Ballhaus Ost

What Ballhaus Ost does

Ballhaus Ost is an independent theater venue in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg, registered as a non-profit association (Ballhaus Ost e.V., Vereinsregister VR 26438 B) and founded in 2006 by directors Uwe Moritz Eichler, Philipp Reuter, and actress Anne Tismer. The venue operates from a historic 1907 building (the former celebration hall of the Freireligiöse Gemeinde Berlin) and presents contemporary theater, performance, dance, music theater, and music. Its programming identity is socio-critical and queer-inclusive, with a curated mix of established Berlin-based groups and emerging artists, and recurring international collaborations with European collectives. The organization also operates the Organisms Democracy satellite venue at Osloer Str. 107/108 in partnership with Club Real and hosts the annual Le Lampenfieber festival focused on queer*feminist solidarity.

Ballhaus Ost's underlying technology stack is minimal and consumer-grade: ticketing is handled through the third-party Reservix platform (including a 10% advance booking fee and €2 service fee), email communications run through Brevo (Sendinblue), video content is embedded via YouTube and Vimeo with extended privacy modes, and internal coordination uses Zoom. The venue's website at ballhausost.de is a standard WordPress-based content site. There is no proprietary technology, no public API, and no AI/ML components in the product surface.

The business model is a hybrid public-nonprofit structure. The venue is primarily funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion, with the current operational team comprising 5 employees. Earned revenue comes from three streams: ticket sales (general admission €15 regular / €10 reduced, with solidarity sliding-scale pricing as low as €3–€5 for selected productions, and €6 per student for school groups), venue rental of the 71 sqm main rehearsal space plus a 47.5 sqm adjoining room at €500 per calendar week, and ancillary bar/concession income. Distribution runs through a direct box office (cash and card, opening one hour before performances) and the Reservix online channel. Marketing is multi-channel but lightweight: a website, an email newsletter, Instagram (@ballhausost) and Facebook presence, plus recurring info-zoom sessions for prospective collaborating artists.

Name

Ballhaus Ost

Legal name

Ballhaus Ost e.V.

Website

https://ballhausost.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ballhaus Ost is an independent, publicly-funded theater venue in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg presenting contemporary theater, performance, dance, and music theater with a queer-feminist curatorial focus for adult and youth audiences, independent artists, and school groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Venue-Owned/Operated Event Organizers (In-House Promoters) (MPAKADAI)

Keywords

• Independent theater venue
• Contemporary performing arts
• Theater and dance productions
• Rehearsal space rental
• Performance festival programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ballhaus Ost operates an independent theater, performance, dance, music theater and music venue housed in a 1907 historic building in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg. It presents a curated program of contemporary productions featuring established and emerging artists, including international guest performances, alongside hosting festivals such as Le Lampenfieber. In addition to performances, the venue rents rehearsal/workspace to independent artists and groups and operates the Organisms Democracy satellite project exploring multispecies political participation.

Product overview

Ballhaus Ost is an independent theater venue in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg offering a diverse program of contemporary theater, performance, dance, music theater and music. The venue provides production programming featuring established and emerging artists, venue rental services for rehearsals and events, and hosts special programs including the annual Le Lampenfieber festival focused on queer*feminist solidarities. The venue also operates the Organisms Democracy satellite project and produces immersive experiences like the City of Creatures bike tours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Organisms Democracy: A political project where all living beings are citizens with equal rights and political participation, established in 2019 as a satellite venue at Osloer Straße 107/108.

Products and services

• Theater and Performance Venue Independently operated theater, performance, dance, music theater and music venue in a 1907 historic building in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg, with full technical equipment, accessible facilities and a curated program of contemporary productions.
• Production Programming

