Zest Theatre
Zest Theatre is a UK registered charity and national touring youth arts organisation that runs free mobile youth spaces (The Zone, Zone Go), interactive headphone performances (Sound Board), public art installations (Refresh), and youth advisory programmes (Future Proof) for 11-18 year olds across England, funded primarily by an Arts Council England NPO grant.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersLincoln, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Zest Theatre does
Zest Theatre is a UK registered charity (Charity No: 1144299) and company limited by guarantee, founded in 2007 by Artistic Director & CEO Toby Ealden and headquartered in Lincoln. It operates as a national touring youth arts organisation whose core activity is producing youth-led theatre, mobile pop-up youth spaces, and public art installations designed to give 11-18 year olds a voice in public space. The product portfolio centres on The Zone (a custom-built trailer with inflatable structures co-developed with AirClad and Inflate that converts city squares into free youth hubs), Zone Go (a 2026 van-based mobile extension for estates and rural communities), Sound Board (a headphone-based interactive outdoor performance), and Refresh (city-wide public art installations of young people's words). Supporting infrastructure includes Future Proof (a paid youth advisory consultancy with London Living Wage consultants, a shadow board programme, and two young trustees on the Board) and a back-catalogue of touring theatre productions including Camp Phoenix (2023) and Youthquake (2019-2020).
Underlying technology is operational rather than core-IP: a Squarespace website integrated with Recite Me accessibility tools, JotForm registration, 1TAP QR-based check-in, Facebook Pixel analytics, and audio distribution via Ditto.fm, Spotify, and BBC Sounds. Reach metrics indicate scale: 401,000+ people engaged in 2024 (424,000+ in 2023), with 3,326 visits to The Zone across the 2025 tour and 36% of attendees engaging with arts and culture for the first time.
The business model is grant-and-fee-based rather than commercial. All youth-facing programmes are free to participants; core operational income is the Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation grant of £180,000/year for 2023-2026 (over £540,000 total), supplemented by project grants from the Culture Recovery Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, Lincolnshire Community Foundation, BNA, Lincolnshire Co-op, and various district/city councils. Additional revenue comes from performance and booking fees when venues and festivals commission tours, plus private donations. Geographic operations span Lincolnshire, the East Midlands, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, and Kent, with a new headquarters at the Barbican Creative Hub (autumn 2025).
Zest Theatre firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zest Theatre
- Legal name
- Zest Theatre
- Website
- https://zesttheatre.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Zest Theatre is a UK registered charity and national touring youth arts organisation that runs free mobile youth spaces (The Zone, Zone Go), interactive headphone performances (Sound Board), public art installations (Refresh), and youth advisory programmes (Future Proof) for 11-18 year olds across England, funded primarily by an Arts Council England NPO grant.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zest Theatre industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Theatre and Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI), Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD), Special Event Screenings & Pop-up Cinemas (MPADAKAE), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)
Keywords
Where Zest Theatre is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lincoln
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Zest Theatre business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Arts Council England NPO Funding: Annual National Portfolio Organisation funding providing £180,000 per year for 3 years (2023-2026), totalling over £540,000. Core public income for operational sustainability.
- Performance and Booking Fees: Venue and festival fees for touring productions including Sound Board performances and The Zone activations.
- Grants and Trust Funding: Project-specific funding from trusts, foundations, and government bodies including Culture Recovery Fund, Lincolnshire Community Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, and local council grants.
- Private Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations and fundraising activities supplementary to core funding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free youth space access |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free public performances |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Zest Theatre product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zest Theatre is a national touring youth theatre charity that creates youth-led theatre productions, free pop-up and mobile youth spaces (The Zone and Zone Go) for 11-18 year olds, interactive headphone-based outdoor performances (Sound Board), and city-wide public art installations (Refresh). All programmes are delivered free of charge to young people and funded through public grants, trust and foundation funding, council commissions, and booking fees from festivals and venues.
