Invisible Dust
Invisible Dust is a UK-based charity founded in 2009 that commissions leading international artists alongside climate scientists to produce public art installations, exhibitions, and digital programmes on climate change and environmental issues for the general public, cultural institutions, and local communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersScarborough, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Invisible Dust does
Invisible Dust is a UK-based registered charity (no. 1171156) founded in 2009 that produces art-science projects connecting public audiences with climate change and environmental issues through contemporary artworks. The organization commissions leading international artists in collaboration with climate scientists to generate exhibitions, public art installations, sound walks, augmented reality experiences, and online programming. Its core programmes include Wild Eye (a permanent coastal art trail across Scarborough and Whitby with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust), Climate Clock (a permanent public art trail as part of Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture), Breathe:2022 (a multi-site air pollution artwork deployed on 250+ JCDecaux digital screens), UnNatural History (a 26-artist exhibition at Herbert Art Gallery), Forecast (an online programme on planetary futures with international editions in Turkey and India), Living Nature (a three-day event series on human-nature relationships), and Green Light (a capacity-building programme for cultural organizations).
The underlying technology stack is modest and media-focused: AR experiences activated via QR codes, GPS-triggered audio delivered through the third-party Echoes app, digital video and multimedia production, and digital archives of artist films. No proprietary AI/ML systems are disclosed. Distribution channels include physical venues (museums, galleries, public spaces), digital platforms (website, YouTube with a Forecast archive), and community settings (schools, community centers).
The business model is grant-driven: core funding from Arts Council England (National Lottery), Wellcome Trust, British Council, Towns Fund, and various trusts and foundations, supplemented by corporate sponsorship (e.g., Aurum Fund Management), individual donations (with Gift Aid), and a small paid consultancy line (£150/hour for Green Light support sessions). Customer segments span the general public, local North Yorkshire communities, cultural sector organizations, and an international network of artists, scientists, and thinkers. The organization operates with a lean team of 1–10 employees supplemented by trustees and project-based collaborators.
Invisible Dust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Invisible Dust
- Legal name
- Invisible Dust Ltd.
- Website
- https://invisibledust.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Invisible Dust is a UK-based charity founded in 2009 that commissions leading international artists alongside climate scientists to produce public art installations, exhibitions, and digital programmes on climate change and environmental issues for the general public, cultural institutions, and local communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Invisible Dust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Scarborough
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Invisible Dust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Trusts & Foundations Funding: Invisible Dust receives grant funding from lottery distributors, Town Deal funds, and grant-making bodies for core funding, coastal community projects, and global online programmes. Funding supports artistic programme delivery and organizational operations.
- Individual Donations: One-off or regular donations accepted via PayPal. UK taxpayers can increase donations by 25% through Gift Aid scheme.
- Programme Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship of specific projects and programmes, such as Aurum Fund Management's sponsorship of Living Nature.
- Professional Services: One-to-one support sessions offered at £150 per hour for organizations seeking guidance on environmental programming in the cultural sector.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-to-one support sessions for cultural organizations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Invisible Dust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Invisible Dust is a UK-based registered charity that commissions and produces contemporary artworks at the intersection of art and climate science. The organisation partners leading international artists with climate scientists to create public art installations, exhibitions, sound walks, augmented reality experiences, and educational programmes that make climate change emotionally tangible. Revenue is generated through grants, donations, corporate sponsorship, and select fee-based professional services.
Product overview
Invisible Dust is a UK-based art-science charity that brings together leading artists and scientists to create works of art about climate change. Their portfolio consists of multiple interconnected programmes: Wild Eye is their flagship coastal art-nature project combining permanent public sculptures with community engagement along the North Yorkshire coast. Climate Clock is their European Capital of Culture initiative in Oulu. Breathe:2022 is their air pollution awareness artwork displayed across public spaces. They also produce recurring programmes including the Forecast online platform exploring future-of-planet themes, Living Nature event series on human-nature relationships, and UnNatural History exhibitions at cultural institutions. Green Light is their capacity-building programme for the cultural sector. Supporting these are audio-visual products like Sea Songs Soundwalks and Wild Eye Audio Postcards. The organization operates from Scarborough, Yorkshire, and is registered as UK charity no. 1171156.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Wild Eye: Art and nature project along the North Yorkshire coast bringing together leading artists to engage communities with wildlife and climate change awareness.
