Heyday UK
Heyday UK is a founder-led creative education firm delivering film workshops and promotional video production to UK primary schools, youth programmes, and national curriculum providers. It generates revenue through day-rate film production, bespoke school courses, and multi-year grant-funded documentary commissions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersBury Saint Edmunds, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Heyday UK does
Heyday UK is a privately held, founder-led creative education firm established in 2013 by Jack Widdows and headquartered in Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmunds, England. The company delivers project-based film workshops to children in UK primary and prep schools (Key Stages 2 and 3), structured around the development of three non-cognitive skills — motivation, self-confidence, and persistence — through hands-on involvement in directing, acting, writing, and editing short films. Its second core offering is promotional video production for school websites, with pricing starting at £500 per day, alongside complementary photography services for school marketing.
Beyond direct school engagement, Heyday has positioned itself as a content production partner for national education programmes, producing all films for the Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Phonics curriculum, and as a documentary and visual storytelling provider for the grant-funded youth sector. A notable three-year commission with Social Investment Business (2023–2026) covers storytelling for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's £368 million Youth Investment Fund.
Operationally, the firm is bootstrapped with no external funding rounds disclosed and runs on a core team of four (CEO/Founder Jack Widdows, Lead Filmmaker & Course Coordinator Briony, Lead Filmmaker Alix, and Operations Manager Mia). Go-to-market is sales-led and direct, relying on website enquiries and inbound school contact, with brand presence across YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Annual revenue is not publicly disclosed; team size and pricing signals indicate a micro-scale professional services business operating in the low six figures.
Heyday UK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Heyday UK
- Legal name
- Heyday UK
- Website
- https://heydayuk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Heyday UK is a founder-led creative education firm delivering film workshops and promotional video production to UK primary schools, youth programmes, and national curriculum providers. It generates revenue through day-rate film production, bespoke school courses, and multi-year grant-funded documentary commissions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Heyday UK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Education Services
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (611610), Photography Studios, Portrait (541921)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Arts & Design (Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation) (EDAMAAAB)
Keywords
Where Heyday UK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bury Saint Edmunds
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Heyday UK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Film Courses for Schools: Creative film workshops delivered to Key Stages 2 and 3 students, focusing on building non-cognitive skills (motivation, self-confidence, persistence) through project-based learning
- Marketing Films for Schools: Promotional films produced for school websites, including marketing content, training videos, and site tours. Pricing starts at £500 per day
- Grant-Funded Visual Storytelling Projects: Three-year project with Social Investment Business documenting the Youth Investment Fund (YIF), creating visual storytelling content for the £368 million capital programme
- Photography Services: Photography services for school websites, including photos for Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Phonics programme materials
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Marketing Films - Day Rate |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Heyday UK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Heyday UK delivers in-person creative filmmaking workshops to Key Stage 2 and 3 students, designed around a non-cognitive skills framework (motivation, self-confidence, persistence). It also produces promotional films and photography for school websites, curriculum films for the Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Phonics programme, and grant-funded visual storytelling content such as the three-year Youth Investment Fund project for Social Investment Business.
Product overview
Heyday UK offers a portfolio of film and media services for educational settings. The core offerings include Film Courses (creative film workshops for Key Stages 2 and 3 students focused on building non-cognitive skills), Marketing Films (promotional video content for schools starting at £500/day), Grant Funded Projects (visual storytelling for initiatives like the Youth Investment Fund), Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Phonics Programme Films (producing all programme films), and School Photography Services. The company operates as a service-based business rather than a software product platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Film Courses for Schools Creative filmmaking workshops delivered to Key Stage 2 and 3 students, structured around a Non-cognitive Skills Development Framework that builds motivation, self-confidence, and persistence through project-based team learning; students participate in directing, acting, writing and editing and present finished films at a school screening.
- Marketing Films for Schools Promotional video production for school websites covering marketing content, training videos, and site tours, with flexible filmmaking tailored to the school's vision and values; pricing starts at £500 per day with custom quotes available.
- Grant-Funded Visual Storytelling Projects Documentary and visual storytelling services for grant-funded initiatives, including a three-year 2023-2026 project with Social Investment Business documenting the £368 million Youth Investment Fund capital programme funded by DCMS, working with grantees and young people they support.
- Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Phonics Programme Films Production of all films for the Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Phonics programme, a widely-used phonics curriculum in UK schools, as a dedicated content production partnership within the educational sector.
