ASTP-Association pour le Soutien du Théâtre Privé

What ASTP-Association pour le Soutien du Théâtre Privé does

ASTP (Association pour le Soutien du Théâtre Privé) is a French non-profit association founded in 1964 under the dual supervisory authority of the Ministry of Culture and the City of Paris. It is the sole statutory collector of a 3.5% parafiscal tax on tickets for dramatic, lyric, and choreographic performances across France, and it redistributes the proceeds as financial support to private theaters, producers, and touring companies. Its core operational product is the drawing rights mechanism (droit de tirage), which returns 65% of paid tax to eligible structures since January 2024, complemented by guarantee mechanisms, employment aids, creation aids, and an acquisition support program (Aide à la Reprise). Beyond financial redistribution, ASTP operates the public-facing TPA.FR platform (3.3 million unique visits in 2024) for promoting private theater and audience-development programs such as Places Jeunes (€10 youth tickets) and a multi-theater loyalty card.

The organization's business model rests on three recurring revenue streams: the parafiscal ticket tax (€8.81M invoiced in 2023), an annual Ministry of Culture subsidy (€3.62M), and a Ville de Paris subsidy (€3.12M), supplemented by smaller contributions from SACD (€90K) and ADAMI (€130K). In 2025 it distributed €12.4M of economic support across the sector. ASTP employs roughly twenty professionals and is governed by a Board of Directors and, since a 2025 governance reform, a Professional Council representing sector organizations. Its digital infrastructure comprises the Dectanet tax-declaration platform, the affiliation portal, and the TPA.FR public aggregator, but the organization is fundamentally a public-interest financial intermediary rather than a technology company.

Name

ASTP-Association pour le Soutien du Théâtre Privé

Legal name

Association pour le Soutien du Théâtre Privé

Website

https://astp.asso.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ASTP is the French non-profit association founded in 1964 that collects a 3.5% parafiscal tax on theater tickets and redistributes the proceeds as financial aid to private theaters, producers, and touring companies across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Tax Collection: ASTP collects a 3.5% tax on the pre-tax amount of each ticket sold for dramatic, lyric, and choreographic performances across France. This is a parafiscal tax (taxe parafiscale) dedicated to supporting private theater. The tax totaled 8.81M€ in 2023.
2. Government Subsidies: State subsidy of 3.62M€ and subsidy from Ville de Paris of 3.12M€ as ongoing institutional funding.
3. Organizational Dues: Annual membership fee of 160€ for full adherence to the association. Affiliation is free, but adherence (full membership) costs 160€ per year.
4. Partner Contributions: SACD provides 90K€ annually for creation aid, and ADAMI contributes 130K€ for employment aid. These are supplementary funding streams dedicated to specific aid programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ASTP collects a 3.5% parafiscal tax on the pre-tax amount of each ticket sold for dramatic, lyric, and choreographic performances across France, and redistributes the funds as financial support to private theater producers, presenters, and touring companies. Its offerings include the droit de tirage (drawing right) returning up to 65% of paid tax, dedicated aid programs for production, creation, employment, and tour exploitation, plus the Aide à la Reprise for theater acquisitions. The association also operates the TPA.FR platform for public promotion of private theater performances and accessibility programs such as Places Jeunes.

