Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik e.V.

What Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik e.V. does

Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik e.V. (BuT) is a German eingetragener Verein (registered non-profit association) founded in 1990 and headquartered in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It functions as the primary professional association (Fachverband) for theater pedagogues across the German-speaking region (DACH — Germany, Austria, Switzerland), networking practitioners, advocating for the profession, and offering continuing education, career guidance, and a professional liability insurance framework. Its core offerings include the bi-annual Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik/Korrespondenzen (ZfTP) journal (co-published since 1985 with sister associations BAG, BVTS, and GTP through Schibri-Verlag), the newly launched "Das Verzeichnis" online directory of theater pedagogy and mediation services, consulting services (career guidance, data protection, business founding), and annual conferences and festivals such as the 11th Deutsches Kinder-Theater-Fest (September 2026) and the 35th Bundestreffen Jugendclubs an Theatern (October 2026).

The association's underlying technology is minimal: a standard website (butinfo.de), a Discourse-hosted member forum (butforum.discourse.group), and basic social media presence on Instagram and Facebook. No proprietary platform, no API, and no AI capabilities are disclosed. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and relies on voluntary editorial labor for the ZfTP journal.

BuT's revenue model combines recurring membership fees, publication-related income from the ZfTP journal, and fee-based consulting services available to both members and non-members. Additional value accrues via a special framework agreement with Gothaer Versicherung AG for professional liability insurance at favorable rates, and a partnership with the Akademie der Kulturellen Bildung des Bundes und des Landes NRW for supervision and therapy training. The association's go-to-market is community-led: it acquires and retains members through professional networking, advocacy, and curated events rather than direct sales.

Name

Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik e.V.

Legal name

Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik e.V.

Website

https://butinfo.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik e.V. (BuT) is a Cologne-based non-profit professional association founded in 1990, serving theater pedagogues across the German-speaking region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) with membership services, professional development, consulting, and a co-published journal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN)

Keywords

• Theater pedagogy association
• Professional theater education
• Cultural arts training
• Drama education network
• Performing arts pedagogy

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Revenue generated through membership subscriptions. The association offers member-exclusive services including professional liability insurance, job postings, artistic-systemic supervision and therapy services, and specialized consulting.
2. Publications: The association publishes the Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik/Korrespondenzen (ZfTP) journal published twice yearly through Schibri-Verlag. Revenue may include journal sales and licensing.
3. Member Services and Consulting: Fee-based consulting services for both members and non-members, including career guidance, data protection advice, and scientific project support. Additional revenue through exclusive member services like professional liability insurance partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik e.V. (BuT) is a professional membership association for theater pedagogues in the German-speaking region. It networks theater educators, provides continuing education and consulting services, publishes the bi-annual Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik/Korrespondenzen (ZfTP) journal, maintains the Das Verzeichnis directory, offers professional liability insurance through Gothaer Versicherung AG, and advocates for adequate working conditions and compensation for theater pedagogues.

Product overview

Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik e.V. (BuT) is a professional association for theater pedagogy in the German-speaking region, offering a portfolio of membership services, publications, and professional development. The core offerings include the bi-annual Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik/Korrespondenzen journal, the Das Verzeichnis directory for theater professionals, consulting services for career guidance and data protection, professional liability insurance through Gothaer, and continuing education programs including artistic-systemic supervision. The association also organizes conferences and festivals, publishes the Theaterpädagogisches Manifest, and advocates for appropriate working conditions and fee guidelines for theater educators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BuT Membership Individual membership in the professional association for theater pedagogues in the German-speaking region, granting access to exclusive services including professional liability insurance, job postings in the member forum, artistic-systemic supervision and therapy services, and consulting.
• Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik / Korrespondenzen (ZfTP) A bi-annual professional journal founded in 1985 by Gerd Koch and Florian Vaßen, providing a forum for theater pedagogical theory and practice. Published by Schibri-Verlag in Uckermark, with editorial work performed on a voluntary basis. The journal covers current developments and discourses, presents successful practice examples, provides information on Fachliteratur (professional literature), and offers insight into the Deutsches Archiv für Theaterpädagogik (DATP).
• Das Verzeichnis (Directory) A directory for theater pedagogy and mediation services, serving as a comprehensive resource for finding theater pedagogical professionals and services in German-speaking regions.
• Beratungsangebote (Consulting Services) Expert consultation services including academic/work guidance, career entry consulting, business founding advice, and data protection counseling, available to both members and non-members.
• Weiterbildung (Continuing Education) Professional development and advanced training offerings for theater educators and cultural workers, including artistic-systemic supervision and therapy services provided by participants training at the Akademie der Kulturellen Bildung.
• Berufshaftpflichtversicherung (Professional Liability Insurance) Professional liability insurance including general liability coverage, specifically tailored for theater pedagogues with family/partner protection, offered through a framework agreement with Gothaer Versicherung AG at favorable rates for members.
• Tagungen und Festivals (Conferences and Festivals) Annual professional meetings, conferences, and festivals for theater pedagogical professionals, including the Deutsches Kinder-Theater-Fest and Bundestreffen Jugendclubs an Theatern. Scheduled events include the 11th German Children's Theater Festival (September 24-27, 2026 in Cologne) and the 35th Federal Meeting of Youth Clubs at Theaters (October 23-26, 2026 in Oldenburg).

