Ikon Gallery Limited
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Ikon Gallery Limited does
Ikon Gallery Limited is a registered educational charity (no. 528892) operating one of the UK's leading contemporary art venues from a Victorian building at 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham. Founded in 1964 as an artists-led alternative space in the Bullring, the gallery moved to its current Brindleyplace home in 1998 and now welcomes more than 200,000 visitors a year under a free-entry policy. Its core activity is the curation and presentation of temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, including surveys such as Donald Locke: Resistant Forms (co-organised with Spike Island and Camden Art Centre) and Angela de la Cruz: Upright, alongside off-site and education programmes.
Beyond exhibitions, Ikon runs a diversified portfolio of charitable programmes including the Art in Prisons initiative (artist residencies at HMP Grendon, HMP Spring Hill and HMP Birmingham, with a dedicated Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Studio at Grendon), the Creative Health programme (partnerships with Birmingham City Council Public Health, Birmingham Hospice, NHS Living Well Consortium and Jameel Arts and Health Lab), and the Ikon Youth Programme delivered aboard the converted narrow boat Slow Boat with Freelands Foundation funding. Distribution spans the physical gallery, off-site partner venues, the Bloomberg Connects digital guide, and an online retail shop.
Revenue is generated through a hybrid charity funding model. Arts Council England provides core funding via National Lottery public money; supplementary income comes from trusts and foundations (Henry Moore Foundation, Paul Mellon Centre, Freelands Foundation, Art Fund, Rothschild Foundation), corporate patrons (Deutsche Bank, Elonex, Howells, Kier, Transport for West Midlands), individual Patron and Benefactor tiers (£250 and £1,000 per year), commercial venue hire (£1,500-£3,500+VAT per event), and the Ikon Shop. All commercial and fundraising activity supports the gallery's charitable artistic and educational programme.
Ikon Gallery Limited firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ikon Gallery Limited
- Legal name
- Ikon Gallery Limited
- Website
- https://ikon-gallery.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ikon Gallery Limited industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contemporary Art Gallery
- NAICS
- Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Art Dealers (459920)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Art Museums (THAJADAA), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)
Keywords
Where Ikon Gallery Limited is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ikon Gallery Limited business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Core Funding (Arts Council England): Regular funding from Arts Council England covering gallery running costs, provided through National Lottery public funding.
- Grant Making Trusts and Foundations: Exhibitions, education programmes and off-site projects funded through grant applications to trusts and foundations including Henry Moore Foundation, Paul Mellon Centre, Freelands Foundation, and others.
- Corporate Patrons and Sponsors: Corporate sponsorship and patronage programmes including Deutsche Bank, Elonex, Howells, and Kier. Patronage starts at £2,500+VAT per year with benefits including venue hire discounts and digital exposure.
- Individual Donations and Patronage: Individual giving through donations, Patrons programme (£250/year), and Benefactors programme (£1,000/year). Legacies and bequests also mentioned as a funding stream.
- Venue Hire: Commercial venue hire for events including drinks receptions, product launches, corporate events, workshops, private parties and weddings. Gallery spaces accommodate 10-500 guests with pricing from £1,500-£3,500+VAT.
- Ikon Shop: Art bookshop and retail outlet selling books, prints, jewellery, homeware, stationery and limited editions. All profits support Ikon Gallery's charitable artistic and educational programme.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Patronage starting at £2,500+VAT per year |
| Subscription | Monthly | Patron membership at £250/year or £21/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Benefactor membership at £1,000/year or £84/month |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gallery Venue Hire - Evening (£1,500-£2,600+VAT) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gallery Venue Hire - Daytime (£2,400-£3,500+VAT) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Board Room Hire (£180-£350+VAT) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Events Room Hire (£325-£475+VAT) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Library Room Hire (£180-£290+VAT) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guided Group Tours at £30 per session |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ikon Gallery Limited product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ikon Gallery presents a programme of contemporary art exhibitions with free public entry in its Birmingham venue, alongside education programmes (school and family workshops), off-site community projects (Art in Prisons, Creative Health, Ikon Youth Programme on Slow Boat), corporate and private venue hire, and a curated art retail outlet, the Ikon Shop. The organisation is a registered educational charity funded primarily by Arts Council England, with additional income from trusts, foundations, corporate patrons, individual donations, venue hire, and shop sales.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Contemporary Art Exhibitions
Companies that use Ikon Gallery Limited
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ikon Gallery Limited technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ikon Gallery Limited partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Birmingham City Council, Public HealthcoreKey partner for Creative Health programme and Art in Prisons initiatives. Provides Public Health Research Officer funding and support for HMP Birmingham residency.
- Birmingham HospicecorePartner in Creative Health programme exploring art's intersection with health and wellbeing.
