The GAP Arts Project
The GAP Arts Project is a Birmingham-based registered charity that delivers free arts programmes — anchored by the Culture Collective — for local young people aged 15–21, funded through donations, venue hire, and event ticketing with a team of approximately 10 staff.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The GAP Arts Project does
The GAP Arts Project is a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity no. 1156090), founded in 2009 as an evolution of Theatre Ark, and based at The Old Print Works, a listed building in Balsall Heath, Birmingham. The organisation delivers free arts programming for young people, with its anchor programme — the Culture Collective — targeted at 15–21-year-olds in the local catchment. Supplementary offerings include the Peace Garden Creative Summer Club and the Other-Wise Summer School. Programmes are community-delivered by a team of approximately 10 staff, with no proprietary technology platform underpinning service delivery.
The business model is a hybrid of donations (via PayPal and direct giving), venue hire at The Old Print Works on a sliding scale of £100–£500 per hour, and event ticketing — most recently via Eventbrite for the 2026 summer programmes. Go-to-market is community-led rather than sales-led: beneficiary acquisition flows through schools, colleges, and local referral networks, while revenue acquisition depends on individual donors, grant funders, and venue customers. The charity reports approximately 10 employees and operates from a single physical site.
The organisation is in the middle of its first formal leadership transition: founder Ceri Townsend stepped down in December 2025 after 17 years, with John Bloomfield (appointed Autumn 2024) serving as Director (Executive). Governance has been refreshed via Aqeel Kapasi's move from trustee to an advisory board role in January 2025, and the advisory board includes international representation (Jian Xue, founder of See & Learn). No technology, data, or AI/ML capabilities are evidenced across the operation.
The GAP Arts Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The GAP Arts Project
- Legal name
- The GAP Arts Project
- Website
- https://thegapartsproject.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The GAP Arts Project is a Birmingham-based registered charity that delivers free arts programmes — anchored by the Culture Collective — for local young people aged 15–21, funded through donations, venue hire, and event ticketing with a team of approximately 10 staff.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The GAP Arts Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Arts and Community Cultural Programmes
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD), Performing Arts & Music Lessons (Dance, Drumming, Instrument Lessons, Theater) (THAJAKAC)
Keywords
Where The GAP Arts Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The GAP Arts Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: The organization accepts PayPal donations to help deliver community support projects, as stated on their website.
- Venue Hire: The organization offers space hire to artists, activists, community groups, and others whose purposes align with their mission. Prices are determined on a case-by-case basis with a sliding scale of charges, and occasional free use is offered to young people with few to no funds. Revenue supports the organization's charitable programmes.
- Event Ticketing: Some events such as Peace Garden Creative Summer Club use Eventbrite for ticketing, suggesting revenue from event participation fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Sliding scale venue hire with free use for under-resourced young people |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
The GAP Arts Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The GAP Arts Project delivers free, high-quality participatory arts and cultural programmes for young people from its multi-purpose venue, The Old Print Works, in Balsall Heath, Birmingham. Its core offerings include regular creative engagement groups (The Culture Collective), annual summer schools, training and mentoring for young creatives, and an inclusive venue space that is also hired out on a sliding-scale basis to artists, activists and community groups.
Product overview
The GAP Arts Project is a single-service charity offering free arts projects and cultural programs for young people in Birmingham. The organization operates a cultural space (The Old Print Works) as its primary venue, offering venue hire as a revenue-generating service alongside its core charitable programs. Key programs include The Culture Collective for youth aged 15-21, the Peace Garden Creative Summer Club, the Other-Wise Summer School, arts education workshops, and development opportunities including training, mentoring, and volunteering. The organization does not operate a technology platform or software product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Arts Projects for Young People Free creative and cultural projects engaging young people in transformative arts activities, including drama, visual arts, poetry, and community workshops.
Companies that use The GAP Arts Project
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The GAP Arts Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The GAP Arts Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Partner Schools and CollegescoreThe GAP works with partner schools and colleges to offer formal work experience programmes for young people seeking to develop skills in the cultural sector. They prioritize individuals within their defined communities of young people.
- Arts CatalystminorJohn Bloomfield (Director Executive) is a trustee of Arts Catalyst, Sheffield. This is a personal board position rather than an organizational partnership.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The GAP Arts Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Youth Theatre: UK-wide charity developing young people's skills through theatre. Overlaps on youth performing arts development and free/part-funded access pathways, though operates at significantly larger national scale.
- Battersea Arts Centre: Larger London community arts venue with extensive participation, scratch, and young people's programmes. Comparable as a heritage venue combining venue hire income with community/youth programming.
- Theatre Royal Stratford East: East London theatre with a long-running commitment to new writing and youth participation. Comparable in delivering youth arts programmes alongside core venue operations in an under-served community.
Direct peers
- Roundhouse: London youth arts charity offering free creative programmes for 11–25 year-olds, including performance, music, and media. Highly comparable in target demographic, free-access ethos, and venue-based delivery model.
- Contact Theatre: Manchester-based arts charity dedicated to creating opportunities for young people through theatre, music, and creative programmes. Closely comparable in mission, target audience, and free-access youth arts model.
- Big Brum Theatre in Education Company: Birmingham-based Theatre-in-Education company producing TIE programmes for young people. Associate Artist Chris Cooper was Big Brum's Artistic Director for 17 years, making it the closest operational and methodological peer to The GAP.
- The Albany (Deptford): South London community arts charity combining venue hire, participatory youth programmes, and local co-creation. Directly comparable model of a multi-purpose community venue with youth-focused free programming.
Regional players
- mac Birmingham (Midlands Arts Centre): Birmingham's flagship independent arts centre running year-round youth programmes, exhibitions, and performances. Comparable as a Birmingham-based multi-purpose cultural venue with a youth development strand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The GAP Arts Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe GAP Arts Project compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The GAP Arts Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The GAP Arts Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
The GAP Arts Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The GAP Arts Project 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 The GAP Arts Project
What does The GAP Arts Project do?
The GAP Arts Project delivers free, high-quality participatory arts and cultural programmes for young people from its multi-purpose venue, The Old Print Works, in Balsall Heath, Birmingham. Its core offerings include regular creative engagement groups (The Culture Collective), annual summer schools, training and mentoring for young creatives, and an inclusive venue space that is also hired out on a sliding-scale basis to artists, activists and community groups.
Is The GAP Arts Project a public or private company?
The GAP Arts Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The GAP Arts Project founded?
The GAP Arts Project was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The GAP Arts Project based?
The GAP Arts Project is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The GAP Arts Project make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are venue Hire and event Ticketing.
Who are The GAP Arts Project's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Youth Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre and Theatre Royal Stratford East. Direct peers are Roundhouse, Contact Theatre, Big Brum Theatre in Education Company and The Albany (Deptford). mac Birmingham (Midlands Arts Centre) is listed as a regional player.
Does The GAP Arts Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The GAP Arts Project.
What industry is The GAP Arts Project in?
The GAP Arts Project's product category is Youth Arts and Community Cultural Programmes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music), with a secondary code of BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs. Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7900.