Theaterhaus Jena

What Theaterhaus Jena does

Theaterhaus Jena operates as a hybrid performing arts theater located at Schillergässchen 1, 07745 Jena, Thuringia, Germany, registered as Theaterhaus Jena gGmbH (HRB 204982, Amtsgericht Jena) and founded in 1991. The venue functions as a bridge between the independent German theater scene (freie Szene) and the municipal state theater (Stadttheater), positioning itself as an 'aesthetic laboratory' and springboard for young stage artists. Its portfolio of products and services encompasses professional stage productions (approximately nine premieres per season, including Spielzeit 25/26 premieres such as Hass / Μίσος / Ură, Wie ist deine Verfassung?, Howl, La Bohème, I won't give up on this, and the 2026 Sommerspektakel 'Kassandra: coming of age at the end of the world'), the teenpark youth theater program, the annual Jenaer Schultheatertage (STT) four-day school theater festival, a recurring Open Call for external artist submissions (currently in its fourth round for 27/28), an Engeltours digital children's series, and group workshop offerings. The customer base spans general Jena and Thuringia audiences, teenagers aged roughly 12-18, school groups from elementary through vocational level, and young/emerging theater professionals seeking a structured pathway to professional production.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: (1) ticket sales routed through the in-house box office and the external Vibus platform, with prices not publicly disclosed; (2) recurring municipal and public funding, anchored by the City of Jena's Jugend und Bildungsreferat / Jugendamt, with likely additional Thuringia state and federal cultural subsidies; and (3) project-based grants and corporate sponsorship, including JenaWohnen and Privatbrauerei Metzler for individual productions, plus EU-level funding through Culture Moves Europe and the Goethe-Institut for the international exchange with Örkény Színház Budapest. The gGmbH non-profit legal status governs eligibility for these public and grant funding streams. Distribution is primarily direct in-person attendance at the Jena venue and event-specific online ticketing, with international co-production extending reach to Hungary and broader Europe.

The technology stack is standard cultural-venue infrastructure: Contao CMS as the publishing platform; Vimeo and YouTube (both configured in privacy-enhanced Do-Not-Track or expanded-privacy mode); Google Analytics for web analytics with a 28-day data retention period; CleverReach for newsletter distribution; and WhatsApp and Telegram (alongside Facebook and Instagram) for community messaging. The site maintains bilingual German/English content and EU-US Data Privacy Framework alignment for Vimeo, Google, and WhatsApp. There is no public-facing API, no SDK, and no proprietary technology components disclosed.

Name

Theaterhaus Jena

Legal name

Theaterhaus Jena gGmbH

Website

https://theaterhaus-jena.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Theaterhaus Jena is a non-profit hybrid theater venue in Jena, Germany, founded 1991, bridging the independent scene and municipal theater through main stage productions, teenpark youth theater, the annual Schultheatertage school festival, an Open Call for emerging artists, and international co-productions, funded by ticket sales, public subsidies, and project grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

Keywords

• Performing arts theater
• Live theater productions
• Youth theater programs
• Theater education festivals
• Contemporary stage productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Jena

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales: Revenue from sales of tickets to theatrical performances, premieres, summer spectacles, and school theater day events. Tickets sold via the theater's own box office and the Vibus external ticketing platform.
2. Municipal funding and public subsidies: As a gGmbH (non-profit limited company) and established cultural institution in Jena since 1991, the theater receives public funding from the City of Jena (Jugend und Bildungsreferat / Jugendamt) and likely additional subsidies from state (Thuringia) and federal cultural funding bodies.
3. Project grants and sponsorship: Additional funding from cultural sponsors and supporters for specific productions, such as JenaWohnen supporting 'Die Welt ist rund' and Privatbrauerei Metzler supporting 'Oase'. International exchange productions receive EU-level funding such as Culture Moves Europe for the Jena-Budapest theater exchange.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Theaterhaus Jena operates a professional theater venue in Jena, Germany, producing and presenting a seasonal program of original productions, adaptations, and international co-productions on its main stage (Hauptbühne) and rehearsal stage (Probebühne). Beyond mainstage productions, it runs the teenpark youth theater program, the annual Jenaer Schultheatertage (STT) school festival, an Open Call for emerging artists, the Engeltours digital tour series for children, and supporting programs including workshops and group offerings. Tickets are sold via the venue's box office and the external Vibus platform.