- Forecast
- Breathe
- UnNatural History
- Living Nature
- Green Light
Products and services
- Wild Eye A coastal art and nature programme creating permanent outdoor sculptures and installations along the North Yorkshire coast (Scarborough and Whitby), combining wildlife observation opportunities with climate change awareness through site-specific artworks by leading artists. Targeted at local communities, families and visitors to the coast.
- Climate Clock A permanent public art trail reflecting on humanity's relationship with nature and climate warming, awakening audiences to Earth's rhythms. Curated by Alice Sharp with seven international artists, located in Finland as part of Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture.
- Breathe:2022 Multi-site artwork by Dryden Goodwin exploring air pollution through 1,300+ drawings displayed on screens, bridges, and buildings near polluted roads, commissioned for Lewisham London Borough of Culture 2022.
- UnNatural History Major international exhibition at Herbert Art Gallery exploring natural history and climate change through 26 artists' works, including four newly commissioned pieces responding to the museum's Natural Science Collection.
- Forecast Evolving online programme bringing together artists, scientists, thinkers and change-makers to explore ideas shaping the planet's future, including panel discussions, film commissions, and artistic performances.
- Living Nature Three-day event series exploring human-nature relationships through art, science and indigenous wisdom, featuring talks, discussions, screenings, and listening sessions.
- Green Light Skills training programme designed to inspire and support cultural sector organizations to embed environmental themes in their creative work, featuring masterclasses and one-to-one support sessions at £150 per hour.
- Sea Songs Soundwalks GPS-triggered audio soundwalks in Scarborough and Whitby created with sound artist Rob Mackay and students from Scarborough Sixth Form, featuring marine environment recordings delivered via the Echoes app.
- Wild Eye Audio Postcards Series of nature-inspired podcasts by sound artist Lucia Scazzocchio featuring local residents, scientists, artists and conservationists discussing the marine environment and climate.
- We Breathe, Together Community engagement day featuring workshops, installations and talks focused on clean air action, held at Horniman Museum and Gardens with over 500 participants.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ young people engaged in single community event
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Invisible Dust
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Invisible Dust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature5 records
Invisible Dust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.
- Oulu2026 European Capital of CultureflagshipClimate Clock project is part of Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture programme - permanent public art trail reflecting on climate warming and Earth's rhythms in Finland.
- School of Environment and Architecture (SEA) MumbaiflagshipPartnership for SEA Pavilion celebrating SEA's 10th Anniversary. Open call for architects and artists under 30 to design sustainable pavilions in Mumbai.
- Raqs Media CollectivecoreCollaboration on SEA Pavilion Mumbai and Cloud Messengers project. Delhi-based international artists working at intersections of contemporary art, historical enquiry, and philosophical speculation.
- Wellcome CollectionflagshipHost venue for Breathe:2022 drawings and sound piece as part of 'In the Air' exhibition exploring relationship between air and health.
- people make it workcoreCollaboration for Green Light programme - supporting cultural sector organizations to embed environmental themes. people make it work provides 20+ years of supporting arts and cultural sector transformation.
- The AlbanyflagshipCommissioning partner for Breathe:2022 as part of 'We are Lewisham' programme - London Borough of Culture 2022.
- JCDecauxmajorDigital outdoor advertising partner for Breathe:2022 - artwork featured on 250+ digital screens via JCDecaux Community Channel initiative, reaching 13 million viewers.
- Flourishing DiversityflagshipCo-production partnership for Living Nature - a three-day event series exploring future of human-nature relationships through art, science, and indigenous wisdom. Partnership with British Library and Synchronicity Earth.
- Herbert Art Gallery and MuseumflagshipHost venue for UnNatural History exhibition - major new exhibition exploring natural history and climate change as part of Coventry UK City of Culture 2021. Featured 26 international artists.
- Yorkshire Wildlife TrustcoreCore partnership for Wild Eye project - an inspiring nature and art project bringing together leading artists with opportunities for people in Scarborough and Whitby to engage with coastal wildlife and climate change. The partnership combines Invisible Dust's art-science expertise with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's conservation knowledge.
- English HeritagecoreCollaboration on Wild Eye project, hosting Ryan Gander's 'We are only human' sculpture at Scarborough Castle headland. English Heritage offers free annual access to local families from specific postcodes to view the sculpture.
