What Mousonturm does

Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm is a municipal cultural enterprise (Frankfurt am Main GmbH) wholly owned by the City of Frankfurt am Main, operating as an international production house for contemporary theater, dance, performance, and music. Founded in 1963, with programming roots extending to 1926 (its 2026 '100 Jahre Mousonturm' anniversary), the institution runs a mainstage venue at Waldschmidtstr. 4 and a youth-theater location at the Zoogesellschaftshaus (Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1), with a 51-100 headcount. Its portfolio comprises mainstage productions, festivals (e.g., 'Summer in the City'), the Junge Theaterwerkstatt am Zoo for ages 6+, the Zentrum Junger Tanz lighthouse project for youth dance education, Profitraining for professional dancers, mobile dance touring to schools, teacher training, and the Stern im Mousonturm bar/bistro. Digital products include the 'Enter Ghost. Frankfurter Séance' location-based audio-video walk smartphone app (world premiere April 2025).

The business model blends earned and unearned revenue streams. Earned income is generated through unit-priced ticket sales (€8-€36 solidarity tiers) distributed via the Reservix online platform and on-site box office, bar/bistro food and beverage sales, and venue rentals for private events. Unearned income is dominated by recurring public cultural funding from the City of Frankfurt's Kulturamt and Dezernat für Kultur und Wissenschaft, supplemented by foundation grants — the Crespo Foundation anchors the five-year Zentrum Junger Tanz, with additional support from the Stiftung Polytechnische Gesellschaft, Aventis Foundation, and Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain. Mousonturm is a member of the six-institution Explore Dance network (since 2018) and pursues international co-productions with partners such as LIGNA, Swoosh Lieu, and Goethe-Institut branches in the Philippines and Brazil.

Customer-facing technology is limited to standard SaaS integrations: Reservix for ticketing, CleverReach for newsletter dispatch, and self-hosted Matomo for GDPR-compliant web analytics. The technology stack supports rather than differentiates the offering. Operating geographies are concentrated in the Frankfurt am Main metropolitan area and the broader Rhein-Main region, with international activity limited to a small number of co-productions and touring engagements. The institution is privately held, receives no venture capital or private equity investment, and reports no publicly disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Mousonturm

Legal name

Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm Frankfurt am Main GmbH

Website

https://mousonturm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mousonturm is a Frankfurt-based municipal production house producing contemporary theater, dance, performance, and music, while running youth programs (Junge Theaterwerkstatt, Zentrum Junger Tanz) and a bar/bistro, funded primarily by the City of Frankfurt and foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue and Production House

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Dance Companies (71112), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Contemporary performing arts
• Theater production
• Dance education
• Youth theater programs
• Cultural venue operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales: Revenue from ticket sales for performances, events, and concerts. Tickets are sold through the Reservix online platform and at the box office.
2. Bar & Bistro (Stern im Mousonturm): The Stern bar and bistro operates on-site, offering weekly changing vegetarian/vegan dishes, bar evenings, and DJ nights. The venue can also be rented for private events.
3. Venue rentals and events: The venue and its spaces (including the Stern bar) can be rented for private events such as birthdays and celebrations.
4. Public cultural funding: Mousonturm is a cultural enterprise of the City of Frankfurt am Main, receiving public funding from cultural offices and various foundations to support its programming and educational initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm is a municipal production house and performance venue in Frankfurt am Main that produces and presents contemporary dance, theater, performance, music, and visual arts. It runs dedicated programs for children and youth, including the Junge Theaterwerkstatt am Zoo, the Zentrum Junger Tanz, mobile school-based dance pieces, professional dance training (Profitraining), and digital experiences such as the Enter Ghost audio-video walk app. Operations are complemented by the on-site Stern bar & bistro and venue rental for private events.

