A Tale of A Tub

What A Tale of A Tub does

A Tale of A Tub is a non-profit contemporary art institution founded in 2014 and based in Rotterdam's Spangen district, where it operates from the former bathhouse and washhouse of the Justus van Effencomplex (1922, designed by Michiel Brinkman). It is the only contemporary art space in Spangen and delivers a context-responsive program of exhibitions, public events, education initiatives, publishing projects, an artist residency (launched 2025), and a community café (opened September 2024). The organization targets two main constituencies: residents of the Spangen neighborhood (offering free admission to postal code 3027) and the broader contemporary art audience, including curators, writers, and visiting practitioners.

The institution is funded primarily through structural grants from Mondriaan Fonds and Gemeente Rotterdam Cultuurplan, supplemented by project-specific support from a wide coalition of Dutch cultural foundations (Cultuurfonds, VriendenLoterij, Stichting Stokroos, Stichting Jaap Harten Fonds, Netherland-America Foundation, CBK Rotterdam, Amarte Foundation, Pictoright, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds) and minor earned revenue streams including €3 standard admission, café sales, and merchandise/publications distributed internationally through Antenne Books in London. It holds ANBI (Dutch public benefit) status (RSIN: 854243173) and publishes annual reports transparently.

Operationally, the institution runs with a small team of approximately 12 part-time staff — Director/Curator Isabelle Sully, Education Curator Lisanne Janssen, Project Coordinator Nick Thomas, and Volunteer Coordinator Miriam Del Seppia, supplemented by freelance installation technicians, translators, and housekeepers. A core Production Manager vacancy is currently open (start September 1, 2026, 24 hours/week freelance). Technology infrastructure is intentionally minimal: a Kirby-hosted website, MailerLite for newsletters, GoatCounter for privacy-friendly analytics, and Stager for event ticketing. As of March 2026, the organization expanded to occupy the entire six-floor-plus-basement former bathhouse and washhouse, including dedicated education, residency, neighbor activity, and office spaces. The organization has explicitly committed to no use of automated decision-making or AI in any of its data processing.

Name

A Tale of A Tub

Legal name

A Tale of A Tub

Website

https://ataleofatub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

A Tale of A Tub is a Rotterdam-based non-profit contemporary art institution founded in 2014, operating from the historic Justus van Effencomplex bathhouse in Spangen. It serves local residents and the wider art audience through exhibitions, education, publishing, an artist residency, and a community café.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government and Foundation Funding: Structural funding from Mondriaan Fonds and Gemeente Rotterdam Cultuurplan. Project-specific support from Cultuurfonds, VriendenLoterij Fonds/Stichting Doen, Stichting Stokroos, Stichting Jaap Harten Fonds, Netherland-America Foundation, CBK Rotterdam, Amarte Foundation, Pictoright, and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.
2. Admission Fees: Standard admission €3, discounted €2 for under 26 and 65+, free for under 13, postal code 3027 residents, press, ICOM, Rotterdampas, and CJP cardholders.
3. Merchandise and Publications: Sale of publications including exhibition catalogs, bulletins, and 'Team A Tale of A Tub' sweaters (standard €30, limited edition €40). Publications distributed through Antenne Books, London.
4. Café Revenue: Café opened September 2024, operated during regular opening hours plus Saturday 10:00-14:00 takeovers by neighbors Adina Orboi and Jurriaan Baggerman.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

A Tale of A Tub is a non-profit contemporary art institution that presents rotating exhibitions of contemporary artists, public events (openings, workshops, film screenings, lectures), educational programs for children and community groups, a publishing program of bulletins and catalogs, and an artist residency launched in 2025. A community café opened in September 2024 complements the program. All offerings are delivered from a historic bathhouse/washhouse venue in Spangen, Rotterdam, with free admission for local residents.

