FACT Liverpool

What FACT Liverpool does

FACT Liverpool (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) is a registered charity (No. 702781) and company limited by guarantee operating from a single venue at 88 Wood Street, Liverpool since 1989. The organisation presents contemporary art exhibitions, arthouse and mainstream cinema through Picturehouse at FACT, and a learning programme targeting schools, families, and young people aged 12-19. FACT is free to visit for gallery admissions, with revenue generated from cinema ticket sales (tiered £3-£15), charitable donations, venue hire, and grants. Core public funding is provided by Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council, supplemented by charitable foundations including PH Holt Foundation, Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust, DWF Foundation, Jerwood Arts, and Art Fund.

The organisation's core products are free contemporary art exhibitions, the Picturehouse cinema operation, Studio/Lab (a professional artist development programme providing VR, motion capture, 3D printing, game engine software, and technical mentorship), learning programmes for schools and families, and a 20-year digital archive containing over 463 artworks. In 2026, FACT is simultaneously presenting three major exhibitions: Rachel Maclean's AI-generated multi-channel film 'They've Got Your Eyes', ONLY SLIME's motion-capture interactive installation 'AFTERLIFE', and Sahjan Kooner's co-produced speculative game/film '(darkforest) The Zone of Ghosts'. Studio/Lab operates as a technical partner in the Immersive Arts UK consortium (2024-2027), supporting over 200 artists across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England. The organisation's audience spans general public visitors, film enthusiasts, families, schools and educators, young people, and digital arts practitioners.

Name

FACT Liverpool

Legal name

FACT

Website

https://fact.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FACT Liverpool is a registered charity operating since 1989 that presents contemporary art exhibitions, Picturehouse cinema screenings, and immersive technology installations from its Liverpool venue. It serves the general public, schools, families, young people, and digital artists through free galleries, ticketed cinema, learning programmes, and the Studio/Lab artist development facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Arts Centre

NAICS

Museums (71211), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Independent & Art-house Cinemas (MPADAKAB), Media Arts & Performance (Film, Stagecraft, Lighting, Sound) (EDAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Arthouse cinema screenings
• Artist development programs
• Immersive arts facilities
• Creative learning programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cinema Ticket Sales: Revenue from Picturehouse at FACT cinema screenings, including evening, matinee, and Happy Monday ticket pricing with member and concession discounts.
2. Charitable Donations: FACT is a registered charity (No. 702781) that relies on donations to support exhibitions and programmes. Donations are actively solicited on the website.
3. Venue Hire: FACT offers venue hire services including spaces for events and video production capabilities.
4. Public Funding and Grants: Supported by Arts Council England, Liverpool City Council, and various charitable foundations including PH Holt Foundation, Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust, DWF Foundation, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FACT Liverpool operates a combined contemporary arts venue presenting free gallery exhibitions featuring interactive installations by emerging and established artists, alongside the Picturehouse at FACT cinema showing arthouse and mainstream films. The organisation runs the Studio/Lab artist development programme providing professional immersive arts facilities, and delivers learning programmes for schools, families, and young people aged 12-19. FACT also offers venue hire services and maintains a 20-year digital archive of past exhibitions and artists.

