Charnwood Arts

What Charnwood Arts does

Charnwood Arts is a registered charity and artist-led community arts organisation based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, founded in 1976 and operating as a National Portfolio Organisation (2023-2027) funded by Arts Council England, with additional support from Charnwood Borough Council. It serves the Charnwood district with a portfolio that includes hands-on creative workshops (watercolour, polymer clay, silver clay, Nagomi Art, embroidery, printmaking, drawing), rotating exhibitions featuring emerging and community artists, and structured wellbeing programmes such as Eat Breathe Create, Heron Wellbeing Music Cafe, Geet Sangeet, Drawing Room, Care Breathe Create, and Grieve Breathe Create. Specialist offerings target people living with dementia and their carers (including culturally-specific Hindi and Gujarati sessions), people with disabilities, carers, those experiencing loneliness, and emerging artists. The organisation delivers from a physical hub at 27 Rectory Place, Loughborough, supplemented by an extensive partner-venue network including The Hub Project, Centro Lounge, John Storer Charnwood, Asha House, Leicestershire Libraries, and academic partners Loughborough University, De Montfort University, and Loughborough College.

The business model is grant-dependent: the primary revenue base is Arts Council England NPO core funding plus Charnwood Borough Council support, supplemented by a secondary tier of workshop fees priced at £10-£30 per participant to cover materials and refreshments, and charitable donations. Most events and exhibitions are free, with concessions available. Distribution is self-serve for routine activities at the hub and direct-delivery for outreach and partner-hosted events. No proprietary technology is developed; the organisation is a human-delivered, venue-anchored community service rather than a technology platform. The technology footprint is limited to a Squarespace-hosted website used for event listings, online booking, and newsletter distribution, plus organic social media.

Operationally, Charnwood Arts runs a lean team of 1-10 employees under CEO Shirley Novak, with a Board of Trustees governance structure. Strategic positioning centres on EDIB (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging) commitments, a co-productive model that involves communities in designing their own events, and a 50-year reputational base in the region. The 2026 programme calendar includes the Outwoods VR immersive installation, signalling a measured step into newer formats while preserving the core workshop-exhibition-wellbeing mix.

Name

Charnwood Arts

Legal name

Charnwood Arts

Website

https://charnwoodarts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Charnwood Arts is a Loughborough-based community arts charity delivering workshops, exhibitions, and wellbeing programmes for people of all abilities, with specialist focus on dementia care, carers, and emerging artists across the Charnwood district.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Loughborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: Core funding received from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation (2023-2027) and Charnwood Borough Council. This forms the primary financial base for operations.
2. Workshop Fees: Variable workshop fees charged to participants to cover materials and refreshments. Pricing varies by workshop type - some free events, others ranging from £10-£30 per person or course.
3. Donations: Accepts charitable donations from supporters to support programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Charnwood Arts delivers community arts programmes including hands-on creative workshops (watercolour, clay, printmaking, embroidery, drawing), rotating exhibitions, and structured wellbeing programmes such as Eat, Breathe, Create, Heron Wellbeing Music Cafe, Geet Sangeet, Drawing Room, and Care/Grieve Breathe Create. Services are delivered from their Loughborough hub and partner venues across the Charnwood district, serving participants of all abilities and backgrounds.

Product overview

Charnwood Arts is a community arts organization offering a portfolio of workshops, exhibitions, and wellbeing programmes. The core offerings include hands-on creative workshops (watercolour, clay, printmaking, embroidery), rotating exhibitions featuring emerging and community artists, and structured wellbeing programmes such as Eat Breathe Create, Heron Wellbeing Music Cafe, Geet Sangeet, Drawing Room, and Care/Grieve Breathe Create sessions. These services are delivered from their Loughborough hub and various community venues, serving all abilities and backgrounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arts Workshops Hands-on creative workshops including watercolour painting, polymer clay, silver clay, Nagomi Art, embroidery, printmaking, and drawing sessions for all skill levels, delivered to community members of all abilities.
• Exhibitions Rotating exhibitions featuring emerging artists, community work, and themed shows such as Outwoods VR immersive experience and Loughborough College student exhibitions, open to the public.
• Eat, Breathe, Create Programme Community wellbeing programme combining creative activities with mindfulness, held at The Hub venue, open to all abilities.
• Heron Wellbeing Music Cafe Inclusive live music sessions for people living with dementia, carers, and those experiencing loneliness, delivered in partnership with Musicworks.
• Geet Sangeet Music-based sessions in Hindi and Gujarati for people living with dementia and their carers, stimulating memories through singing and gentle exercises.
• Drawing Room Relaxed weekly drawing sessions open to all abilities, guided by artist Liz Waddell.
• Care, Breathe, Create Calm creative wellbeing group for carers of children or adults, offering relaxation and connection through art activities.
• Grieve, Breathe, Create Four-week course using creativity to explore emotions, healing, and moving forward through bereavement.
• Emerging Artists Programme Support programme for emerging artists including workshops on galleries, exhibitions, audience connection, and peer mentoring, culminating in an annual exhibition.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, moderate and minor.

• Loughborough UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership supporting arts programming, student involvement, and research collaborations.
• Leicestershire LibrariesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering arts activities through library venues across Leicestershire.
• Spark ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional arts organization partner for arts programming and initiatives.
• MusicworksmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivers the Heron Wellbeing Music Cafe programme - specialized music therapy provider for dementia and wellbeing.
• Women & Men in Sheds (Age UK)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting older adults through creative and social activities.
• Charnwood MuseummoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal museum partnership for heritage and cultural programming.
• Loughborough CollegemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurther education partnership supporting student art exhibitions and development.
• De Montfort UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partnership for student engagement and artistic development.
• Mighty CreativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional creative industries organization supporting arts development.
• QUADminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDerby-based arts organization partnership for cross-regional arts initiatives.
• Soft TouchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeicester-based arts organization partnership.
• Attenborough CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts venue partnership for programming and events.
• EMCCAN (East Midlands Caribbean Carnival Arts Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partnership supporting Caribbean carnival arts in the East Midlands.
• The Hub ProjectmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity venue partner hosting Eat, Breathe, Create sessions at The Hub.
• John Storer CharnwoodmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner hosting wellbeing and music cafe programs.
• Leicester Musical Memory BoxmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized music therapy partner for dementia care.
• Charnwood MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal heritage partner for cultural programming.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charnwood-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Charnwood Arts