THE PLOUGH ARTS CENTRE LIMITED

What THE PLOUGH ARTS CENTRE LIMITED does

The Plough Arts Centre Limited is a UK-registered charitable company (Company Number 4404875, Charity Number 1093715) operating a multi-artform arts venue in Great Torrington, North Devon. Its core offering combines live performing arts (theatre, music, comedy, dance, poetry), film screenings, two visual-art galleries hosting 24 exhibitions annually, and a programme of creative workshops spanning visual arts, pottery, drama, dance, and wellbeing. The organisation also runs the Plough Youth Theatre, an annual international poetry competition (The Plough Prize, now in its 25th year), a café-bar-bistro, and a venue-hire service for weddings, conferences, and community events.

Revenue is generated across six streams: ticket sales (events and films), venue hire (theatre, dance studio, meeting rooms, and the satellite ThePlough@StAnne's), café/bar food and beverage, workshop fees, donations and supporter/membership subscriptions, and competition entry fees. Pricing is modular — for example, Twelfth Night tickets range £14-£21 with supporter discounts, and Plough Prize entries are £5 online or £6 postal per poem — with a 5% non-refundable booking fee on most transactions. A wholly-owned trading subsidiary, The Plough Arts Centre (Trading) Ltd, isolates commercial income from charitable activity.

Distribution combines a PatronBase-powered online booking platform (purchase.theploughartscentre.org.uk), in-person and phone box office, and door sales, supported by an Open Air Theatre Summer Festival staged across more than 35 partner venues including National Trust properties (Arlington Court, Castle Drogo), RHS Garden Rosemoor, Tapeley Park, and Barnstaple Guildhall. The customer base spans general arts audiences, workshop participants, local and regional artists, youth and families, community groups and schools, and private venue-hire clients across North Devon. Funding is materially underpinned by grants from Arts Council England, The National Lottery, Garfield Weston Foundation, multiple local councils (Devon County, Torridge District, Great Torrington and Barnstaple Town Councils), and the UK Culture Recovery Fund.

Name

THE PLOUGH ARTS CENTRE LIMITED

Legal name

The Plough Arts Centre Limited

Website

https://theploughartscentre.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Plough Arts Centre Limited is a UK charitable arts venue in Great Torrington, North Devon, operating live theatre, film, exhibitions, workshops, a café-bar, venue hire, and a youth theatre for local residents, visitors, artists, and community groups across the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue / Community Arts Centre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE)

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Community arts centre
• Live theatre programming
• Cinema screenings
• Creative workshop programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Torrington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from live events, theatre, music, comedy, dance, poetry performances, and film screenings through advance and door sales
2. Venue Hire: Hiring out spaces including main theatre, meeting rooms, dance studio, and ThePlough@StAnne's for events, weddings, workshops, and community activities
3. Food & Beverage: Plough Café Bar Bistro serving food and drinks during opening hours and events
4. Workshop Fees: Fees charged for creative workshops including pottery, drawing, painting, and other arts courses
5. Donations & Memberships: Supporters' Club subscriptions, donations, legacies, and Gift Vouchers
6. Competition Entry Fees: Plough Poetry Prize entry fees - £5 online, £6 postal per poem

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Plough Arts Centre operates a multi-artform community arts venue in Great Torrington, North Devon, presenting year-round live performing arts (theatre, music, comedy, dance, poetry, talks), film screenings, visual arts exhibitions across two galleries, and creative workshops. It also runs an on-site café bar bistro, an annual international poetry competition (The Plough Prize), youth theatre programmes, an Open Air Theatre Summer Festival across 35+ regional venues, and a satellite venue (ThePlough@StAnne's) in Barnstaple, supplemented by venue hire for private and community events.

Product overview

The Plough Arts Centre operates as a multi-faceted arts venue providing live theatre, music, comedy, dance, and film performances alongside a year-round visual arts exhibition programme and creative workshop offerings. The organisation manages its main venue in Great Torrington plus a satellite venue (ThePlough@StAnne's) in Barnstaple, and coordinates an Open Air Theatre Summer Festival at venues across North Devon. Additional services include a café bar, venue hire, youth theatre programmes, and an annual international poetry competition. The centre functions as a charity and community arts hub serving North Devon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Plough Prize: International open poetry competition run annually by The Plough Arts Centre
• The Plough@StAnne's
• The Plough Youth Theatre
• Plough The Future!

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• National Trust (Arlington Court, Castle Drogo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for Open Air Theatre performances at National Trust properties. Provides unique heritage settings for outdoor performances.
• RHS Garden RosemoorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for Open Air Theatre events at RHS gardens, providing scenic outdoor performance settings.
• PatronBase UKcoreTechnology or IntegrationBox office ticketing system provider. Processes online bookings, customer accounts, and provides reporting on sales, donations, and membership trends. Data centres ISO 27001/Cyber Essentials certified.
• MailChimpsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing platform for newsletters and customer communications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Berry Theatre: A Hedge End theatre and arts venue presenting live performance, film, workshops and youth programmes. Closely comparable scale and programming mix.
• South Street Arts Centre: A Reading-based arts centre presenting live performance, film, exhibitions and workshops. Comparable small-scale multi-artform community venue.
• The Customs House: A South Shields arts centre operating theatre, gallery, cinema, workshops and participatory programmes. Closely aligned small/mid-scale multi-artform venue model.
• The Albany: A community arts centre in Deptford, London offering theatre, music, exhibitions, workshops and youth programmes. Similar multi-artform charity model with deep community engagement.
• The Dukes Theatre: An arts and performance venue in Lancaster presenting theatre, film, comedy and community programmes. Comparable regional venue with mixed performing arts and participation focus.
• Pound Arts Centre: A small multi-artform rural arts centre in Corsham, Wiltshire offering live performance, film, exhibitions, workshops and creative participation. Highly comparable scale and programming mix to The Plough.
• Theatr Clwyd: A regional arts centre in Mold, Wales combining producing theatre, cinema, galleries, workshops and community participation under one roof. Directly comparable multi-artform model with a strong community/outreach mission.
• The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre): Belfast's multi-artform arts centre offering theatre, dance, music, exhibitions, workshops and a cafe bar. Highly comparable venue-plus-cafe and participation model.
• The Tobacco Factory Theatre: Bristol-based theatre and arts venue presenting live performance, workshops and a cafe/bar operation. Comparable mix of performance, participatory programming and on-site F&B.

Broad incumbents

• Lighthouse Arts Centre: A larger regional arts centre in Poole offering theatre, cinema, workshops and visual arts. Broader scale but same multi-artform community venue model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/plougharts
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThePloughArtsCentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/plougharts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-plough-arts-centre-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 THE PLOUGH ARTS CENTRE LIMITED