Product overview

ASTP offers a unified portfolio of financial support products for the private theater sector, primarily centered around its core 'Droit de Tirage' drawing right mechanism (up to 65% reversal of paid taxes). The portfolio includes dedicated aids for producer-theaters, presenter-theaters, and touring producers, plus an acquisition support program (Aide à la Reprise). Public-facing operations include the TPA.FR platform promoting private theater performances nationwide, while operational platforms handle tax declarations (Dectanet) and membership/affiliation (Affiliation Portal). Accessibility programs comprise the 'Places Jeunes' youth ticket scheme and loyalty card program. Sector development activities include studies, thematic working groups, and support for professional events. The organization is not a technology product company; it operates as a public service mission organization funded by theater taxes and public subsidies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Droit de Tirage (Drawing Right) Financial mechanism allowing all taxable ticket sellers to access a fraction of the previously paid tax for continuing production and diffusion activities. The reversal rate is up to 65% for performances.
• Aides aux Théâtres (Theater Financial Aids) Financial support for private producer-theaters and presenter-theaters affiliated with ASTP, including exploitation aids, employment aids, creation aids, and guarantee mechanisms.
• Aides aux Producteurs-Tourneurs (Producer-Touring Financial Aids) Financial support for private theatrical production companies affiliated with ASTP engaged in touring activities.
• TPA.FR Digital platform (Théâtres et Producteurs Associés) operated by ASTP to promote private theatrical performances throughout France. In 2024: 3.3 million unique visits, 418,000 clicks to theater ticketing systems, 688 shows listed.
• Dectanet Online platform for declaring theater ticket revenues and paying the 3.5% performance tax. Accessible to all box offices responsible for declarations.
• Affiliation Portal Online procedure portal enabling theatrical structures to affiliate with ASTP to access financial support programs. Free online process with maximum 20 working days processing time.
• Opération Places Jeunes Program enabling Parisian affiliated theaters to offer 10€ tickets to spectators under 26 years old, financed by the City of Paris (500K€ annual endowment). Over 111,500 youth tickets sold in 2024.
• Carte de Fidélité Free loyalty card program for spectators of affiliated theaters. After 8 full-price ticket stamps, the cardholder receives a 20€ voucher valid at all affiliated theaters.
• Aide à la Reprise Refundable advance (up to 5 years) for professionals taking over a private producer-theater, designed to help secure business acquisition or majority share purchases. 863K€ total aid distributed in 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% of paid tax returned to members through drawing rights (droit de tirage) since January 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Avignon Festival & Compagnies (AF&C)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024AF&C organizes the Avignon Festival OFF, a central event for the private theater sector. ASTP provides annual support of 25K€ including 15K€ for the 'Fonds de soutien Emergence et Création' (Emergence and Creation Support Fund), 5K€ for operating budget, and funding for the 'Le Off sur de bons rails' railway freight initiative.
• Arviva - Art vivant, Art DurableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation for sustainable performing arts. ASTP supports Arviva through membership and involvement as part of its ecological transition strategy. Arviva questions daily practices in live performance to identify sustainable alternatives.
• SACD - Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs DramatiquescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSociety of Dramatic Authors and Composers provides 90K€ annual contribution dedicated to creation aid, supplementing funding from the Ministry of Culture and Ville de Paris. SACD also has a seat on the Board of Directors as of right.
• ADAMI - Société Civile pour l'Administration des Droits des Artistes et Musiciens InterprètescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributes 130K€ annually to finance employment aid, a mechanism aimed at promoting artistic and technical employment in the theater sector.
• La Nuit des MolièrescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor annual ceremony recognizing excellence in French theater. ASTP provides support of 35K€ in 2023 as part of its mission to valorize theatrical creation and the profession.
• Archives du spectacleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupport for building a reference database on theater and performing arts in France with 4K€ contribution.
• Prix du Brigadier (Association de la Régie Théâtrale)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTheatrical award supported by ASTP with 10K€ contribution.
• FNCC - Fédération nationale des collectivités pour la cultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation of local authorities for culture. Has a seat on the Board of Directors as of right.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SACD - Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques: SACD is the French collecting society for dramatic authors and composers, dedicated to supporting creators of live and audiovisual dramatic works. It is a core ASTP partner (provides 90K€ annually for creation aid and holds a board seat) and operates in the same French performing-arts ecosystem with a comparable role of intermediating funds between rights holders and the sector.
• ONDA - Office National de Diffusion Artistique: ONDA is a French national public-interest body that supports the diffusion of contemporary artistic works across French territories. Like ASTP, it redistributes public resources to performing-arts venues and producers and addresses geographic equity in access to live performance.
• SNES - Syndicat National des Entrepreneurs de Spectacles: SNES is the French national union of live-show entrepreneurs, representing private producers and touring companies. It shares ASTP's target membership (private theater producers-tourneurs) and operates adjacent sector-representation and collective-bargaining functions for the same constituency.
• PRODISS - Syndicat National des Producteurs, diffuseurs et salles de spectacle: PRODISS is the French national trade union for private live-performance producers, diffusers, and venues — the same constituency ASTP serves. It represents the private live-entertainment industry in policy and collective bargaining, overlapping with ASTP on the membership side of the private theater ecosystem.
• ADAMI - Société Civile pour l'Administration des Droits des Artistes et Musiciens Interprètes: ADAMI manages neighboring rights and remuneration for performing artists in France, redistributing funds to support artistic and technical employment. It is a core ASTP partner (130K€ annual contribution to employment aid) and shares ASTP's model of collecting sector-based levies and channeling them back into performing-arts employment.

Emerging players

• ARTCENA - Centre national des arts du cirque, de la rue et du théâtre: ARTCENA is the French national resource center for circus, street arts, and theater, providing documentation, research, and sectoral support. It overlaps with ASTP on the theater side as another state-supported body serving the same professional community, though with a resource-center rather than funding-and-redistribution mandate.

Broad incumbents

• SACEM - Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Éditeurs de Musique: SACEM is the largest French collecting society for music authors, composers, and publishers, collecting and redistributing public-performance rights across a much broader music ecosystem. While ASTP's scope is private theater rather than music, SACEM is the closest functional analog at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-pour-le-soutien-du-th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre-priv%C3%A9

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ASTP-Association pour le Soutien du Théâtre Privé