Product overview

Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm is an international production house for contemporary performing arts in Frankfurt am Main, operating as a multi-venue theater complex. The institution offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including main stage theater and concert productions, the Junge Theaterwerkstatt am Zoo for youth theater (with clubs, workshops, and performances for ages 6+), the Zentrum Junger Tanz as a lighthouse project for dance education for children and youth (with mobile dance pieces, school programs, and teacher training), and Profitraining for professional dancers. Additional offerings include the Stern im Mousonturm bar/bistro, the Explore Dance national network for youth dance, and digital experiences like the Enter Ghost audio-video walk app. The institution operates from Waldschmidtstraße 4 with a planned move to the Palmengarten Frankfurt in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Junge Theaterwerkstatt am Zoo: A program dedicated to theater for children and young people, located at Zoogesellschaftshaus, Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1, Frankfurt
• Zentrum Junger Tanz
• Stern im Mousonturm
• Profitraining
• Explore Dance

Products and services

• Junge Theaterwerkstatt am Zoo Theater program for children and young people operating from the Zoogesellschaftshaus (Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1). Offers clubs (Theater-Club for ages 11+, Open House for ages 13+, Dance-Club for ages 6–8), workshops, guest performances, and youth theater productions. Includes the 4th Festival from June 12–28, 2025, and partners with TheaterGrueneSosse and Paradiesvogel e.V. on the nationwide unique 'a better place' project.
• Zentrum Junger Tanz Lighthouse project for dance education and stage arts for children and youth, funded by the Crespo Foundation and supported by Stiftung Polytechnische Gesellschaft. Includes mobile dance pieces, school programs, teacher training, and dance performances for young audiences. Operates as part of the Explore Dance national network across six German cities.
• Profitraining Professional dance training offered Monday–Friday, 10:00–11:30 a.m. on Mousonturm Rehearsal Stage 3. Directed at professional dancers and performers. Single class priced at €6 and a 10-class card at €35; free for MA CoDE, MA CuP and BAtanz students. Current trainers include Eri Funahashi Geen, Max Levy, Rafael Leandro Hellweg, Maale, Aška Gruberska, Norbert Pape, Andrew Champlin, and Melissa Ugolini.
• Stern im Mousonturm On-site bar and bistro operated by Lukas Moll and Jörg Wegner within the Mousonturm venue. Offers weekly changing homemade vegetarian/vegan dishes with house-made dips, community cooking, bar evenings, DJ nights, and private event rental. Functions as a social meeting point during performances.
• Enter Ghost. Frankfurter Séance A cyberfeminist audio-video walk experience by Swoosh Lieu collective. Users follow a smartphone-guided 70-minute walk through Frankfurt's main cemetery encountering queer ghosts and stories; available as a free app download on iOS and Android. Coproduced by Mousonturm with funding from Fonds Darstellende Künste.
• Mobile Tanzstücke (Mobile Dance Pieces) Mobile dance productions that bring contemporary dance directly to young audiences in schools, sports halls, and public spaces across the Rhein-Main region. Includes pieces such as Karkerou (for ages 6+), WIND und WAND (for ages 10+), Where the Boys are, Prisma, and Tie Break. Bookable for schools at unit pricing.
• Fortbildung & Austausch (Training & Exchange) Professional development and exchange formats for educators, teachers, and dance professionals. Includes Kindertanzt! training for Kita/school settings, Dance All Over (DAO) for secondary school teachers, and various forum events on dance pedagogy.
• Tanz in Kita, Schule & Hort Dance programs for children ages 0–10 in kindergartens, after-school programs, and schools. Includes Moove On!, Tanz + Basketball machen Schule (in partnership with SKYLINERS e.V.), and the three-year keep on moving – die tanzende Schule initiative with partner schools.
• Tanz-Club für Kinder (Dance Club for Children) Weekly dance club for children aged 7–9 under the artistic direction of Raimonda Gudavičiūtė. Meets Tuesdays 4–5:30 p.m. Free trial sessions available, with subsequent monthly fees set on a solidarity basis of €20, €35, or €50.
• Explore Dance Netzwerk National network for dance for young audiences active since 2018, comprising six partner institutions across Germany. Has produced 34 dance productions with approximately 600 performances nationwide and internationally, collaborating with over 400 schools and involving approximately 200 artists. Recipient of the Deutscher Tanzpreis (2024) and Perspektivpreis 2019.