Product overview

Theaterhaus Jena is a theater venue offering a portfolio of interconnected programs: main stage productions (new works, adaptations, and co-productions with international partners like Örkény Színház Budapest), the teenpark youth theater program, the annual Jenaer Schultheatertage festival for school groups, the Open Call artist submission program, Engeltours digital series for children, and supporting programs including group workshops and educational offerings. The venue positions itself as an aesthetic laboratory and springboard for young stage artists, bridging the independent scene and municipal theater.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STT - Jenaer Schultheatertage: An annual 4-day festival for school theater groups from elementary to secondary schools, and extracurricular theater groups, where young people present their theatrical works on the main stage of Theaterhaus Jena.
• teenpark
• Engeltours

Products and services

• Theater Productions (Spielzeit season program) Professional theater performances including original productions, adaptations, and co-productions with international partners, presented on the main stage (Hauptbühne) and rehearsal stage (Probebühne). The 2025/26 season features works by emerging and established artists exploring themes of identity, society, and contemporary issues. Intended for adult and young adult audiences in Jena and Thuringia.
• teenpark Youth Theater Program Youth theater program and club where young people meet Theaterhaus Jena professionals to read, discuss, rehearse, and perform. Includes regular group meetings and an annual/full production by the teen (e.g., 'Trotz' trilogy). Intended for young people aged roughly 12-18 in Jena and surrounding region.
• Jenaer Schultheatertage (STT) — School Theater Days Festival Annual 4-day festival where school groups from elementary to vocational schools present theatrical works on the main stage of Theaterhaus Jena. Includes a mentorship program, stage time allocations, and technical support. Registration via [email protected] and the dedicated STT website. Schools from across Jena and Thuringia participate (e.g., Jugendkunstschule KAJ/Klex/Freie Bühne, GS Steinmaleins, GS Heinrich Heine, Pestalozzi Gymnasium Stadtroda, Lobdeburgschule, Adolf Reichwein Gymnasium, Musik- und Kunstschule Jena, Angergymnasium, Christliches Gymnasium, Kulturanum, Otto Schott Gymnasium, GMS Leonardo).
• Open Call 27/28 (Artist Submission Program) Annual artistic call for proposals seeking strong artistic ideas, diverse perspectives, and bold new voices. Now in its fourth round for the 2027/28 season. Open to emerging and independent stage artists seeking a professional platform to develop and premiere productions at Theaterhaus Jena.
• Engeltours (Virtual Tour Series) Digital series format for children and theater enthusiasts featuring hand puppets (Ronnes and Haland) taking viewers on an 11-episode virtual tour through Theaterhaus Jena, introducing theater professions and providing behind-the-scenes access. Serves as both educational content and audience development tool.
• Rahmenprogramm (Supporting Program) Additional programming including talks, discussions, workshops, and educational events complementing the main stage productions. Open to all audiences attending the venue.
• Angebote für Gruppen (Group Offerings) Group offerings including workshops and tailored theater experiences for various groups and organizations visiting the venue.
• Tickets (Box Office and Vibus Ticketing) Online ticket sales and reservation system for Theaterhaus Jena performances, distributed via the external Vibus platform (tickets.vibus.de) for advance purchases and the venue's on-site box office (opens 30 minutes before each performance). Therapy tickets for select events are also available via [email protected].

