Slingsby

What Slingsby does

Slingsby Theatre Company Limited is an Australian non-profit performing arts company founded in 2007 by Andy Packer and headquartered at the Hall of Possibility in Parkside, South Australia. The company creates immersive theatrical productions for a "village audience" of young people and adults aged 8 and up, using a signature combination of shadow play, miniaturisation, live music, light play, puppetry, and the adapted RSVP Cycles creative process developed by Lawrence and Anna Halprin. Its core product repertoire includes The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy (2008, 240+ performances), The Young King (2016), Emil and the Detectives (2017, Helpmann Award winner), The Boy Who Talked to Dogs (2021), The River That Ran Uphill (2023), and the upcoming A Concise Compendium of Wonder triptych (Adelaide Festival 2026).

Slingsby generates revenue across six streams: ticket sales for festival and venue seasons, school bookings at AUD 16.50 per student (in-person) or AUD 12 per student via the Slingsby by Request online platform, Hall of Possibility venue hire, individual donations through tiered Giving Circles (Journeyfolk, Council of Companions, Slingsby Clarion, Commissioning Circle), operational funding from Arts South Australia / CreateSA, and project grants from the Australia Council for the Arts. Distribution spans four channels: direct touring to schools (Flying Squad for regional South Australia), national and international festival premieres (Adelaide Festival, Edinburgh, Dublin), touring to venues across 10+ countries (USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Spain, Singapore, NZ, China, India), and the digital Slingsby by Request self-serve platform.

The customer base is anchored by schools (Year 4 to Year 12) as the primary volume channel, supported by strategic co-production partnerships with State Theatre Company South Australia, Draíocht Ireland, Country Arts SA, and the City of Adelaide. Slingsby employs a small core team of approximately 12 staff, scaling to roughly 25 South Australian artists during peak production months, and has accumulated 14+ industry awards between 2010 and 2016 plus the 2025 IMPACT Award from PAC Australia.

Name

Slingsby

Legal name

Slingsby Theatre Company Limited

Website

https://slingsby.net.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Slingsby Theatre Company is an Adelaide-based non-profit founded in 2007 that creates immersive theatrical productions for young audiences and schools using shadow play, miniatures, and puppetry, distributing via live touring, festivals, and the Slingsby by Request online platform across Australia and 10+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theatre for Young Audiences

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Theatre for young audiences
• Performing arts productions
• School matinee performances
• Theatre education workshops
• Immersive shadow theatre

Headquarters

HQ city

Parkside, Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from theatre performances at festivals, venues, and schools. Includes school matinee performances and public seasons.
2. School Bookings: Per-student fees for school performances and workshops. School bookings at $16.50 per student for Emil and the Detectives; Slingsby by Request at $12 per student.
3. Venue Hire: Hall of Possibility is available for hire for rehearsals, developments, classes, workshops, conferences and corporate events.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individual supporters through giving circles (Journeyfolk $1-$999, Council of Companions $1000+, Slingsby Clarion $10,000+). Commissioning Circle for specific productions.
5. Government Funding: Operational funding from South Australian Government through Arts South Australia/CreateSA and project grants from Australia Council for the Arts
6. Online Education Platform: Slingsby by Request provides online access to productions for schools at $12 per student with bundle pricing options

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Slingsby Theatre Company creates, produces and tours original and adapted theatrical productions for families and young audiences (aged 8 and up), distinguished by signature immersive techniques including shadow play, miniatures, live music, and puppetry. The company complements its stage productions with curriculum-aligned school matinees, hands-on theatre workshops, an online streaming platform (Slingsby by Request), venue hire from its home venue the Hall of Possibility, and a touring ensemble (Slingsby's Flying Squad) that delivers performances regionally and internationally.

Product overview

Slingsby Theatre Company is a performing arts organisation that creates theatrical productions for family and young audiences (ages 8+). The core offering consists of original and adapted stage productions including The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy, The Young King, Emil and the Detectives, The Boy Who Talked to Dogs, Man Covets Bird, Songs for Those Who've Come Across the Seas, The River That Ran Uphill, and the upcoming A Concise Compendium of Wonder triptych. Supporting the productions, Slingsby operates Slingsby by Request (online education platform for remote access to performances), an Education Program with workshops on theatre techniques, a Hall of Possibility Artist in Residence program, and Slingsby's Flying Squad touring ensemble. The company also implements a Green Touring Model for sustainable touring practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hall of Possibility: Slingsby's home venue and creative space at Rear Hall, 96 Glen Osmond Rd, Parkside SA 5063. Available for rehearsals, developments, classes, workshops, conferences and corporate hires.
• Slingsby's Flying Squad
• Slingsby by Request
• The Wandering Hall of Possibility
• Giving Circles
• Commissioning Circle

