A community-led cultural organisation

Hidden Beach Festival is produced by Hidden Beach Festival CIC, a Community Interest Company.

This legal structure reflects why we exist: to place community value, culture and creativity at the heart of what we do, rather than maximising private profit.

We operate professionally, responsibly and transparently — while keeping our purpose rooted in public benefit.

Why we are a Community Interest Company

A Community Interest Company (CIC) is a legal structure designed for organisations that exist to benefit the wider community.

It allows us to:

• Trade and operate sustainably, like a business

• Reinvest income back into cultural and community activity

• Protect our purpose through legal safeguards

As a CIC, Hidden Beach is required to demonstrate that our work benefits the community, and our assets and surpluses are legally locked for public good.

This means that anything we generate through the festival and related activity is reinvested into future programmes, artists, learning, access and local cultural life.

Our purpose

Hidden Beach Festival CIC exists to support:

• Music, arts and cultural practice in Hastings, St Leonards-on-Sea and beyond

• Local artists, facilitators and creative practitioners

• Shared cultural experiences that bring people together

• Long-term cultural resilience rather than short-term extraction

We work with local venues, community organisations, schools, businesses and cultural partners to build something that is rooted, relational and lasting.

Governance and accountability

Hidden Beach Festival CIC is overseen by a board of directors who are responsible for the organisation’s strategy, financial management and legal compliance.

We:

• File annual accounts and statutory returns

• Publish a Community Interest Report each year

• Are regulated by the CIC Regulator

• Operate with transparency and accountability

This ensures that our work remains aligned with our mission and public benefit purpose.

Why this structure matters

Our CIC structure allows us to:

• Apply for public, charitable and social funding

• Partner with councils, trusts, schools and cultural bodies

• Offer confidence to funders, artists and collaborators

• Protect the long-term future of the project

It also means that if Hidden Beach were ever to close, any remaining assets would legally pass to another organisation with a similar community purpose.

Get involved

Hidden Beach Festival CIC exists because of the people and partners who shape it.

If you are interested in:

• Partnering or collaborating

• Sponsoring or supporting the programme

• Volunteering or contributing skills

• Learning more about our structure or reporting

…we would love to hear from you.

Contact: hello@hiddenbea.ch

We are always happy to share our Community Interest Report or talk through how we work.

Hidden Beach Festival CIC is not just a festival producer — it is a cultural commons held in trust for the community.

Thank you for being part of that.