Case study:Achates Fundraises: Northern Ballet

David Collins, Executive Director

Sarah Chun in Wailers. Photos Emma Kauldhar

Northern Ballet is the UK’s most foremost narrative ballet company, breaking down barriers to the art form and telling stories that move audiences across the country. From its home in Leeds, the company makes work which combines passionate storytelling, the mastery of classical dance technique and live music, showcasing exceptional home-grown and international talent on the world-stage. With a firmly held belief in the power to change lives through dance, the organisation is committed to engaging with people from all different sectors of the community.

2022 saw the company appoint a new leadership team, comprising a new Artistic Director, Executive Director and Chair, as well as securing its place in Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation programme from 2023-2026. At this moment of change, the senior leadership team wanted to assess the company’s contributed income in order to identify key opportunities for growth to support Northern Ballet’s ambitions for its future work, both on stage and off.

In early 2023, Achates led on the development of a Fundraising Snapshot to inform a 3-year strategy which would build on Northern Ballet’s evolving programme of work, development of audiences and establishment of new leadership and governance, to raise its voluntary income over the period. Northern Ballet have now taken the recommendations from this Snapshot forward, to help shape their plans and lay the foundations to maintain and grow contributed income from a breadth of sources.