Side

Name

Side

Legal name

Amber Film & Photography Collective | AmberSide Trust

Website

https://sidegallery.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage and Documentary Arts Organisation

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts & Culture Documentaries (MPADADAI)

Keywords

• Documentary photography
• Community arts education
• Cultural heritage archive
• Photography exhibition curation
• Arts organisation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies heavily on donations and fundraising, with all donations going to the AmberSide Trust (registered charity number 1160760). The organization runs specific fundraising campaigns including the 50x50 print sale.
2. Grants and Heritage Funding: Received £236,615 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the 'Transforming Amber: Building a Resilient Future' project. Also supported by Arts Council England and Paul Hamlyn Foundation for education programmes.
3. Print Sales: 50x50 Fundraising Print Sale offers limited edition photographic prints at £50 each, with all profits supporting the AmberSide Trust. The organization also runs vintage poster sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Side is a non-profit lens-based documentary organisation that curates exhibitions, screenings, talks and workshops, delivers school-based documentary education programmes, and maintains the AmberSide Collection - a UNESCO-recognised archive of working-class documentary photography and film. Revenue is generated through charitable donations, grant funding, limited-edition print sales, and booking fees for touring exhibitions.

Product overview

Side is a lens-based documentary organisation operating as the Amber Film & Photography Collective, centred at Side Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne. The core offering is the AmberSide Collection—a UNESCO-recognised archive of over 20,000 photographs, 100 films, and 10,000 slides documenting working-class life since 1968. Supporting programmes include MySide (grassroots community photography submissions), AmberEducation (school-based documentary projects via the Primary Source Programme), Touring Exhibitions (institutional bookings of collections), and Side Cinema/Events (talks, workshops, monthly meetups). Fundraising initiatives include the 50x50 Print Sale. The organisation relocated its curatorial office to Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in February 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AmberSide Collection Archive Access Access to a UNESCO-recognised documentary photography and film archive comprising over 20,000 photographs, 100 films, and 10,000 slides documenting working-class life in the North East of England and beyond. Available for research, licensing and educational use through the Epexio online catalogue and on-site access.
• Side Gallery Exhibitions Free public documentary photography and film exhibitions hosted at Side Gallery and partner venues (Farrell Centre, Tyneside Cinema) for general audiences, schools, and cultural visitors.
• MySide Community Photography Programme Community engagement programme inviting the public to submit documentary photography on quarterly themes; selected submissions are displayed on social media, the website, online exhibitions and physical exhibitions. Free to participate; open to amateur and professional documentary photographers.
• AmberEducation / Primary Source Programme (School Residencies) Multi-week documentary film and photography residencies delivered directly in schools in North Tyneside. Projects are co-created with teaching staff and senior leaders, linked to the National Curriculum, draw on AmberSide Collection resources, and lead to Arts Award Explore Level certification for pupils.
• Touring Exhibitions for Museums and Cultural Institutions Curated documentary photography exhibitions available as touring exhibition packages that museums, galleries and cultural institutions can book for display at their venues, with associated catalogues.
• Side Cinema, Talks and Events Programme Programme of documentary cinema screenings, talks, workshops, panels and community events - including the InSide monthly meet-up for documentary photographers - delivered at Side Gallery, partner venues and online.
• 50x50 Fundraising Print Sale Limited-edition archival-standard photographic print sale with 50 images by 50 artists, editions of 50 at £50 per print, sold online via shop.amber-online.com with print production fulfilment by Beyond Print. Proceeds support the AmberSide Trust.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140+ photographs produced in Postcode Explorers project with over 70 community portraits and 50+ community members attending exhibition
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• New York Primary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in Postcode Explorers residency. Amber works closely with teaching staff and senior leaders to co-create innovative documentary film and photography projects across KS2, linked to National Curriculum and utilizing AmberSide Collection resources.
• Carville Primary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Shipbuilding on the Tyne project, working with Year 5 pupils to document their community's shipbuilding heritage with former shipyard workers. Project became a showcase example of Amber's combined film and photography education model.
• North East MuseumssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Postcode Explorers project, with staff and volunteers supporting heritage learning activities at partner venues including Stephenson Steam Railway.
• Baltic Centre for Contemporary ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSide established its curatorial office at Baltic in February 2026. This represents a significant new creative direction, enabling Side to bring its collection to a wider audience, commission new work, and deepen commitment to education and community practice.
• Historic EnglandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided Ordinance Survey maps dating back to 1860s for Postcode Explorers project, enabling pupils to contrast historical and modern maps illustrating transformation from rural to urban environment.
• Northumbria UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for InSide: Documentary Photography Community monthly meet-ups, supporting professional development and networking for documentary photographers.
• Tyneside CinemasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner venue for Made Together exhibition (Amber Films & The Workshop Movement) and collaborative events including 'From Our Streets to Our Seas' heritage programme.
• North Shields Fishermen's Heritage ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in The Fishing Industry education project. The Amber education project inspired this voluntary group to create their own heritage engagements with schools.
• Silver ShantymensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity performance group who greeted Collingwood Primary pupils during The Fishing Industry project visit to North Shields Fish Quay.
• Caley FisheriessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal prawn processing business that provided exclusive access to their facility during The Fishing Industry education project.
• Old Low Lights Heritage CentresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage venue used as base for education project activities at North Shields Fish Quay.
• Remembering the PastsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer-led local organization providing oral history recordings, including recording of local resident Elsie Wilkinson recalling life in the community from 1920s onwards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Impressions Gallery: Long-running UK photography gallery focused on contemporary documentary photography, with touring exhibitions and learning programmes. Highly comparable in operating model (gallery + archive of documentary photography + education).
• Photoworks: Brighton-based photography development agency producing exhibitions, learning programmes and commissioning. Comparable as an arts nonprofit using photography to drive community engagement and education outcomes.
• Four Corners: London-based photography and film charity running workshops, screenings and exhibitions focused on socially-engaged practice. Comparable as a small photography/film arts nonprofit with community education programmes.
• Open Eye Gallery: UK photographic gallery with a social-documentary lens, presenting touring exhibitions and education programmes. Direct comparison to Side given shared focus on documentary photography, community-led programming, and education work.
• People's History Museum: Manchester-based museum dedicated to the history of working-class movements in Britain. Closely comparable in mission (working-class heritage preservation) even though the medium is photography rather than material artefacts.
• Redeye Photographic Network: UK photography network supporting photographers through talks, mentoring and exchange programmes. Comparable peer given shared focus on community building around documentary photographic practice.
• Martin Parr Foundation: UK charity holding a major documentary photography collection and running exhibitions, talks and learning programmes. Closest analog to Side given the archive-plus-public-programming charitable structure.

Regional players

• Tyneside Cinema: Historic Newcastle cinema and cultural hub hosting Side's touring documentary exhibitions. Comparable regional venue for documentary film exhibition and not a direct competitor but a peer institution.
• Beamish Museum: Open-air living museum of North East industrial and social history in County Durham. Shares Side's North East focus on working-class and industrial heritage, but operates as a heritage attraction rather than a photographic archive.
• BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art: Major contemporary visual arts venue in Gateshead, now hosting Side's curatorial office. Partner venue rather than competitor, but relevantly comparable as a North East visual-arts institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/amber_sidegallery
• Xx.com/SideGallery
• Facebookfacebook.com/SideGallery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/side-gallery

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Side