Product overview
Zest Theatre is a national touring youth theatre company and registered charity offering a portfolio of youth-led creative programs. The core offering centers on The Zone and Zone Go (mobile) youth spaces that transform public areas into vibrant creative hubs for 11-18 year olds, supplemented by Sound Board (an interactive headphone-based performance show) and Refresh (city-wide public art installations sharing young people's voices). The company also produces touring theatre productions and audio experiences distributed via streaming platforms. Future Proof provides youth leadership and advisory consultancy. All programs are designed to amplify young people's voices and create opportunities for connection, creativity, and belonging in public spaces.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Zone: Award-winning pop-up youth space for 11-18 year olds offering free creative activities, games, workshops and hangout spaces in public squares and community areas.
- Zone Go
- Sound Board
- Refresh
- Future Proof
Products and services
- The Zone An award-winning pop-up youth space that transforms city squares, marketplaces, and public spaces into vibrant youth zones for 11-18 year olds, featuring a custom-built trailer, inflatable hangout structures, outdoor decking, gaming (PS5, FIFA), table tennis, crafts, DJ workshops, silent disco, dance performances, and professional artist workshops. Free entry with pre-registration required for activities.
- Zone Go A mobile youth space designed to bring creativity, games, music, art, and hangout experiences directly into neighborhoods, estates, villages, and rural communities. Built around a specially designed van and inflatable structures that transform parks and public spaces. Developed to reach young people who may find it harder to access city-centre or festival-based spaces.
- Sound Board An outdoor headphone-based live performance show where audiences shape the experience in real-time through quick-fire debates, playful challenges, and unscripted honest moments. Part chat show, part game, part live performance, with integrated audio description. Running time approximately 45 minutes, made for 11-18s but suitable for all. No two shows are the same.
- Refresh A city-wide public art installation series that places the words and voices of children and young people at the heart of urban spaces. Transforms quotes into vibrant artworks on posters, banners, billboards, and shop windows across city centers, with companion audio experiences and podcast content. Locations include Lincoln, Darlington, Medway, Mansfield, and South & East Lincolnshire.
- Refresh Lincoln Audio Experience An immersive audio experience fusing the voices of young people from Refresh Lincoln with original music and location-based sounds recorded around Lincoln. Available for streaming on Ditto.fm, Spotify, and BBC Sounds, allowing anyone worldwide to experience the project. Includes individual tracks organized by location (Brayford Waterfront, St Marks Shopping Centre, Cornhill, Bailgate, Silver Street/Castle) and themes (Climate, Hope, Curiosity, Wisdom).
- Theatre Productions Youth-led theatre productions created with professional artists and local young people, touring to theatres, schools, and venues across England. Recent productions include Camp Phoenix (2023-24), Youthquake (2019-20), and other works developed through research and development processes involving thousands of young people.
Quantifiable outcome
- 36% of young people at The Zone engaged in arts and culture for the first time
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Zest Theatre
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Zest Theatre technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature4 records
Zest Theatre partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- AirCladcoreCollaborated with AirClad to design and develop The Zone pop-up youth space - the custom-built trailer and modular design. Continued partnership for Zone Go mobile youth space. AirClad provides creative direction and project management for physical installations.
- City of Lincoln CouncilcoreMajor funding partner for The Zone Lincoln, including support from UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Supported original R&D through Historic England's High Streets Heritage Action Zone Cultural Programme.
- InflatemajorPartnered for The Zone inflatable structures that create the pop-up youth space environment in public squares.
- Lincoln Arts CentrecoreKey commissioning partner for productions including Camp Phoenix. Original supporter of The Zone development with Lincolnshire Co-op's Community Champions Fund.
- Lincoln Business Improvement GroupminorPartner for Refresh Lincoln installation in Lincoln city centre.
- Lincolnshire Councils Partnership (East Lindsey, Boston Borough, South Holland)majorCommissioned Refresh South & East Lincolnshire installations in 2024-2025.
- Fabric.majorBrand and graphic design agency responsible for The Zone branding, Refresh installations, and Sound Board visual identity.
- StageLincminorProduction management services for The Zone and touring productions.
