Invisible Dust

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Scarborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Individual Donations: One-off or regular donations accepted via PayPal. UK taxpayers can increase donations by 25% through Gift Aid scheme.
3. Programme Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship of specific projects and programmes, such as Aurum Fund Management's sponsorship of Living Nature.
4. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers6 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

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• Oulu2026 European Capital of CultureflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Climate 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) MumbaiflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for SEA Pavilion celebrating SEA's 10th Anniversary. Open call for architects and artists under 30 to design sustainable pavilions in Mumbai.
• Raqs Media CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration on SEA Pavilion Mumbai and Cloud Messengers project. Delhi-based international artists working at intersections of contemporary art, historical enquiry, and philosophical speculation.
• Wellcome CollectionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Host venue for Breathe:2022 drawings and sound piece as part of 'In the Air' exhibition exploring relationship between air and health.
• people make it workcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration 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 AlbanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Commissioning partner for Breathe:2022 as part of 'We are Lewisham' programme - London Borough of Culture 2022.
• JCDecauxmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Digital outdoor advertising partner for Breathe:2022 - artwork featured on 250+ digital screens via JCDecaux Community Channel initiative, reaching 13 million viewers.
• Flourishing DiversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Co-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 MuseumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Host 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 TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore 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 HeritagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration 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 LibraryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue partner for Living Nature event series, providing physical space for talks, discussions, and listening sessions.
• Synchronicity EarthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation 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)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-curating Forecast Türkiye: Memory of Water / Suyun Belleği - latest edition of Forecast programme in Turkey.
• TBA21–Academy (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on The Ocean's Edge / Litoral do Limite project led by Pivô (Brazil) and Invisible Dust (UK).
• Pivô (Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organization for The Ocean's Edge / Litoral do Limite project exploring connections between monsoon rains, floods, financial markets, and actuarial science.
• The Design VillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for SEA Pavilion Mumbai with support from Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• Xtwitter.com/invisible_dust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCTtskX11K5bkK0gVXyt5miw
• Facebookfacebook.com/InvisibleDust
• Instagraminstagram.com/invisible_dust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/invisible-dust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Invisible Dust