- School Photography Services Photography services for school websites and educational materials, complementing Heyday's video production offering and including photos used in Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Phonics programme materials.
Quantifiable outcome
- Students develop internal measure of excellence and ability to trust in their own abilities through making choices, explaining reasoning, and validating their work
Companies that use Heyday UK
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Heyday UK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Heyday UK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Social Investment BusinesscoreThree-year project (2023-2026) with Social Investment Business to document the Youth Investment Fund (YIF), a £368 million capital programme funded by DCMS. Heyday creates visual storytelling content for the fund, working alongside grantees and young people they support. Previously commissioned for twenty-year anniversary film and additional films.
- Little Wandle Letters & Sounds PhonicscoreHeyday produces all films for the Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Phonics programme, a widely-used phonics programme in UK schools. This represents a significant content production partnership within the educational sector.
- British Film Institute (BFI)minorSchools participating in Heyday's film courses have annual visits to the BFI to watch films made by various schools, providing a prestigious showcase opportunity for student work.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Heyday UK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- First Light: UK-based charity supporting filmmaking by 5-19 year olds through workshops, commissions, and screening programmes. Comparable in audience, mission, and workshop-led delivery model to Heyday's film courses.
- Into Film: UK charity supported by the BFI that delivers film education, screenings, and resources to schools and youth settings for ages 5-19. Comparable in mission (film literacy and creative filmmaking in schools) but operates at significantly larger scale and as a non-profit.
- National Youth Film Academy: UK film education organisation offering courses, workshops, and masterclasses for teens and young adults, including school holiday programmes. Comparable in audience and product to Heyday's KS3 offering, with a broader course catalogue.
- Young Film Academy: UK-based provider of filmmaking workshops and courses for children and young people, including school holiday programmes. Most directly comparable to Heyday on audience (KS2/KS3) and product (creative film workshops), and a former collaborator of Heyday's Lead Filmmaker Alix.
Regional players
- Photo-Me International: Listed UK operator of photo booths and school photography services across the UK and Europe. Comparable on the school photography service line within Heyday's portfolio, operating at very large scale and across multiple geographies.
- Tempest Photography: Established UK school photography company providing portraits and class photos to primary and secondary schools. Comparable on the school photography service line within Heyday's portfolio, though at substantially greater scale.
Broad incumbents
- British Film Institute (BFI): UK national body for film with a large education and learning programme, including resources, events, and school partnerships. Not a direct competitor but a major incumbent in the film education space and a showcase partner for Heyday's student films.
Emerging players
- Aardman Academy: The training and education arm of Aardman Animations, running animation and filmmaking workshops for children and young people. Comparable in workshop-led creative education for young audiences, with an animation focus.
Others
- Cornerstone Productions: Production company where Founder & CEO Jack Widdows is a Director. Not a competitor but an adjacent production entity that may channel commercial film work to or from Heyday.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Heyday UK social profiles
Digital presenceHeyday UK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Heyday UK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Heyday UK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Heyday UK 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 Heyday UK
What does Heyday UK do?
Heyday UK delivers in-person creative filmmaking workshops to Key Stage 2 and 3 students, designed around a non-cognitive skills framework (motivation, self-confidence, persistence). It also produces promotional films and photography for school websites, curriculum films for the Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Phonics programme, and grant-funded visual storytelling content such as the three-year Youth Investment Fund project for Social Investment Business.
Is Heyday UK a public or private company?
Heyday UK is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Heyday UK founded?
Heyday UK was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Heyday UK based?
Heyday UK is headquartered in Bury Saint Edmunds, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Heyday UK make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Film Courses for Schools are the primary driver. The others are marketing Films for Schools, grant-Funded Visual Storytelling Projects and photography Services.
Who are Heyday UK's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are First Light, Into Film, National Youth Film Academy and Young Film Academy. Regional players are Photo-Me International and Tempest Photography. British Film Institute (BFI) is listed as a broad incumbent. Aardman Academy is listed as an emerging player. Cornerstone Productions is listed as an others.
Does Heyday UK have an API?
No public API is recorded for Heyday UK.
What industry is Heyday UK in?
Heyday UK's product category is Creative Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAB, Digital Arts & Design (Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation). Its NAICS code is 611610 and its SIC code is 7812.