• Instagraminstagram.com/playfulanywhere
• Facebookfacebook.com/playfulanywhere

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 PLAYFUL ANYWHERE C.I.C.