WildWorks

What WildWorks does

WildWorks (legally Travaux Sauvages Ltd) is a UK registered charity (no. 1139598) and private limited company founded in 2005 and headquartered at Mount Pleasant Eco Park in Porthtowan, Cornwall. Itself self-described as the UK's leading landscape theatre company, WildWorks produces site-specific theatrical performances staged at distinctive outdoor locations including the Lost Gardens of Heligan, United Downs Raceway, Geevor Tin Mine, and coastal sites, working with local communities as co-creators and performers. Its production methodology combines ethnographic community engagement with immersive staging techniques such as binaural sound and projection mapping to deliver works in non-traditional settings.

The portfolio spans original theatrical productions (The Passion of Port Talbot, 100: The Day Our World Changed, The Kneebone Cadillac, Stranger Beasts), community engagement programmes (Hello Stranger, We Are Shining), and training initiatives (RE:WILD), serving audiences of up to 20,000 (The Passion), 6,000 (100 at Heligan), and 9,000 (Babel in London). Revenue is a hybrid of public funding (Arts Council England National Portfolio grant plus Cornwall Council grant covering core overheads), project-specific grants (British Council, 14-18Now, Good Growth Fund), ticketed income through Ticket Tailor under a radical pay-what-you-decide pricing model (£1 floor, £10–£70 tiers), and charitable donations plus the WildFriends membership. The company operates internationally across the UK, Malta, Cyprus, France, Belgium, Palestine, and Tunisia, and has 14 employees.

WildWorks is currently mid-leadership-transition following Artistic Director Mydd Pharo's 2024 departure, with David Prior appointed Chair in March 2025, new trustees joining in April–June 2025, and an open Creative Director recruitment in progress. The organisation is also preparing its next National Portfolio Organisation application to secure Arts Council England funding through 2033, while continuing active production output including a 2026 Kneebone Cadillac remount.

Name

WildWorks

Legal name

Travaux Sauvages Ltd

Website

https://wildworks.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WildWorks is a UK registered charity and landscape theatre company founded in 2005, producing site-specific theatrical performances at outdoor venues in partnership with local, national, and international communities, primarily funded by Arts Council England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre & Performing Arts

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Theatre Services & Design (Scenic/Costume/Props/Stage Management) (MPAGABAO)

Keywords

• Site-specific theatre
• Landscape theatre
• Community theatre
• Outdoor performance
• Immersive theatre

Headquarters

HQ city

Porthtowan

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Direct ticket sales for theatre productions through Ticket Tailor box office. The company uses radical pricing models where ticket income goes directly towards production costs.
2. Government Grants: Annual grants from Arts Council England and Cornwall Council which mostly cover core overheads. As a National Portfolio Organisation, they receive ongoing public funding.
3. Donations and Membership: WildFriends membership scheme, donations, and supporter contributions. The organisation is a registered charity (no. 1139598) relying on public support.
4. Project-specific Funding: Project grants from bodies like the British Council for international work, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Fund for specific programmes, and 14-18Now for centenary commemorations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WildWorks creates and produces site-specific, landscape theatre performances staged at distinctive outdoor locations across the UK and internationally. Productions are co-created with local communities through workshops, participation, and ethnographic research, complemented by community engagement programmes and training initiatives. The company operates as a charity, with ticket income going directly to production costs and core operations funded by Arts Council England and Cornwall Council grants.

Product overview

WildWorks is the UK's leading landscape theatre company producing site-specific theatrical performances and immersive experiences rooted in communities and places. The company operates from Cornwall creating work locally, nationally, and internationally. Key productions include The Kneebone Cadillac (comedy-drama at United Downs Raceway), Stranger Beasts (outdoor spectacle at Geevor Mine), and the commemorative 100 series at Heligan. Community engagement programmes like Hello Stranger and RE:WILD complement major productions, creating a portfolio spanning theatrical productions, community workshops, and training initiatives. The We Are Shining programme (2024-2025) represents a major year-long celebration of Cornwall's heritage through outdoor performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Kneebone Cadillac Site-specific comedy-drama staged at United Downs Raceway, featuring the Kneebone family and a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado. Written by Carl Grose with a radical pricing model enabling pay-what-you-decide tickets from £1, with patron (£70), solidarity (£40), standard (£25), and community (£10) tiers.
• Stranger Beasts Large-scale outdoor theatrical experience at Geevor tin mine, part of the We Are Shining programme. A tragic yet hopeful tale featuring the character Bel representing Cornwall, staged for free or low-cost audiences.
• Hello Stranger Community outreach initiative spanning towns, schools, and diverse communities across Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, including collaborations with homeless services, disadvantaged youth, refugees, and disability groups.
• RE:WILD Residential workshop series introducing WildWorks' theatre methodologies to artists, teachers, and partners. Develops Cornwall's creative networks and collaboration opportunities.
• 100: The Day Our World Changed Dawn-to-dusk commemorative event at Lost Gardens of Heligan marking WWI centenary. Involved three parishes and 6,000 audience members remembering those lost in WWI. Performed by Heligan gardeners as their forebears.
• 100: UnEarth Companion piece to 100: The Day Our World Changed, exploring the end of WWI and links to contemporary conflict, worked with veterans and their families. Staged at Lost Gardens of Heligan.
• The Passion Secular Passion play commissioned by National Theatre of Wales, created with Michael Sheen in Port Talbot. A 72-hour event over Easter weekend with 20,000+ audience and 1,000+ local performers.
• We Are Shining Year-long programme celebrating Cornwall's traditions of welcoming strangers through outdoor performance, community engagement, and theatrical experiences. Inspired by Pytheas of Massalia's travels.
• Beach of Dreams Multi-school theatre and storytelling project engaging secondary schools across the region.
• The Phoenix Project – Brierley Hill Large-scale community theatre project in Brierley Hill, part of ongoing regional engagement work.
• From West Cornwall to the West Bank Community theatre project bringing together communities through storytelling and performance in the West Cornwall to West Bank region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Productions have engaged audiences totalling tens of thousands across the UK and internationally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major and minor.