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Explore Dance Network (fabrik Potsdam, Fokus Tanz München, HELLERAU, K3 Hamburg, Perform[d]ance Stralsund)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Nationwide network since 2018 dedicated to providing sustainable access to dance as an art form for children and youth. Mousonturm serves as one of six partner institutions, contributing to production, touring, and mediation of dance pieces.
• TheaterGrueneSossecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor cooperation partner in the Junge Theaterwerkstatt am Zoo project. TheaterGrueneSosse is co-producing the 'a better place' project and 'Junge Theaterwerkstatt am Zoo' - a nationwide unique model for a production house for young audiences.
• Paradiesvogel e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the 'a better place' project and Junge Theaterwerkstatt am Zoo. Contributes to the democratic theater model working with young audiences.
• LIGNAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for 'Ein Raum ohne Wände' international children's project. LIGNA serves as concept lead and choreographer alongside international collaborators.
• Goethe-Institut Philippinen and São PaulominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoproduction partners for 'Ein Raum ohne Wände' international children's dance project connecting children from Frankfurt, São Paulo, Beirut, and La Union.
• Various partner schools (Hermann Herzog-Schule, Ballet Paraisópolis São Paulo, CSS Badaro Schule Beirut, San Fernando City SPED Integrated School, Comeniusschule)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institutions collaborating on 'Ein Raum ohne Wände' project, bringing together children from four cities for international dance experience.
• Swoosh LieucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueerfeminist media art and performance collective creating 'Enter Ghost. Frankfurter Séance' - a cyberfeminist audio-video walk project coproduced with Mousonturm.
• Zentrum Zeitgenössischer Tanz (ZZT) KölnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in Tanzplattform Rhein-Main network for the 'Ein Raum ohne Wände' international project.
• SKYLINERS e. V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for 'Tanz + Basketball' AG combining dance training with basketball exercises in schools.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HELLERAU - Europäisches Zentrum der Künste Dresden: Dresden-based performing arts center and Explore Dance network partner. Comparable focus on contemporary dance and performance, international coproduction, youth programming.
• fabrik Potsdam: Potsdam-based dance, performance and theater venue; Explore Dance network partner with comparable focus on young-audience programming and contemporary dance production.
• HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin): Berlin's leading independent production house for contemporary theater and dance, operated by the city with multiple venues. Closely comparable operating model, programming philosophy, and international scope.
• SOPHIENSAELE (Berlin): Independent production and performance venue in Berlin focused on contemporary dance, theater, and performance. Closely aligned mission, similar mix of own productions and guest performances, comparable public-funding dependency.
• Kampnagel (Hamburg): International production house for contemporary theater, dance, and performance based in Hamburg, Germany. Most direct comparable: similar municipal-style funding model, multi-hall venue, contemporary performing arts focus.
• Tanzhaus NRW (Düsseldorf): State-funded dance center in Düsseldorf focused on contemporary dance, training, and international production. Comparably structured as a publicly funded dance venue/production house.
• PACT Zollverein (Essen): Choreographic center on the Zollverein UNESCO site, focused on dance and performance production with studios and presentation. Comparable producing venue with residency models and public funding.
• Radialsystem (Berlin): Berlin venue for contemporary dance, performance, and new music. Comparable programming philosophy and city-supported venue model, slightly larger stage footprint.

Emerging players

• Mousonturm's own Explore Dance network (K3 Hamburg, Perform[d]ance Stralsund, Fokus Tanz München): Cohort peers within the Explore Dance national network, each operating as a regional dance/youth production house. Comparable scale and programming mandate as Mousonturm in their respective cities.

Regional players

• Schauspiel Frankfurt: Larger municipal theater (Schauspiel) operating in the same city, Frankfurt am Main. Competes for the same audiences and civic attention but offers a different repertoire focus (text-driven theater), making it a relevant but not directly substitutable peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Mousonturm
• Instagraminstagram.com/mousonturm
• Xx.com/Mousonturm

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Mousonturm