- Living Well ConsortiumcoreNHS partnership for Creative Health programmes including Green Spaces exhibition with Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora.
- Artscop CentralcoreCreative Health partner organisation working on collaborative health and art projects.
- Changing Our LivescoreCreative Health partner focused on health inequalities and community engagement.
- In Certain PlacesminorUniversity of Lancashire partnership for Creative Health research and collaboration.
- Jameel Arts and Health LabcoreCreative Health partner exploring intersections of art and health.
- Selfridges BirminghammajorCo-commissioned Osman Yousefzada's 'Infinity Pattern 1' installation and hosted associated exhibition and art trail. Ongoing creative partnership.
- Spike IslandmajorCo-organiser of Donald Locke: Resistant Forms exhibition with Ikon, presenting the first major survey of the artist.
- Camden Art CentremajorCo-organiser of Donald Locke: Resistant Forms exhibition with Ikon and Spike Island.
- Birmingham City UniversitycorePartner in Creative Health through Art and Activism Cluster; BCU Tuesdays extended partnership opening gallery on Tuesdays.
- University of BirminghamcorePartners include School of Social Policy and Society and Stuart Hall Archive Project for Creative Health research.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Ikon Gallery Limited competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Hepworth Wakefield: Wakefield-based contemporary art gallery with free entry, learning programmes, and gallery shop; comparable as a regional UK gallery with charitable funding and education focus.
- Spike Island: Bristol-based contemporary art gallery and artists' studios that co-organised the Donald Locke exhibition with Ikon; operates free exhibitions, education programmes, and studio provision at comparable scale.
- Whitechapel Gallery: London contemporary art gallery with free exhibitions, major touring shows, and education programmes; comparable model with a larger international profile and audience reach.
- Arnolfini: Bristol contemporary arts centre with free entry, exhibitions, education, and community programmes; comparable as a regional UK contemporary art venue with charitable status and Arts Council support.
- Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art: Gateshead-based contemporary art gallery with free entry, education programmes, and a strong regional community engagement focus; similar scale and charitable structure to Ikon.
- Firstsite: Colchester contemporary art gallery offering free exhibitions, community learning programmes, and creative health partnerships; similarly Arts Council-funded charitable gallery with a strong regional community engagement remit.
- Serpentine Gallery: London-based contemporary art gallery offering free exhibitions, education programmes, and international artist commissions; highly comparable in mission, free-entry model, and curatorial ambition to Ikon.
- Camden Art Centre: London contemporary art gallery with free exhibitions, education programmes, and artist residencies; recently co-organised the Donald Locke exhibition with Ikon, evidencing direct operational comparability.
Broad incumbents
- Tate Liverpool: A major publicly funded contemporary art gallery presenting temporary exhibitions and education programmes; comparable operating model and Arts Council-family funding relationship, though operating at significantly larger scale.
Regional players
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery: The city's principal public museum and art gallery, operating as a local-authority cultural institution with similar exhibition, education, and community engagement functions alongside Ikon in Birmingham.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ikon Gallery Limited social profiles
Digital presenceIkon Gallery Limited financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ikon Gallery Limited leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Ikon Gallery Limited funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ikon Gallery Limited 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 Ikon Gallery Limited
What does Ikon Gallery Limited do?
Ikon Gallery presents a programme of contemporary art exhibitions with free public entry in its Birmingham venue, alongside education programmes (school and family workshops), off-site community projects (Art in Prisons, Creative Health, Ikon Youth Programme on Slow Boat), corporate and private venue hire, and a curated art retail outlet, the Ikon Shop. The organisation is a registered educational charity funded primarily by Arts Council England, with additional income from trusts, foundations, corporate patrons, individual donations, venue hire, and shop sales.
Is Ikon Gallery Limited a public or private company?
Ikon Gallery Limited is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ikon Gallery Limited founded?
Ikon Gallery Limited was founded in 1964. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ikon Gallery Limited based?
Ikon Gallery Limited is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Ikon Gallery Limited make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Core Funding (Arts Council England) is the primary driver. The others are grant Making Trusts and Foundations, corporate Patrons and Sponsors, individual Donations and Patronage, venue Hire and ikon Shop.
Who are Ikon Gallery Limited's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Hepworth Wakefield, Spike Island, Whitechapel Gallery, Arnolfini, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Firstsite, Serpentine Gallery and Camden Art Centre. Tate Liverpool is listed as a broad incumbent. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is listed as a regional player.
Does Ikon Gallery Limited have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ikon Gallery Limited.
What industry is Ikon Gallery Limited in?
Ikon Gallery Limited's product category is Contemporary Art Gallery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAH, Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit), with a secondary code of THAJADAA, Art Museums. Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 7330.