Products and services

• The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy Slingsby's inaugural production about an alien boy (Cheeseboy) whose home planet has been reduced to a bubbling fondue. Performed in an enchanting travelling theatre tent for family audiences aged 8 and up.
• The Young King Stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde's story about a naïve boy raised by goatherds who discovers he is heir to the kingdom. Adapted by Nicki Bloom and targeted at family and school audiences.
• Emil and the Detectives Stage adaptation of Erich Kästner's classic 1929 novella about a boy who catches a train to visit family in the big city and enlists help from children to catch a thief. Designed for Years 4-12 school audiences and family audiences.
• The Boy Who Talked to Dogs Theatre production based on Martin McKenna's memoir about a boy who runs away from an abusive home and survives living with stray dogs. Created in partnership with State Theatre Company South Australia and Draíocht Ireland.
• The River That Ran Uphill A true story from Slingsby's Flying Squad ensemble member Edgell Junior about surviving cyclone Pam in Vanuatu in 2015.
• A Concise Compendium of Wonder A three-part theatrical triptych comprising The Childhood of the World, The Giant's Garden, and The Tree of Light. Described as Slingsby's most ambitious project, a journey to the moon, premiering at Adelaide Festival 2026.
• Songs for Those Who've Come Across the Seas

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• State Theatre Company South AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Key co-production partner for The Boy Who Talked to Dogs (2021), which won the Ruby Award for Best Collaboration. State Theatre Company South Australia is a major South Australian performing arts organisation.
• Draíocht (Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021International collaboration partner for The Boy Who Talked to Dogs. Dublin-based venue Draíocht was involved in the creation and co-production of this international collaboration.
• Adelaide FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor annual arts festival where Slingsby presents world premieres including The Boy Who Talked to Dogs (2021) and The River That Ran Uphill (2023).
• Country Arts SAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for regional touring to Port Pirie, Whyalla and Mount Gambier, helping bring Slingsby productions to regional South Australian audiences.
• Hall of Possibility HirersminorOthersVarious organisations that hire the Hall of Possibility space including La La Land Choir, Sally Chance, Ampersand, Gravity and Other Myths, Tutti Ensemble, and others who use the space for creative development.
• Art Space for Kids (Shanghai)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration planned for 2022 with Art Space for Kids in Shanghai, involving creative development and potential future projects.
• Youth Arts Collective (South Australia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of eight South Australian youth arts organisations including Slingsby, Carclew, South Australian Circus Centre, Patch Theatre, Adelaide Youth Orchestras, Windmill Theatre Company, Riverland Youth Theatre, D'Faces of Youth Arts. Launched 'Tomorrow Starts with Creativity' report in October 2025.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Little Angel Theatre: London-based puppet and visual theatre company producing work for children and families. Direct international peer: comparable use of puppetry, miniature and shadow techniques, small core team, and touring model to schools and international venues.
• Polyglot Theatre: Melbourne-based company producing interactive, immersive theatre for early-years and school audiences. Direct peer in the Australian TYA sector with comparable touring, workshop, and education programs and similar reliance on government arts funding.
• Patch Theatre Company: South Australian theatre company dedicated to creating innovative work for children aged 4–12. Direct peer in the Adelaide TYA ecosystem, fellow Youth Arts Collective member, and similar school-touring business model.
• Terrapin Puppet Theatre: Hobart-based puppet and visual theatre company creating original work for young audiences. Direct peer in Australian TYA, with overlapping puppetry/miniaturisation craft, school touring model, and international festival presence.
• Windmill Theatre Company: Adelaide-based theatre company creating high-quality productions for children and young audiences. Direct peer: same geography (South Australia), same Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) segment, co-member of the Youth Arts Collective, and similar co-production/international touring profile.

Broad incumbents

• Unicorn Theatre: London's leading theatre for children and young people (ages 2–21). Broader incumbent in the same TYA category: operates a dedicated year-round venue, larger institutional scale, and wider programming slate but shares Slingsby's audience and education program orientation.

Others

• ASSITEJ International: Global network for Theatre for Children and Young People. Not a commercial peer but the sector body connecting Slingsby to international touring circuits; former Slingsby Chair Tony Mack AM served as Vice-President.
• Adelaide Festival: Major annual international arts festival and Slingsby's long-standing world-premiere partner (The Young King, The Boy Who Talked to Dogs, The River That Ran Uphill, A Concise Compendium of Wonder). Not a competitor but a key distribution and prestige channel.

Regional players

• State Theatre Company South Australia: Major state theatre company based in Adelaide that co-produced The Boy Who Talked to Dogs with Slingsby. Strong regional overlap in South Australia and shared venue/festival ecosystem; operates at a larger institutional scale and broader adult-programming remit.
• Carclew: South Australian youth arts development organisation and Slingsby's fellow Youth Arts Collective member. Comparable in mission (young people's access to arts) and funding model, though Carclew is primarily a developer/funder of youth arts rather than a producing theatre company.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SlingsbyTheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/slingsby

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Slingsby