Stan's Cafe
Stan's Cafe is a registered charity and Birmingham-based theatre company, founded in 1991, that devises and tours original productions internationally to schools, festivals, and community venues, with education and accessibility as core mission drivers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Stan's Cafe does
Stan's Cafe Theatre Company is a registered charity (No. 1201170) and independently governed non-profit theatre company founded in 1991 in Birmingham, UK, by Graeme Rose and James Yarker. Operating from "Our Facility" on Umberslade Road in Selly Oak, the company devises and produces original theatre that tours nationally and internationally to theatres, festivals, schools, and community venues across 35+ countries. Its creative signature is format innovation — most notably Of All The People In All The World, a rice-based installation that translates human population statistics into physical scale, alongside The Cleansing of Constance Brown (wordless corridor theatre), The Commentators (improvised walkabout commentary), The Many Lives of PET #1 (a plastics-themed comedy commissioned by the Birmingham Plastics Network), River Tours (textile-map-driven guided tours of rivers), and the Emergency Performance series addressing environmental responsibility. The core team is small (9 employees), with leadership concentrated in Artistic Director James Yarker and Associate Director Craig Stephens, supplemented by a freelance collaborator network.
The business model is multi-stream and heavily grant-dependent. Arts Council England supports approximately one-third of overall income, with the remainder sourced from ticket sales through venues and third-party ticketing platforms (TicketSource, Eventbrite), fees for school workshops and curriculum-linked performances, project grants from charitable trusts and foundations (e.g., £103,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for Sharing Sister Dora), corporate work, space hire at the Birmingham facility, and individual donations from "Scheming Friends." A large share of work is free or subsidised, reflecting an explicit mission to make theatre accessible to underserved communities, particularly schools in economically deprived areas. The customer base skews toward schools (primary and secondary) as the primary education segment, with secondary segments in community venues, festivals and event organisers, and corporate clients. Recent moves include the digital-native show Around the World streamed on Twitch, international River Tours expansion to Latvia (The Daugava) and West Africa (The Niger), and deeper partnerships with the Royal Shakespeare Company and University of Birmingham — signalling modest but real growth in product surface and geographic reach.
Stan's Cafe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stan's Cafe
- Legal name
- Stan's Cafe Theatre Company
- Website
- https://stanscafe.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Stan's Cafe is a registered charity and Birmingham-based theatre company, founded in 1991, that devises and tours original productions internationally to schools, festivals, and community venues, with education and accessibility as core mission drivers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stan's Cafe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Theatre / Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
Keywords
Where Stan's Cafe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Stan's Cafe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Arts Council England Funding: Approximately one-third of overall income comes from Arts Council England support, providing core funding for operations.
- Ticket Sales and Workshops: Earning revenue through tickets to performances and fees for educational workshops delivered in schools and community venues.
- Charitable Trusts and Foundations: Grants from charitable trusts and foundations supporting specific projects such as the £103,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant for Sharing Sister Dora.
- Individual Donations (Scheming Friends): Individual donations from Scheming Friends who contribute whatever they choose to support the company's mission. No structured tiers or rewards scheme.
- Space Hire: Offering spaces for hire including a big hall, two classrooms, shared Green Room, and hot-desking space at their Birmingham facility.
- Script and Book Sales: Sale of published scripts and books documenting their productions through the online shop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | General theatre tickets |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Space hire rates |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Scripts and books |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Stan's Cafe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stan's Cafe is a registered charity and theatre company that creates and tours original devised theatre productions nationally and internationally from its Birmingham base. Its portfolio spans live performances, site-specific installations (e.g., the rice-based Of All The People In All The World), digital streamed shows, and signature touring productions such as River Tours and The Commentators. Beyond productions, the company delivers educational drama workshops and curriculum-linked projects in schools, runs an environmental performance series (Emergency Performance), and hires out its Selly Oak facility.
Product overview
Stan's Cafe is a theatre company based in Birmingham, England, founded in 1991, that creates and tours original productions internationally. Their portfolio centers on innovative live theatre performances including flagship productions like 'Of All The People In All The World' (rice-based statistics installation) and 'The Cleansing of Constance Brown' (visual wordless performance). They produce themed productions such as 'The Many Lives of PET #1' (environmental/plastics), 'The Commentators' (improvised commentary), and 'River Tours' (geographic performances). Beyond performances, they operate an Emergency Performance environmental initiative series, deliver Creative Learning programs in partnership with schools, and offer Space Hire at their Birmingham facility. The company receives approximately one-third of income from Arts Council England and produces work from their base in Birmingham touring nationally and internationally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Commentators: An improvised walkabout performance where two sports commentators describe everyday life in too much detail. Spin-off from 24 Hour Scalextric event in 2009.
- Emergency Performance
- The Many Lives Of PET #1
Products and services
- Of All The People In All The World Performance installation using grains of rice to represent population statistics, transforming abstract numbers into emotionally engaging stories. Performed for public audiences at festivals, civic venues, and community events.
- The Cleansing of Constance Brown Visually extravagant wordless theatre performance featuring 7 performers and 68 characters, exploring themes of power and cleansing across time and locations.
