Bluecoat

What Bluecoat does

Bluecoat is a registered charity (number 700862) operating Liverpool's contemporary arts centre from a Grade I listed building dating from 1717, the oldest building in Liverpool's city centre. Established as the UK's first arts centre in 1927 and approaching its centenary in 2027, Bluecoat delivers free contemporary art exhibitions, an award-winning programme for families and children, inclusive arts programmes for learning-disabled and neurodivergent adults (Blue Room, Studio Me, Blue Room Moves), and youth programming (Young Blue Room, ages 14-25). It also operates a Print Studio, on-site café and bistro, a city-centre garden, and a retail shop.

The organisation runs a diversified revenue model combining earned and contributed income. Recurring streams include annual membership at £35 per year and a higher-tier Patron programme, a charity lottery priced at £2 per week with weekly prizes up to £1,000 (minimum 60% to Bluecoat), and donations. Transactional streams include venue hire for weddings and corporate events (marketed through the 'Bluecoat for Business' and 'Events with Impact' initiatives), retail merchandise (including the Bluecoat Collection and online shop at shop.thebluecoat.org.uk), and the café and bistro. Grant funding is provided by multiple institutional partners, with Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council as core funders alongside the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Health Lottery Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Granada Foundation, Johnson Foundation, PH Holt Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Bluecoat serves a deliberately broad audience including general visitors, families with children, learning-disabled adults, young people, artists seeking exhibition and residency opportunities, and corporate and wedding clients. Programmes such as Out of the Blue (children aged 5-11, since 2014) and Blue Room (learning-disabled adults, since 2008) deliver outreach into deprived areas of Liverpool and Runcorn, with Blue Room Halton operating from Norton Priory Museum & Gardens. The organisation employs 234 people, is led by Chief Executive Mary Cloake, and is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired since October 2025 by Dr. Maureen Royce and Eddie Berg.

Name

Bluecoat

Legal name

Bluecoat

Website

https://thebluecoat.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1717

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bluecoat is a Liverpool-based registered charity operating the UK's first contemporary arts centre from a Grade I listed 1717 building, delivering free exhibitions, inclusive community programmes for learning-disabled adults and children, and venue hire to general visitors, families, artists and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Services

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

Keywords

• Contemporary arts centre
• Community arts programmes
• Exhibition venue
• Arts charity services
• Event hire venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Annual membership at £35 per year, offering benefits including exclusive events, discounts, and newsletters. Provides recurring revenue and supporter engagement.
2. Donations and charitable giving: As a registered charity (number 700862), Bluecoat relies on donations from visitors and supporters to fund free exhibitions and community programmes.
3. Charity Lottery: The Bluecoat Charity Lottery (Giant Cash Bonanza) costs £2 per week with prizes up to £1,000 per week. Minimum 60% of contributions go to Bluecoat.
4. Retail (Shop and merchandise): On-site shop selling Bluecoat merchandise including prints, tote bags, publications, ceramics, and artist-designed products. Also available via shop.thebluecoat.org.uk.
5. Café and Bistro: On-site café and bistro serving food and beverages, providing ancillary revenue from visitors. Includes 10% discount for members.
6. Event hire and venue rental: Revenue from hiring spaces for weddings, corporate events, and private functions in the Grade I listed building.
7. Patron programme: Patron memberships offering enhanced benefits beyond standard membership, including behind-the-scenes experiences and exclusive access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bluecoat operates Liverpool's contemporary arts centre housed in a Grade I listed building dating from 1717, delivering free gallery exhibitions, community arts programmes (Blue Room for learning disabled adults and Out of the Blue for children), printmaking workshops, retail, a café and bistro, venue hire for weddings and corporate events, and supporter membership. Established in 1927 as the UK's first arts centre, it combines contemporary art presentation with inclusive community engagement and operates as a registered charity.

