Dorset company hits high note with funding boost

A Dorset-based performing arts software business is set to “raise the curtain on the next stage of growth” following new funding.

Stage School Software has secured a £200,000 loan from the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund, through fund manager The FSE Group. 

Founded in 2023 by Chris Witham, who also owns the Swish of the Curtain Theatre School, which has been operating in Christchurch, Dorset, since 1991, Stage School Software was created to meet the administrative needs of Swish’s franchisees across the south of England. 

The company has now expanded its reach to provide a platform for performing arts schools across the south of England.

Its Enrolio app streamlines theatre and dance school management, allowing schools to handle student sign-ups, process fees and communicate with parents through a unified messaging system. 

It also offers a white-labelled option, enabling schools to create branded platforms with custom domains, flexible payment setups, multi-parent support and scalable infrastructure.

Chris says the cash will support further development of its Enrolio platform, marketing initiatives and will fund new staff hires.

He said: “This support is instrumental.

“As an early-stage business with a limited track record, Stage School Software is not currently in a position to obtain high-street funding.

“FSE was able to see the potential of the business across the franchise base and beyond, agreeing to the South West Investment Fund loan and completing the deal just seven days later.

“I look forward to working with FSE in the future.”

Rob Ward, investment manager at The FSE Group, added: “This is a great opportunity to fund a business that has emerged from a well-established company.

“Chris knows the sector so well, and his experience and connections are invaluable.

“He knows how to create an offering that is both wanted and needed by the performing arts sector and is providing these businesses with the tools they need to succeed.”

The South West Investment Fund offers loans from £25,000 to £100,000, debt finance up to £2 million, and equity investment up to £5 million, helping smaller businesses access funding they might otherwise struggle to secure.

Paul Jones, senior investment manager from the British Business Bank, added: “Chris has come a long way from collecting pound coins from stage students in chilly parish halls in the 1990s to a well-established performing arts franchise today.

“Stage School Software is a natural extension of that, applying digital innovation to remove administrative chores for theatre and dance schools across the UK.

“We hope support from the South West Investment Fund raises the curtain on the next stage of growth.”

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