• Lost Gardens of HeliganflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for 100: The Day Our World Changed and 100: UnEarth, two of Wildworks' largest productions. Heligan gardeners performed as their forebears, and estate staff helped grow production sets.
• National Theatre of WalesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned The Passion of Port Talbot with Michael Sheen and Wildworks. A major secular Passion play engaging over 1,000 local performers and 20,000 audience members.
• Project HopemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Nablus, West Bank for 'From West Cornwall to the West Bank' project. Facilitated access, provided offices, translators, interpreters, and found locations in the refugee camps.
• St PetrocsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity supporting individuals experiencing homelessness in Cornwall. Partnered with Wildworks for Hello Stranger community engagement projects.
• Kensington PalacemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for The Enchanted Palace, a two-year installation in the State Apartments exploring stories of royal women.
• World Stages LondonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Babel with collaboration from Young Vic, Battersea Arts Centre, The Lyric Hammersmith and Theatre Royal Stratford East for Olympic year in London.
• KneehighmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginated from Kneehigh with founding artists Bill Mitchell and Sue Hill. Ongoing close relationship with Cornwall's internationally acclaimed theatre company.
• Kasteel van GaasbeekminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCastle in Lennik, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Hosted Once and Twice Upon a Castle, a two-year installation exploring European history.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kneehigh Theatre: Cornwall-based touring theatre company from which Wildworks originated (Bill Mitchell, Sue Hill, Nix Rosewarne, Mydd Pharo all came from Kneehigh). Both create large-scale, non-traditional, community-rich theatre with comparable aesthetic and audience, and remain close collaborators - Kneehigh's Mike Shepherd publicly endorsed The Kneebone Cadillac.
• Headlong Theatre: UK touring theatre company producing bold, formally inventive new work with national reach and producer-led collaborations. Comparable in producing scale, ambition for site-responsive staging, and reliance on Arts Council funding - the closest non-Cornish peer in producing model.
• Punchdrunk: Pioneering immersive theatre company producing site-specific, audience-immersive work (Sleep No More). Mydd Pharo trained at Punchdrunk before leading Wildworks' immersive cliff-side binaural productions; both operate at the experimental edge of UK live performance.
• National Theatre Wales: Welsh producing theatre known for site-specific, community-engaged productions. Commissioned The Passion of Port Talbot with Wildworks and Michael Sheen, demonstrating directly comparable producing model, outdoor staging, and large audience reach (20,000+).

Broad incumbents

• Shakespeare's Globe: Major London producing theatre with historical staging traditions and broad producing scope. Mydd Pharo worked at the Globe before joining Wildworks; both work with classical source material and site-specific staging but the Globe operates at a much larger institutional scale.
• Battersea Arts Centre: London arts centre producing experimental, community-engaged theatre. Was a co-producing partner on Wildworks' Babel; comparable as an incubator of devised and experimental work but with a fixed venue.
• Young Vic: London producing theatre with community engagement focus. Collaborated with Wildworks on Babel during London 2012 (Olympic year). Operates in a similar producing/participatory model but from a fixed London venue rather than site-specific outdoor.
• Lyric Hammersmith: London producing theatre with strong young people's programme. Co-produced Babel with Wildworks; comparable as a producing house making devised work with communities, though with a traditional venue base.
• Theatre Royal Stratford East: East London producing theatre with community focus. Co-produced Babel with Wildworks; comparable producing model serving diverse communities but operating from a fixed East London venue.

Regional players

• Eden Project: Cornwall-based visitor attraction combining immersive environmental experiences with cultural programming. Co-founder Sue Hill was Eden Project Artistic Director for seven years; both create large-scale immersive visitor experiences in iconic Cornish locations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wild_works
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWd4E-h35aJlmx1YEffqjEQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/WildWorksTheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/wild_works
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wildworks-theatre

Compliance3 records

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 WildWorks