- Access Creative College LincolnminorPartner providing photography workshops at The Zone.
- Future Proof Youth Advisory GroupcoreNational youth consultancy group aged 16+ that shapes Zest's strategy, policy, and programming. Members are paid London Living Wage consultants who interview staff and advise on governance.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Zest Theatre competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Diverse City: Touring participatory theatre company creating inclusive outdoor performances and community engagement work across the UK. Comparable to Zest as a mobile, event-driven arts organisation delivering outdoor public-space programming with co-created youth content.
- Action Transport Theatre: Cheshire-based touring theatre company creating high-quality theatre for children and young people, with strong schools touring and community engagement programmes. Comparable to Zest as a regional touring youth theatre producing work for under-18 audiences.
- Theatre Centre: London-based touring theatre company creating productions for young people aged 7-13 that tour to schools, theatres and festivals across the UK. Comparable to Zest as a national touring youth theatre with co-creation methodologies and council/school commissioning.
- Polka Theatre: London's dedicated children's theatre producing and touring work for 0-14 year olds with strong creative learning programmes. Comparable to Zest as a youth-focused producing theatre targeting young audiences with touring productions and participation work.
- 20 Stories High: Liverpool-based theatre company creating bold, accessible work with and for young people aged 13-19, with touring productions and participation programmes. Comparable to Zest as a youth theatre working with teens, touring nationally, and using co-creation methods.
- Half Moon Theatre: London-based young people's theatre producing work for under-25 audiences, with a national touring programme and youth leadership pathways. Comparable to Zest as a youth-focused theatre company with NPO status, touring productions, and youth participation programmes.
- Emergency Exit Arts: National touring participatory arts charity creating large-scale outdoor events, community spectacles and youth engagement programmes. Directly comparable to Zest's event-driven GTM, mobile pop-up installations, and public-space activations targeting young audiences across the UK.
Broad incumbents
- National Youth Theatre: The UK's flagship youth theatre organisation producing large-scale productions and developing young performers aged 14-25. Comparable to Zest as a national youth theatre brand with public funding, but operates at a much larger scale and focuses on performer development rather than pop-up youth spaces.
Emerging players
- Graeae Theatre Company: Disability-led touring theatre company producing accessible performances and working with disabled and deaf young people. Comparable to Zest as an NPO touring theatre with strong accessibility focus, but centred on disability-led work rather than age-targeted youth spaces.
- Open Theatre: Midlands-based touring theatre company creating multi-sensory, accessible productions for young audiences with learning disabilities and additional needs. Comparable to Zest as a regional touring youth theatre with accessibility credentials and touring productions, though smaller in scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Zest Theatre social profiles
Digital presenceZest Theatre compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Zest Theatre financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zest Theatre leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Zest Theatre funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zest Theatre 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 Zest Theatre
What does Zest Theatre do?
Zest Theatre is a national touring youth theatre charity that creates youth-led theatre productions, free pop-up and mobile youth spaces (The Zone and Zone Go) for 11-18 year olds, interactive headphone-based outdoor performances (Sound Board), and city-wide public art installations (Refresh). All programmes are delivered free of charge to young people and funded through public grants, trust and foundation funding, council commissions, and booking fees from festivals and venues.
Is Zest Theatre a public or private company?
Zest Theatre is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Zest Theatre founded?
Zest Theatre was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Zest Theatre based?
Zest Theatre is headquartered in Lincoln, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Zest Theatre make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Arts Council England NPO Funding is the primary driver. The others are performance and Booking Fees, grants and Trust Funding and private Donations and Fundraising.
Who are Zest Theatre's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Diverse City, Action Transport Theatre, Theatre Centre, Polka Theatre, 20 Stories High, Half Moon Theatre and Emergency Exit Arts. National Youth Theatre is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Graeae Theatre Company and Open Theatre.
Does Zest Theatre have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zest Theatre.
What industry is Zest Theatre in?
Zest Theatre's product category is Youth Theatre and Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAE, Children’s & Youth Theatre, with a secondary code of MPAGABAI, Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts. Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 7990.