Segments5 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Theater im Nu e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026A 2018 Berlin-founded, German-French association dedicated to promoting innovative, collaborative, and transnational theater practice. Focused on collaboration between young professional artists and non-professional performers with emphasis on queer, feminist, and intersectional perspectives. Co-organizer of the 'Le Lampenfieber 2026' festival.
• Sebastian Mauksch & TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing artistic collaborator developing theater as experience and discovery space for children and youth. Productions include 'Smelling Gossip' and '2 1/2 Krähen'. Combines performance, text, visual arts, sound, and technology to explore social questions.
• Club RealcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist group developing site-specific projects since 2000 including installations, political multispecies formats, and participatory urban development projects. Since 2019 operates Organisms Democracy satellite venue. Creators of 'City of Creatures' project.
• Organismendemokratie e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSatellite venue at Osloer Str. 107/108 operating since 2019, creating a political system where all living beings are citizens with equal rights. Holds regular parliaments deciding on multi-species habitat matters.
• Compagnie troisbataillesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater company founded in 2022 by Sarah Delaby-Rochette, affiliated with Comédie de Valence since 2024. Performs contemporary texts and fictional narratives. Production 'Buster, my love' presented at Ballhaus Ost.
• 88 mètres/secondeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnsemble creating bold, ambitious, lesbian, and decolonial work blending physical theater and experimental performance. Productions 'Le Grand Soir' and 'Famili(es)' presented as part of Le Lampenfieber festival.
• collectif particules finesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective based in Seine-Saint-Denis exploring contemporary storytelling forms between theater, performance, and sound creation. Production 'Embrasser le chaos' presented at Ballhaus Ost.
• Massandje Sanogo – OxybabeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance artist, writer, and director working at intersection of body, sound, and image. Draws on bodily memory and improvisation with focus on Black and Afro-descendant identities. Performances 'Rapport sur ma vie antérieure de femme noire' and workshop presented.
• Paul Marianne FurtwänglerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent artist born 1999 in Munich, Master's in Expanded Theatre at HKB Bern 2025. Focus on intersection of acting, movement, and queer forms of storytelling. Production 'Mariannes großes Debüt' premiered at Ballhaus Ost.
• Club Real (Organisms Democracy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSatellite venue for Ballhaus Ost at Osloer Str. 107/108. Political multispecies project where all living beings have equal political rights. Next Parliament: 6.6.2026. Part of interactive 'City of Living Creatures' map.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• HAU Hebbel am Ufer: Major Berlin independent theater complex with three venues presenting contemporary performing arts. Comparable to Ballhaus Ost as a curated Berlin venue for experimental dance, theater, and performance, though at significantly larger scale.
• Radialsystem V: Berlin venue for contemporary dance, performance, and new music, located in a former pump station. Comparable to Ballhaus Ost in curatorial scope and Berlin-based independent performing arts positioning.
• Kampnagel: Hamburg-based independent performance venue covering theater, dance, performance, and music. Comparable to Ballhaus Ost as a publicly funded German venue for contemporary experimental performing arts.
• DOCK 11: Berlin independent venue for contemporary dance and performance. Comparable to Ballhaus Ost as a curated Berlin independent performance space with similar audience and artist community.
• Sophiensæle: Berlin independent performance venue in Mitte presenting contemporary theater, dance, and performance. Comparable to Ballhaus Ost in scale, curatorial philosophy, and target audience of experimental and independent artists.
• Theaterhaus Stuttgart: Stuttgart-based independent performance venue hosting theater, dance, performance, and music. Comparable to Ballhaus Ost as a German independent venue serving experimental contemporary programming.
• Theater an der Parkaue: Berlin youth theater presenting contemporary productions for young audiences. Comparable to Ballhaus Ost's youth programming (e.g., Smelling Gossip for ages 10+) and educational outreach.
• Mousonturm: Frankfurt independent performance venue for dance, theater, and performance. Comparable to Ballhaus Ost as a publicly funded German platform for experimental contemporary work and emerging artists.

Regional players

• Tanzhaus Zürich: Zurich venue for contemporary dance and performance. Comparable to Ballhaus Ost as a publicly funded performance venue but regional (Switzerland) rather than directly competing in Berlin.

Broad incumbents

• Schaubühne Berlin: Established Berlin theater with a contemporary repertoire. Comparable to Ballhaus Ost as a Berlin performing arts institution but considerably larger and more mainstream, offering overlapping but less experimental programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ballhaus.ost
• Instagraminstagram.com/ballhausost
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ballhaus-ost

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Ballhaus Ost