Product overview

A Tale of A Tub is a non-profit contemporary art institution offering a unified program of exhibitions, public events, education initiatives, and publishing projects. The institution operates from a former bathhouse and washhouse in Rotterdam's Spangen district. Core offerings include rotating contemporary art exhibitions (often accompanied by quarterly bulletins and posters), public programming (workshops, film screenings, lectures), educational initiatives (children's workshops, publications, school collaborations), an artist residency program launched in 2025, and a community café. Additionally, the institution supports Broodfonds Bread and Butter, a solidarity-based welfare fund for freelancers initiated in January 2026. Publications are distributed via Antenne Books in London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contemporary Art Exhibitions Rotating exhibitions of contemporary art by various artists, often accompanied by publications and guest-written texts; for general art audiences and local visitors.
• Public Events Program Public programs including exhibition openings, guided tours, workshops, film screenings, lectures, and community gatherings; for art audiences and local residents.
• Education Program Educational initiatives including workshops for children, guided tours, education publications, and collaborations with schools and community organizations; for local children, families, and schools.
• Publishing Program Regular publications including quarterly bulletins accompanying major exhibitions, posters, artist books, and education publications; distributed via Antenne Books in London and available at the institution.
• Artist Residency Program Artist-in-residence program supporting artists during the development phases of projects, activating spaces outside regular opening hours; selected through annual open calls. Lili Huston-Herterich was the inaugural resident in 2025.
• Café Community café opened September 2024 serving drinks and snacks, with Saturday takeovers by local neighbors Adina Orboi and Jurriaan Baggerman offering affordable homemade vegan seasonal treats.
• Broodfonds Bread and Butter Solidarity-based mutual aid fund (broodfonds) for freelancers established in January 2026, enabling members to support each other during temporary illness through monthly contributions using the Dutch broodfonds model.

Quantifiable outcome

• Expanded to occupy entire former bathhouse and washhouse spanning six floors plus basement
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Broodfonds Bread and ButterminorOthers · 1 January 2026Freelancer mutual aid collective founded in January 2026 by members of A Tale of A Tub's freelance community, led by artist Jake Caleb. Uses solidarity-based Dutch broodfondsmodel for temporary sick leave support.
• KunstenbondminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2025Collaboration for 'Pension Planning Practicalities' event featuring Peter van den Bunder presenting on pension funds for freelancers. Kunstenbond is Dutch union for fair pay and safer workplaces in creative sector.
• TENT RotterdamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner for educational programming collaboration around anne krul exhibition.
• KINO RotterdamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2024Collaboration with KINO Rotterdam for film screening 'Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters' (1968) as part of Jay Tan's exhibition public program.
• Kunstinstituut MellyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for educational programming collaboration around anne krul exhibition.
• Kasteel SpangenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for educational programming collaboration around anne krul exhibition.
• IMC WeekendschoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for educational programming collaboration around anne krul exhibition.
• Woonstad RotterdamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Brianna Leatherbury's 'The Drain' exhibition, with Eric Smulders (administrative secretary) providing consultation on the housing complex's history.
• Antenne BooksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distribution partner for publications, headquartered in London.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Casco Art Institute: Utrecht-based institute for working on the arts with publications, exhibitions, and long-term research projects. Comparable as a small non-profit contemporary art institution emphasizing experimental, research-driven programming.
• Van Abbemuseum: Eindhoven contemporary and modern art museum known for socially engaged programming and exhibitions of experimental contemporary artists. Comparable in its curatorial emphasis on context-responsive, socially engaged contemporary art.
• De Appel: Amsterdam contemporary arts center focused on experimental curatorial practice and emerging artists. Comparable as a Dutch contemporary art institution with a curatorial/residency-style focus, though based in a larger city.
• Kunstinstituut Melly: Rotterdam-based contemporary art institute focused on exhibitions, research, and public programs with an experimental, context-responsive curatorial approach. Comparable in contemporary art focus and city footprint, though it operates as a larger, longer-established platform.
• Marres: Maastricht contemporary art institution combining exhibitions, residencies, and a culinary program. Comparable as a small-to-mid contemporary art institution with a residency program and broader programmatic scope.
• TENT Rotterdam: Contemporary art platform in Rotterdam presenting exhibitions, events, and education programs. Directly comparable as a Rotterdam-based contemporary art institution with a similar community-engaged programming model, though operating at a different scale.
• Het Nieuwe Instituut: Rotterdam's national museum for architecture, design, and digital culture with exhibitions, residencies, and education programs. Comparable as a Rotterdam contemporary institution with cross-disciplinary programming and a residency model.
• Framer Framed: Amsterdam-based platform for contemporary art and visual culture with exhibitions, publications, and education around decolonial and social themes. Comparable as a non-collecting contemporary art institution with strong community/public programming.

Broad incumbents

• Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: Amsterdam's major museum of modern and contemporary art and design. Comparable as a Dutch institution exhibiting contemporary art, but at much larger scale and broader historical-to-contemporary scope.
• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen: Major Rotterdam art museum with a much broader historical-to-contemporary collection. Comparable as a Rotterdam cultural anchor institution serving overlapping audiences, but at a fundamentally larger scale and broader art-historical remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/taleofatub
• Instagraminstagram.com/a_tale_of_a_tub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-tale-of-a-tub

Compliance2 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 A Tale of A Tub