- The Many Lives of PET #1 Comedy drama about a plastic bottle dramatising humanity's struggle with plastics addiction. Commissioned by Birmingham Plastics Network and supported by multiple partners.
- The Commentators Improvised walkabout performance where two sports commentators describe everyday life in excessive detail. Performed at festivals, openings, and special events, live or streamed.
- For Quality Purposes
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 4,000 visitors welcomed to a single Of All The People In All The World presentation in Wandsworth
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Stan's Cafe
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Stan's Cafe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Stan's Cafe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Arts ConnectmajorCollaboration with primary school teachers working with visual artists to turn classrooms into art, documented through poems like 'It's Harder To Make Things' celebrating two years of work.
- Royal Shakespeare CompanymajorRiver Tours: The Avon performed at The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's programming.
- Greenbelt FestivalmajorRegular venue partner for touring productions including Of All The People In All The World and The Many Lives Of PET #1.
- Birmingham Plastics Network (University of Birmingham)coreCommissioned The Many Lives Of PET #1, a complicated comedy about a plastic bottle dramatizing humanity's struggle to overcome plastics addiction. Scientists from the University of Birmingham conducted workshops with GCSE science students in preparation for the show.
- Saltley AcademycoreLong-standing collaboration with Saltley Academy in East Birmingham since the school's earliest days. Projects include drama teaching, GCSE drama support, productions of Romeo and Juliet, and various curriculum-aligned creative projects.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Stan's Cafe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pilot Theatre: York-based touring theatre company with strong educational outreach and digital theatre programs. Comparable to Stan's Cafe in touring model, commitment to young audiences and schools, and recent investment in digital/online productions.
- Filter Theatre: UK devised theatre company creating work through collaboration and improvisation. Directly comparable to Stan's Cafe in the devised-theatre methodology, ensemble-driven creation, and touring model reaching schools and communities.
- Shared Experience Theatre: UK devised theatre company with a long history of physical, ensemble-based productions and international touring. Comparable to Stan's Cafe in devised ensemble methodology, long operating history, and focus on physical/non-verbal storytelling.
- Gecko Theatre: UK-based devised theatre company creating visually striking, physically demanding productions for international touring. Comparable to Stan's Cafe in devised methodology, visual innovation, and international festival circuit presence.
- Told by an Idiot: UK devised theatre company with a playful, physical style and strong international touring. Highly comparable to Stan's Cafe in the devised ensemble approach, irreverent tone, and commitment to making innovative work accessible to wide audiences.
- Frantic Assembly: Welsh-founded devised physical theatre company with strong educational programs and international touring. Comparable to Stan's Cafe in physical/devised theatre approach, school partnerships, and touring to non-traditional venues.
- 1927 (theatre company): London-based theatre company known for innovative animation-mixed-with-live-performance productions with strong international touring. Comparable in their distinctive visual style, scale of small-team productions, and international festival circuit presence.
- Tangled Feet: London-based physical theatre and immersive company creating work for festivals, communities, and corporate clients. Comparable to Stan's Cafe in physical theatre style, corporate work offering, and small-team touring model.
- Punchdrunk: Pioneering immersive and site-specific theatre company known for award-winning productions like Sleep No More. Highly comparable to Stan's Cafe in pioneering non-traditional theatrical formats, site-specific staging, and innovative audience engagement approaches.
Regional players
- Birmingham Repertory Theatre: Birmingham's flagship producing theatre with strong educational programs and community engagement. Compares to Stan's Cafe geographically (both Birmingham-based) and in educational outreach mission, though operates at much larger scale as a venue-based institution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Stan's Cafe social profiles
Digital presenceStan's Cafe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stan's Cafe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Stan's Cafe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stan's Cafe M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stan's Cafe
What does Stan's Cafe do?
Stan's Cafe is a registered charity and theatre company that creates and tours original devised theatre productions nationally and internationally from its Birmingham base. Its portfolio spans live performances, site-specific installations (e.g., the rice-based Of All The People In All The World), digital streamed shows, and signature touring productions such as River Tours and The Commentators. Beyond productions, the company delivers educational drama workshops and curriculum-linked projects in schools, runs an environmental performance series (Emergency Performance), and hires out its Selly Oak facility.
Is Stan's Cafe a public or private company?
Stan's Cafe is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Stan's Cafe founded?
Stan's Cafe was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Stan's Cafe based?
Stan's Cafe is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Stan's Cafe make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Arts Council England Funding is the primary driver. The others are ticket Sales and Workshops, charitable Trusts and Foundations, individual Donations (Scheming Friends), space Hire and script and Book Sales.
Who are Stan's Cafe's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pilot Theatre, Filter Theatre, Shared Experience Theatre, Gecko Theatre, Told by an Idiot, Frantic Assembly, 1927 (theatre company), Tangled Feet and Punchdrunk. Birmingham Repertory Theatre is listed as a regional player.
Does Stan's Cafe have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stan's Cafe.
What industry is Stan's Cafe in?
Stan's Cafe's product category is Live Theatre / Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking). Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7900.