Quantifiable outcome

• Schultheatertage 2025: 16 school groups participated across the four-day festival on the main stage
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Örkény Színház BudapestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2025Ongoing theater exchange partnership between Theaterhaus Jena and Örkény Színház Budapest. The first joint production 'Herscht 07769' (Jena, premiere April 3, 2025) was developed in collaboration with the Budapest ensemble, featuring joint cast (Máté Borsi-Balogh, Tünde Kókai from Budapest; Saba Hosseini, Luana Velis from Jena). The reciprocal production 'Sokszor nem halunk meg' premiered at Örkény Színház Budapest on March 6, 2025. The collaboration is supported by Culture Moves Europe funding.
• Jugend und Bildungsreferat der Stadt Jena (Jugendamt)coreOthersThe youth and education department of the City of Jena provides ongoing support for the Schultheatertage festival and broader youth participation programs including the teenpark youth theater.
• LAG Spiel- und Theater e.V.minorOthersThuringian state association for play and theater (Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft) co-supports the annual Schultheatertage festival.
• JenaWohnenminorOthersJenaWohnen, a local housing company, provided support for the production 'Die Welt ist rund' by Gertrude Stein (premiered November 29, 2024).
• Privatbrauerei MetzlerminorOthersPrivatbrauerei Metzler (Dingslebener) provided generous in-kind sponsorship support for the 'Oase' production (premiered December 19, 2024).
• Goethe-InstitutminorOthersGoethe-Institut provided financial support for the international 'Herscht 07769' co-production between Jena and Budapest, facilitating cultural exchange and German-Hungarian artistic collaboration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Staatstheater Braunschweig: Lower-Saxony state theater where Theaterhaus Jena's artistic director Lukas Pergande previously worked. Comparable as a regional state theater producing a mix of contemporary and classical drama, and as a likely destination for alumni of Theaterhaus Jena's ensemble pipeline.
• Schauspiel Leipzig: Eastern German municipal theater comparable in scale to Theaterhaus Jena but operating as a full Stadttheater. Comparable as a regional drama venue in the former East German cultural landscape with similar audience-development challenges.
• Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin: Berlin's leading contemporary theater for socially engaged and politically charged programming. Comparable artistic positioning (socially critical themes, diverse voices, multilingual productions) but at a larger scale and with national rather than regional audience reach.

Regional players

• Theater Erfurt: Multi-discipline municipal theater serving the Thuringian capital, comparable in scope and public funding structure to Theaterhaus Jena. Competes for the same regional audience base and similar municipal/cultural funding allocation from the state of Thuringia.
• Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar: The state theater of Thuringia located ~25km from Jena, operating a similar mix of drama, opera and ballet productions. Comparable as a directly neighboring Thuringian theater competing for the same regional audience and overlapping municipal funding pools.
• Puehler Theater (Pühler): Independent theater collective operating within the freie Szene. Comparable as a smaller hybrid venue focused on contemporary experimental work and emerging artists, similar to Theaterhaus Jena's aesthetic-laboratory positioning.

Direct peers

• FFT Düsseldorf (Forum Freies Theater): Düsseldorf venue dedicated to the independent performing arts scene (freie Szene). Comparable as an artist-development platform for emerging creators and a presenter of contemporary international work — directly analogous in mission to Theaterhaus Jena's hybrid positioning.
• Kampnagel Hamburg: Hamburg-based international venue for performing arts explicitly positioned as a hybrid between independent scene and municipal programming — the closest structural analogue to Theaterhaus Jena's freie Szene / Stadttheater bridge model in Germany.
• Theater an der Glocksee Hannover: Hannover-based independent theater focused on youth participation and emerging artists. Comparable to Theaterhaus Jena's teenpark and Schultheatertage programming model — both operate as hybrid educational-creative platforms at the intersection of freie Szene and youth theater.

Emerging players

• ökoRAUSCH theater collective: Independent theater collective based in Thuringia working at the intersection of freie Szene aesthetics and socially engaged programming. Comparable in scale and thematic focus to Theaterhaus Jena's smaller ensemble productions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100063520692125
• Instagraminstagram.com/theaterhausjena
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theaterhaus-jena

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Theaterhaus Jena