Product overview

FACT Liverpool is a combined arts venue offering free gallery exhibitions, a cinema (Picturehouse at FACT), artist development programmes, and educational activities. The venue presents interactive exhibitions featuring AI-generated content, motion capture technology, and digital games. Its Studio/Lab programme supports artists with professional equipment including VR headsets, 3D printing, and game engine software. The Digital Archive provides online access to 20 years of exhibitions. FACT operates as a registered charity (No. 702781) with funding support from Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FACT Galleries Free-admission contemporary art galleries open 7 days a week, presenting interactive exhibitions by emerging and established artists exploring themes of technology, art, and society. Targeted at general public visitors, families, and cultural enthusiasts.
• Picturehouse at FACT Cinema Cinema operated by Picturehouse showing latest releases and arthouse films, including premium large-format screenings such as 70mm presentations. Tiered pricing for members, concessions, and children across evening, matinee, and Happy Mondays screenings.
• Studio/Lab Artist Development Programme Artist development programme providing professional facilities including gaming PCs (RTX 4070), VR headsets (Meta Quest 2, HTC VIVE), sound studios, 3D scanners, 3D printers (resin and filament-based including Prusa XL), game engine software (Unity, Unreal Engine, Wwise), and technical mentorship for immersive and digital practitioners. Includes residencies and Artist Members scheme.
• Digital Archive Online archive featuring 20 years of artists, projects, and exhibitions from FACT's history, with over 463 artworks across moving image, installation, sound, sculpture, and film works. Accessible globally via fact.co.uk.
• Learning Programmes Educational initiatives including school visits, family workshops, artist talks, tours, and community engagement activities. Includes Schools programme for curriculum-linked resources and educator tours, and collaborative projects with young people aged 12-19.
• Venue Hire and Video Production Event spaces available for hire including facilities for video production, sound studios, and green screen capabilities. Targeted at corporate event organisers, private functions, and production clients.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• PicturehousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPicturehouse operates the cinema at FACT Liverpool, programming and running film screenings. FACT manages its own separate film programme through the 'What's On' section.
• Immersive Arts UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBetween 2024-2027, over 200 artists across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England are supported through Immersive Arts funding, with Studio/Lab at FACT serving as a key technical partner.
• Office for Contemporary Art NorwayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporter of ONLY SLIME's AFTERLIFE exhibition at FACT Liverpool.
• Sonica GlasgowmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioner of Rachel Maclean's 'They've Got Your Eyes' exhibition along with FACT Liverpool.
• Newcastle UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Rachel Maclean's work through NUAcT at Newcastle University.
• 1646, The HagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for Rachel Maclean's 'They've Got Your Eyes' exhibition.
• Wigan MuseumsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of 'The Zone of Ghosts' digital game developed for Sahjan Kooner's exhibition.
• Global FriendsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth organisation collaborating with FACT on Sahjan Kooner's exhibition with young people aged 12-19.
• Unity YouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth organisation collaborating with FACT on Sahjan Kooner's exhibition with young people aged 12-19.
• Young InspectorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth group collaborating with FACT on Sahjan Kooner's exhibition with young people aged 12-19.
• iii (Instant Audience Interaction)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced with support from iii for the 'Coffee Machine' AI installation artwork.
• Newcastle UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Rachel Maclean's 'DUCK' deepfake film through Newcastle University and In Space, Edinburgh.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Barbican Centre: Large-scale London arts centre combining contemporary art exhibitions, cinema, theatre, and immersive technology commissions. Overlaps with FACT's hybrid model but operates at substantially larger scale and broader programming remit.
• Picturehouse Cinemas: UK arthouse cinema chain that operates the cinema at FACT Liverpool. Connected as FACT's cinema partner and broader operator of the arthouse exhibition model that complements FACT's gallery programming.

Direct peers

• Whitechapel Gallery: London contemporary art gallery presenting free exhibitions of established and emerging international artists with associated learning programmes — a comparable free-admission contemporary art model to FACT.
• Somerset House Studios: London cultural venue combining artist studios/residencies, exhibitions, and creative technology programming — comparable to FACT's blend of Studio/Lab artist residencies and contemporary art exhibitions.
• HOME Manchester: Manchester arts centre combining contemporary art galleries, cinema, and theatre under one roof — the closest direct analogue to FACT's hybrid gallery/cinema model in a UK regional city.
• BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art: Regional contemporary art venue in Gateshead offering free gallery exhibitions, artist commissions, and learning programmes of comparable scale and model to FACT Liverpool. Both operate as publicly-funded contemporary art centres outside London with strong artist development programmes.
• Spike Island: Bristol-based contemporary art centre combining artist studios, free gallery exhibitions, and commissioning programmes for emerging artists — closely comparable to FACT's Studio/Lab artist development model.
• Tate Liverpool: Liverpool's flagship contemporary art gallery and FACT's most direct local peer. Both present free exhibitions of contemporary art in Liverpool and serve overlapping audiences, though Tate operates at a larger scale as part of the Tate network.
• Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA): London venue combining contemporary art exhibitions, arthouse cinema, talks, and learning programmes. Closely mirrors FACT's hybrid format of free galleries plus paid cinema and educational programming.

Regional players

• Metal Liverpool: Liverpool-based artist development organisation providing studios, residencies, and commissioning opportunities — closely comparable to FACT's Studio/Lab offering in the same regional market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FACTLiverpool
• Facebookfacebook.com/FACTliverpool
• Instagraminstagram.com/fact_liverpool
• TikToktiktok.com/@fact_liverpool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/factliverpool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 FACT Liverpool