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Spiel und Theater (BAG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Co-publisher of the Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik/Korrespondenzen (ZfTP) journal. BAG is one of four associations in the consortium that jointly publishes this professional journal for theater pedagogy, established in 1985.
• Bundesverband Theater an Schulen (BVTS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Co-publisher of the Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik/Korrespondenzen (ZfTP) journal. BVTS is one of four associations in the consortium that jointly publishes this professional journal for theater pedagogy, established in 1985.
• Gesellschaft für Theaterpädagogik (GTP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Co-publisher of the Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik/Korrespondenzen (ZfTP) journal. GTP is one of four associations in the consortium that jointly publishes this professional journal for theater pedagogy, established in 1985.
• Schibri-VerlagcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher based in Uckermark responsible for the editorial and publishing management of the Zeitschrift für Theaterpädagogik/Korrespondenzen journal. The journal has been published since 1985.
• Gothaer Versicherung AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance provider with whom BuT has established a special framework agreement for professional liability insurance including general liability insurance, specifically tailored for theater pedagogues with family/partner protection and favorable rates for members.
• Akademie der Kulturellen Bildung des Bundes und des Landes NRWsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining academy that provides education for Artistic-Systemic Supervisors and Artistic-Systemic Therapists. BuT members benefit from reduced rates for supervision and therapy services provided by participants during their training.
• Verdi (Vereinigte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft)supportingOthersBuT supports and references verdi's assessments regarding the classification and compensation of employed cultural mediators. BuT recommends salaries aligned with TVöD Entgeltgruppe E11 for employed theater pedagogues, following verdi's guidance.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Bundesverband Theater an Schulen (BVTS): German federal association for theater in schools. BVTS is another ZfTP co-publisher and addresses the same population of theater pedagogues and educators, particularly in the school segment — a directly comparable membership association.
• American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE): US professional association for theater education. AATE is the closest international analogue to BuT in mandate (theater pedagogy as a profession), membership model, and advocacy for the discipline — useful for benchmarking.
• ASSITEJ Deutschland: German national center of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People. ASSITEJ DE works with the same theater-for-young-people constituency and overlaps heavily with BuT's Kinder-Theater-Fest community.
• Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Spiel und Theater (BAG): German federal association for play and theater in cultural youth education. BAG is one of BuT's three co-publishers of the ZfTP journal and serves an overlapping membership of theater pedagogues in DACH, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- und Jugendbildung (BKJ): German umbrella association for cultural education of children and youth. BKJ sits one level above BuT, coordinating multiple discipline-specific associations including theater, dance, and music pedagogy — directly comparable in scope and DACH-only remit.
• Gesellschaft für Theaterpädagogik (GTP): German society for theater pedagogy. GTP is BuT's third co-publisher of the ZfTP journal and a peer professional association focused on theater pedagogy research and practice — directly comparable in mandate and audience.

Broad incumbents

• Verband deutscher Musikschulen (VdM): German national association of public music schools. VdM is a structurally analogous Fachverband for music pedagogy in DACH and serves as the closest cross-discipline reference for membership model, advocacy, and continuing education.
• ASSITEJ International: International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People. ASSITEJ International is the global umbrella that ASSITEJ Deutschland belongs to, and is a relevant peer for understanding the international network BuT's members operate in.
• Bundesverband Freie Darstellende Künste: German federal association for independent performing arts. Although focused on makers rather than pedagogues, BFDK addresses overlapping DACH constituencies and intersects with BuT on cultural-policy advocacy.

Emerging players

• International Drama/Theatre and Education Association (IDEA): International world network for drama/theatre and education. IDEA operates at the global level where BuT is regional, but addresses the same constituency of theater pedagogues and researchers and is a relevant peer for benchmarking international activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/butinfo.de
• Instagraminstagram.com/butinfo.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/bundesverbandtheaterp%C3%A4dagogik

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Bundesverband Theaterpädagogik e.V.