Touch Compass

What Touch Compass does

Touch Compass (legally Touch Compass Dance Trust) is a charitable trust and non-profit organisation founded in 1997 in Aotearoa New Zealand, self-described as the country's leading professional disability-led arts organisation. It produces and presents dance-theatre works, education programmes, and community classes, with accessibility features such as live NZSL interpretation, audio description, touch tours, and wheelchair access built into productions from inception rather than added retrospectively. Core recent productions include ABILITOPIA (an AI-enabled-robot dance-theatre work premiered at Te Pou Theatre in February 2026), WHITE NOISE (a solo work by Alisha McLennan Marler), and AIGA (a Disability-led Pasifika-led work premiered at Auckland Arts Festival in March 2024 and toured to Nelson Arts Festival). Education offerings comprise free Creative Class and Contemporary Class sessions, the ORO:RESONANCE sound creation mentorship for disabled rangatahi, and the TOI TUKU MATARIKI DANCE INTENSIVE.

The organisation is headquartered in Auckland (Mt Albert) with additional training venues in Grey Lynn and Henderson, and serves markets across Auckland, Wellington, and Nelson. Revenue is generated through three streams: ticket sales via iTicket for ticketed performances, individual donations (one-off and monthly) processed through a Raisely platform with tax-deductible status for gifts over NZD $5, and grant funding from core institutional partners including Creative New Zealand, Foundation North, Auckland Council, and Spectrum Foundation. Education classes are provided free of charge to participants.

Go-to-market relies on a hybrid model: event-driven distribution through ticketed productions at partnered venues (Te Pou Theatre, Basement Theatre) and major NZ arts festivals (Auckland Arts Festival, Nelson Arts Festival, Kia Mau Festival), coupled with content marketing via the touchcompass.org.nz website, an email newsletter, and organic social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Vimeo, and YouTube. Audience and participant segments centre on disabled artists and performers, disabled rangatahi (youth and young adults aged 16+), non-disabled participants and allies seeking inclusive practice training, and arts festivals and venues seeking accessible disability-led programming. The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees and an Artistic Direction Panel, with operational leadership under General Manager (Kaiwhakahaere) Jon Tamihere-Kemeys.

Name

Touch Compass

Legal name

Touch Compass Dance Trust

Website

https://touchcompass.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Touch Compass Dance Trust is Aotearoa New Zealand's leading professional disability-led performing arts organisation, producing dance-theatre works, free education classes, and mentorship programmes for disabled artists, rangatahi, and inclusive audiences, with accessibility features built into all productions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Disability-Led Dance Theatre

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Dance Companies (71112)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Academic Accommodations & Access Planning (ADA/504) (EDALAGAA)

Keywords

• Disability-led arts
• Accessible performing arts
• Dance theatre productions
• Community arts education
• Arts mentorship programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Performance Revenue: Revenue generated from ticketed performances at various venues including Te Pou Theatre and Basement Theatre. Ticket sales for productions like ABILITOPIA, WHITE NOISE, and AIGA.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations (one-off and monthly giving) through their Raisely platform. The organization positions donations as sustaining access-first systems. Gifts over $5 are tax-deductible in New Zealand.
3. Grant Funding: Core operational funding from Creative New Zealand, Foundation North, Auckland Council, and Spectrum Foundation. Project-specific grants for programmes like ORO:RESONANCE and Matariki education initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Touch Compass produces and tours disability-led dance-theatre productions and runs accessible community arts education and mentorship programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand. Its portfolio includes professional works (ABILITOPIA, WHITE NOISE, AIGA), short-form youth mentorship (ORO:RESONANCE), themed dance workshops (TOI TUKU MATARIKI DANCE INTENSIVE), and weekly Creative and Contemporary classes delivered at community venues. Accessibility features (NZSL interpretation, audio description, touch tours) are embedded into every offering.

Product overview

Touch Compass is Aotearoa New Zealand's leading professional disability-led arts organisation offering a portfolio of performing arts programmes and productions. The core offering consists of professional dance-theatre works including ABILITOPIA (featuring AI-enabled robotics), WHITE NOISE (solo performance), and AIGA (Pasifika-led theatre), presented at venues throughout New Zealand and internationally. Supporting these productions are accessible education programmes including Creative Class, Contemporary Class, and specialist workshops, plus ORO:RESONANCE (a sound creation mentorship for disabled youth) and the TOI TUKU MATARIKI DANCE INTENSIVE (a disability-led dance workshop). Access is foundational to all offerings, with live NZSL interpretation, audio description, touch tours and wheelchair access built into performances and programmes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

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

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Basement TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Venue partner hosting ORO:RESONANCE programme with venue support for sound creation performances and participant showcases.
• Te Pou TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Venue partner hosting ABILITOPIA + WHITE NOISE double-bill premiere February 2026.
• Kia Mau FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Presented AIGA 5-7 June 2025 as part of Kia Mau Festival 10-year anniversary.
• Nelson Arts FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Presented AIGA in the South Island October 2024.
• Auckland Arts FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Presented World Premiere of AIGA in March 2024 as part of the festival programme.
• Arts Access AotearoaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of global ecosystem of disability arts partners and allies.
• Audio Described AotearoaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in accessibility ecosystem providing audio description services.
• Axis Dance CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational disability dance organization based in United States, part of Touch Compass global whanau.
• Blind Low Vision NZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in accessibility ecosystem.
• Dance Aotearoa NZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational dance organization, part of Touch Compass partner network.
• Equal Voices ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in arts and disability network.
• Gasp! Dance TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance organization in Touch Compass partner ecosystem.
• Marc Brew CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational disability-led dance company, part of global network.
• Platform Interpreting NZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccessibility services partner for sign language interpreting.
• Sins InvalidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based disability arts organization, part of global whanau.
• WiDaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in disability arts ecosystem.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marc Brew Company: Scotland-based disability-led dance company founded by Marc Brew. Listed as a Touch Compass partner and operates with a similar model of professional dance productions, education, and international touring.
• Full Radius Dance: Atlanta-based modern dance company featuring dancers with and without disabilities. Comparable in inclusive dance production and educational programming.
• Axis Dance Company: US-based disability-integrated dance company creating acclaimed work with disabled and non-disabled dancers. Listed as a Touch Compass partner and offers the most direct comparison in terms of artistic model, productions, and educational programming.
• Graeae Theatre Company: UK-based disability-led theatre company producing accessible performances with integrated creative access. Highly comparable mission and integrated accessibility model.
• StopGAP Dance Company: Canadian inclusive dance company with disabled and non-disabled dancers producing professional contemporary dance. Comparable in accessibility-led artistic model and education programs.
• Candoco Dance Company: UK-based disability-integrated dance company producing professional dance theatre and education. Highly comparable in mission, scale, and programming model to Touch Compass.

Emerging players

• Sins Invalid: US-based disability arts organization focused on performance, culture, and political engagement. Listed as a Touch Compass partner and serves as a sibling organization in the global disability arts movement.

Regional players

• Royal New Zealand Ballet: New Zealand's national ballet company based in Wellington. Comparable as a NZ professional dance company but operates at much larger scale and is not disability-led.
• Atamira Dance Company: New Zealand contemporary dance company producing professional dance works with Māori cultural perspectives. Comparable as a NZ-based professional dance entity with cultural integration, though not disability-led.

Others

• Dance Aotearoa NZ: NZ national dance organization supporting the dance sector. Listed as a Touch Compass partner and provides sector infrastructure overlap rather than direct artistic competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/touchcompass/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/touchcompass
• Instagraminstagram.com/touchcompass/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@touchcompass
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/touch-compass-dance-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Touch Compass