The Roberts Institute of Art

What The Roberts Institute of Art does

The Roberts Institute of Art (RIA) is a London-based non-profit contemporary arts organisation, founded in 2007, that operates with a small team of 1–10 employees. Its mission centres on commissioning pioneering performance art, running a residency programme in Scotland, and collaborating with national partners on exhibitions to research and share the David and Indrė Roberts Collection. RIA does not sell a commercial product; its outputs are exhibitions, performance commissions, artist residencies, and editorial publications, delivered through a network of partner cultural institutions rather than a permanent venue of its own.

RIA's programming is structured around three pillars: a national collaborative exhibition model delivered with partner galleries and arts centres across the UK; a performance commissioning programme that has produced named works such as Simeon Barclay's "The Ruin" at the ICA (January 2025) and the SBC Scratch Residency "Fragments of a Process" with Southbank Centre and Hayward Gallery (February 2025); and a Scotland-based residency programme that hosted Daisy Parris, Martyn Cross, Clare Woods, Des Hughes, and Agnieszka Szczotka across 2025. Active partnerships span London (ICA, Southbank Centre, Hayward Gallery, Fitzrovia Chapel), Glasgow (The Common Guild), Manchester (Castlefield Gallery), Leicester (Attenborough Arts Centre), and Southend-on-Sea (Focal Point Gallery). Forward-booked programming includes the Fiona Banner studies at The Common Guild (March–April 2026) and the RIA Residency 2026.

RIA's business model is that of a UK arts non-profit: it does not disclose revenue, pricing, or commercial product lines. Marketing is multi-channel — a website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, and email newsletter — used primarily for top-of-funnel awareness of programming. The organisation's value proposition is built on its unique access to the David and Indrė Roberts Collection and its role as a national coordinator of contemporary performance art across regional UK venues, serving general public audiences, contemporary artists, and partner cultural institutions.

Name

The Roberts Institute of Art

Website

https://therobertsinstituteofart.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Roberts Institute of Art is a London-based non-profit contemporary arts organisation that commissions performance art, runs a Scotland residency programme, and collaborates with UK partner venues to research and share the David and Indrė Roberts Collection. It serves general audiences, contemporary artists, and partner cultural institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Arts & Cultural Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Performance art commissions
• Artist residency programmes
• Arts nonprofit organisation
• Art collection research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Roberts Institute of Art is a UK-based non-profit contemporary arts organisation that commissions pioneering performance art, runs an artist residency programme in Scotland, and collaborates with national cultural institutions on exhibitions to research and share the David and Indrė Roberts Collection. Its unified programme spans exhibitions, performances, residencies, and educational studies delivered through partner venues across the UK.