- British LibraryflagshipHost venue partner for Living Nature event series, providing physical space for talks, discussions, and listening sessions.
- Synchronicity EarthcoreConservation charity partner for Living Nature, working in overlooked and underfunded areas worldwide. Founder Jessica Sweidan hosts Forecast discussions.
- Teos Culture and Art Association (Izmir, Turkey)flagshipCo-curating Forecast Türkiye: Memory of Water / Suyun Belleği - latest edition of Forecast programme in Turkey.
- TBA21–Academy (Spain)coreCollaboration on The Ocean's Edge / Litoral do Limite project led by Pivô (Brazil) and Invisible Dust (UK).
- Pivô (Brazil)coreLead organization for The Ocean's Edge / Litoral do Limite project exploring connections between monsoon rains, floods, financial markets, and actuarial science.
- The Design VillageminorPartner for SEA Pavilion Mumbai with support from Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Invisible Dust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Julie's Bicycle: UK-based charity supporting environmental sustainability within the arts and cultural sector. Highly comparable as a UK nonprofit operating at the intersection of culture and climate, with overlapping funder base (Arts Council England, Wellcome) and similar capacity-building programmes.
- TBA21–Academy: International contemporary art institution focused on the ocean and ecological transformation. Closely comparable mission and operating model; TBA21–Academy is also an active project partner of Invisible Dust on The Ocean's Edge.
- Artsadmin: UK-based arts charity producing experimental, often science- and ecology-adjacent work with broad partnerships. Comparable as a UK arts charity producing commissioned, place-based cultural projects with similar funder mix.
- Cape Farewell: Historically pioneering UK organisation that brought artists and scientists together on climate change. Closest historical direct peer to Invisible Dust in mission, even though operations are limited today.
- Creative Carbon Scotland: Scotland-based environmental arts charity helping cultural organisations respond to climate change. Comparable as a UK arts-and-climate nonprofit with similar funder ecosystem and capacity-building remit.
Broad incumbents
- Wellcome Collection: Major London cultural venue programming at the intersection of science, health, and the arts. Comparable as an established institution that hosts Invisible Dust commissions and operates overlapping climate-and-public-engagement programming.
- Natural History Museum: UK institution communicating science and environmental change through exhibitions and public programming. Comparable as a venue and as an institution engaging the public with climate/nature themes, but on a far larger scale and as the operator rather than curator of exhibitions.
- Serpentine Galleries: Major London contemporary art institution with significant environmental and ecological programming. Comparable as a larger incumbent commissioning artists on climate and ecological themes, but operating at much greater scale and with a global brand.
Regional players
- Pivô: Brazilian contemporary arts organisation that leads international art-science collaborations on environmental themes. Comparable as an active partner of Invisible Dust on The Ocean's Edge and as a similarly-sized international peer, but primarily serving a different geography.
Emerging players
- Cove Park: Scottish artists' residency with a programme focus on environment, ecology, and sustainability. Comparable as a smaller UK organisation developing artist residencies and commissions around environmental themes, although its core model is residency-based.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Invisible Dust social profiles
Digital presenceInvisible Dust compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Invisible Dust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Invisible Dust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Invisible Dust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Invisible Dust 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 Invisible Dust
What does Invisible Dust do?
Invisible Dust is a UK-based registered charity that commissions and produces contemporary artworks at the intersection of art and climate science. The organisation partners leading international artists with climate scientists to create public art installations, exhibitions, sound walks, augmented reality experiences, and educational programmes that make climate change emotionally tangible. Revenue is generated through grants, donations, corporate sponsorship, and select fee-based professional services.
Is Invisible Dust a public or private company?
Invisible Dust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Invisible Dust founded?
Invisible Dust was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Invisible Dust based?
Invisible Dust is headquartered in Scarborough, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Invisible Dust make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Trusts & Foundations Funding is the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, programme Sponsorship and professional Services.
Who are Invisible Dust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Julie's Bicycle, TBA21–Academy, Artsadmin, Cape Farewell and Creative Carbon Scotland. Broad incumbents are Wellcome Collection, Natural History Museum and Serpentine Galleries. Pivô is listed as a regional player. Cove Park is listed as an emerging player.
Does Invisible Dust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Invisible Dust.