Product overview

Bluecoat is Liverpool's contemporary arts centre and the UK's first arts centre (since 1927), operating as a single unified cultural venue rather than a software platform. The organisation offers a portfolio of interconnected programmes and services centred around its Grade I-listed building: Gallery Exhibitions provide free contemporary art experiences; Blue Room and Out of the Blue deliver inclusive and community arts programmes for disabled adults and children respectively; the Print Studio supports printmaking; and Event Hire and the Bluecoat Shop generate revenue to sustain free access. Membership and Patron Programmes provide supporter benefits, while the Café, Garden and Library complete the visitor experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Out of the Blue: After school art club for children aged 8-11 delivered weekly in schools across Liverpool including Norris Green, Anfield, and Picton.
• Blue Room
• Studio Me
• Blue Room Moves
• Young Blue Room

Products and services

• Gallery Exhibitions
• Blue Room
• Out of the Blue
• Studio Me

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 families welcomed through Baby Book Club since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Lush LiverpoolmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Multiple artistic collaborations including festive advent calendar design, window installation, and celebration events. Blue Room artists worked with Lush on creative projects.
• Norton Priory Museum & GardenscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Blue Room Halton operates from Norton Priory in Runcorn, where members explore heritage and create art inspired by the natural landscape.
• Future Arts CentresmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for UK-wide 'Our Freedom: Then & Now' programme marking 80th anniversary of VE Day. Bluecoat one of 60+ venues participating.
• Libraries ConnectedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Future Arts Centres' 'Our Freedom: Then & Now' programme.
• Open Eye GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Future Arts Centres' 'Our Freedom: Then & Now' programme.
• Culture LiverpoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported by Culture Liverpool as a funder and cultural partner.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art: Gateshead-based contemporary art gallery operating from a converted industrial building with free admission. Comparable as a UK regional contemporary-arts venue focused on exhibitions, learning, and community engagement.
• Ikon Gallery: Birmingham-based contemporary art gallery with free admission presenting temporary exhibitions and learning programmes. Comparable as a UK regional free-admission contemporary art venue with a strong education and community focus.
• Tramway: Glasgow's contemporary arts venue presenting exhibitions and live performance in a converted tram depot. Comparable as a UK regional contemporary-arts centre with free exhibitions and a community/education remit.
• Arnolfini: Bristol's contemporary arts centre combining visual art, performance, and film programming. Comparable as a registered charity arts centre presenting free exhibitions alongside paid workshops, events, and a café/shop.
• Spike Island: Bristol-based contemporary arts organisation combining a free gallery with artist studios and learning programmes. Comparable as a free-admission contemporary art venue supporting emerging artists and community engagement.
• Tate Liverpool: Contemporary art gallery located in Liverpool, presenting free exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. Directly comparable as a free-admission contemporary art venue serving overlapping Liverpool audiences, though operating at a much larger national scale under the Tate brand.
• FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology): Liverpool-based contemporary arts organisation focused on film, media, and technology-based art. Comparable as a peer contemporary-arts venue in Liverpool with overlapping audience and artist-development programming, and historically connected via Bluecoat's Co-Chair Eddie Berg (former FACT CEO).
• HOME: Manchester's combined contemporary arts centre (theatre, cinema, galleries). Comparable as a UK regional contemporary arts centre combining exhibitions, performance, and community programming with venue hire.

Broad incumbents

• Southbank Centre: UK's largest arts centre, presenting contemporary art, music, and performance on London's South Bank. Comparable as a multi-art-form arts centre combining exhibitions, venue hire, retail, and F&B, but at significantly greater scale.
• Walker Art Gallery: Liverpool's historic fine-art museum, part of National Museums Liverpool. Comparable as a Liverpool art exhibition venue with free admission, though broader in scope (historical to contemporary) and publicly funded rather than a registered charity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theBluecoat
• Facebookfacebook.com/theBluecoat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-bluecoat
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_bluecoat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Bluecoat