Product overview

The Roberts Institute of Art is a non-profit contemporary arts organisation that offers a unified programme of arts activities rather than a technology product portfolio. Its core offerings include: pioneering performance art commissions, a residency programme in Scotland, and collaborations with national partners on exhibitions to research and share the David and Indrė Roberts Collection. The programme spans exhibitions, performances, residencies, and educational studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contemporary Art Exhibitions Programme A programme of curated contemporary art exhibitions co-developed and presented with partner galleries, arts centres, and cultural venues across the UK, designed to make contemporary art accessible to the general public and to share works from the David and Indrė Roberts Collection.
• Performance Art Commissions Commissioned pioneering performance art works presented at partner venues such as the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) London and Southbank Centre, targeting contemporary art audiences and artists.
• RIA Artist Residency Programme A residency programme based in Scotland that provides contemporary visual and performance artists with dedicated time and space to develop new work, including a 2026 iteration and past editions featuring artists such as Daisy Parris, Martyn Cross, Clare Woods, Des Hughes, and Agnieszka Szczotka.
• David and Indrė Roberts Collection A permanent collection curated, researched, and shared with the public through exhibitions, studies (such as Fiona Banner aka The Vanity Press's 'Every Word Unmade', ISBN 978-1-913983-97-0), and online collection highlights.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Common GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative exhibition showcasing studies by Fiona Banner aka The Vanity Press, published as 'Every Word Unmade' (ISBN 978-1-913983-97-0), scheduled for March-April 2026 at The Common Guild in Glasgow
• Castlefield GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint exhibition 'It Requires Getting Lost' running May 2025–February 2026, combining RIA's Roberts Collection with Castlefield Gallery and Venture Arts programming
• Venture ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint exhibition 'It Requires Getting Lost' running May 2025–February 2026, focusing on inclusive art programming and collaboration with RIA
• Attenborough Arts CentrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExhibition 'We Grown-Ups Can Also Be Afraid' held 17 July–18 October 2025 at Attenborough Arts Centre in Leicester
• Focal Point GallerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint exhibition 'In Other Worlds: Acts of Translation' running 24 June–12 September 2025 at Focal Point Gallery in Southend-on-Sea
• Fitzrovia ChapelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExhibition 'In Attendance: Paying Attention in a Fragile World' held 8 January–9 February 2025 at the Fitzrovia Chapel in London
• ICA LondoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPerformance commission 'The Ruin' by Simeon Barclay presented 16 January 2025 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London
• Southbank CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBC Scratch Residency 'Fragments of a Process' by Linder, Holly Blakey and Maxwell Sterling, held 24-28 February 2025 at Southbank Centre in collaboration with Hayward Gallery
• Hayward GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBC Scratch Residency collaboration for 'Fragments of a Process', hosted at Southbank Centre with residency and scratch performance development

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Attenborough Arts Centre: Leicester contemporary arts venue that hosted RIA's 'We Grown-Ups Can Also Be Afraid' exhibition. Comparable as a regional venue that delivers contemporary art programming with national partners.
• Artangel: London-based non-profit that commissions contemporary art in non-gallery and site-specific settings. Highly comparable mission of commissioning pioneering performance and installation work without operating a fixed venue, mirroring RIA's commissioning ethos.
• Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts): London-based contemporary visual arts organisation working with international artists and partners. Comparable as a small non-profit that curates exhibitions and supports artist development without a permanent gallery space.
• Venture Arts: Manchester-based inclusive contemporary art organisation co-presenting 'It Requires Getting Lost' with RIA. Comparable as a small non-profit delivering contemporary art programming in partnership with national bodies.
• Focal Point Gallery: Southend-on-Sea contemporary art gallery that co-presented 'In Other Worlds: Acts of Translation' with RIA. Comparable as a regional contemporary arts venue delivering RIA programming.
• The Common Guild: Glasgow-based contemporary arts organisation that commissions and presents international artists. Directly comparable as a small, partnership-driven commissioning body with a similar curatorial model to RIA, and an existing RIA partner.
• Castlefield Gallery: Manchester contemporary art gallery that collaborates with RIA on joint exhibitions such as 'It Requires Getting Lost'. Comparable as a regional contemporary art gallery partnering with national bodies to deliver programming.

Broad incumbents

• Tate: UK national collection of art museums (Tate Modern, Tate Britain, etc.). Comparable as a major incumbent presenting contemporary British and international art, but operating at vastly larger scale with permanent venues.
• Hayward Gallery: Major London contemporary art gallery within the Southbank Centre complex, collaborating with RIA on the SBC Scratch Residency. Comparable as a larger incumbent presenting contemporary art exhibitions as part of a broader cultural venue.
• ICA London (Institute of Contemporary Arts): Major London contemporary arts institution hosting RIA-commissioned performance 'The Ruin' by Simeon Barclay. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering contemporary art exhibitions, performances, and film programming across a wider portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RobertsInstArt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4U1GTQomWHhHHwOHpW8FKw
• Facebookfacebook.com/therobertsinstituteofart
• Instagraminstagram.com/therobertsinstituteofart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-roberts-institute-of-art

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Roberts Institute of Art