Créarc - Petit Théâtre de Grenoble

What Créarc - Petit Théâtre de Grenoble does

Créarc (formal name: Centre de Création, de Recherche et des Cultures) is a non-profit cultural association founded in 1989 in Grenoble, France, operating under the French Loi 1901 framework. It is governed by a 21-member Board of Directors (12 French and 9 European) and a five-person salaried team led by a volunteer director, Fernand Garnier. The organization manages the Petit Théâtre, a 65-seat performance venue made available by Ville de Grenoble (4 rue Pierre Duclot), which serves as the central hub for weekly workshops, international residencies, and touring productions.

Its core offerings comprise six interconnected programs: (1) weekly theater workshops (Ateliers de Pratiques Artistiques) for children, adolescents, and adults, serving approximately 180 participants in weekly sessions; (2) international theater workshops (Stages Européens) covering techniques such as Commedia dell'Arte, physical theater, and vocal work; (3) the annual Rencontres du Jeune Théâtre Européen, a cross-border festival (38th edition in 2025) with 140+ participants in its closing spectacle; (4) the Atelier de Réalisation Théâtrale (A.R.T.), a creation workshop producing original shows and international co-productions; (5) civil society partnership workshops (Ateliers d'Expression Artistique avec la Société Civile) delivered through schools, disability organizations, and social services; and (6) theatrical productions and accessible shows co-produced with European partners.

The business model is a hybrid of fee-for-service revenue and public subsidies. Direct revenue sources include memberships (€15/year), workshop fees on a sliding family-quotient scale (€233–€445/year for adolescents), European stage fees (€63–€99), ticket sales (€7–€15), and venue rental participation fees (up to €100/day). The primary revenue base is public funding from European Union, French ministries (Culture, Education, Justice, Social Affairs), Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Département de l'Isère, Grenoble Alpes Métropole, and Ville de Grenoble. Customer segments are youth aged 12–30, youth with disabilities, socially excluded youth, and emerging professional theatre artists. The underlying technology is a standard WordPress CMS website with no proprietary systems, APIs, or integrations.

Name

Créarc - Petit Théâtre de Grenoble

Legal name

Association Créarc

Website

https://crearc.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Créarc is a French non-profit cultural association founded in 1989 in Grenoble that manages the Petit Théâtre (65-seat venue) and runs weekly theater workshops, international exchange programs, and the annual Rencontres du Jeune Théâtre Européen festival, serving youth aged 12–30, including those with disabilities or social exclusion, across a 9-country European network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts & Cultural Services

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

Keywords

• Youth theatre training
• Community performing arts
• Theatrical workshops
• Cultural exchange programs
• Annual theatre festival

Headquarters

HQ city

Grenoble

HQ country

France

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

Revenue model

1. Adhésions annuelles: Annual membership fees (15€ per member) provide revenue and formalize community participation.
2. Location du Petit Théâtre: The 65-seat Petit Théâtre is made available to other companies, associations, and artistic teams. A participation fee may be charged (up to 100€ per day of performances) for administrative work, communication, maintenance, and consumables. Billing is managed by the hosted structure.
3. Ateliers de pratiques artistiques: Annual workshop fees for children, adolescents, and adults based on family quotient (ranging from 233€ to 445€ annually), plus 15€ annual membership. Payment can be made in one lump sum or three installments.
4. Stages de théâtre: European theatre stages and adolescent theatre workshops generate revenue through participant fees (ranging from 63€ to 99€ for European stages, with an additional 15€ membership fee).
5. Billetterie et représentations: Ticket sales for performances hosted at the Petit Théâtre, with prices ranging from 7€ to 15€ per show, managed entirely by the performing structure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Créarc operates the 65-seat Petit Théâtre venue in Grenoble and delivers year-round theatrical workshops, European training stages, an annual youth-theatre festival, and original theatrical productions primarily targeted at young people aged 12 to 30, including those with disabilities or facing social exclusion. Its activities combine artistic training, civic engagement through civil-society workshops, and cross-border cultural exchange within a European theatre network.

Product overview

Créarc is a cultural and artistic association (Association loi 1901) that operates the Petit Théâtre, a 65-seat performance venue in Grenoble. The organization's core offerings consist of: (1) the Petit Théâtre as a resource hub for youth, (2) weekly theater workshops for children, adolescents, and adults (Ateliers de Pratiques Artistiques), (3) international theater workshops led by European artists (Stages Européens), (4) the annual Young European Theater Meetings festival (Rencontres du Jeune Théâtre Européen), (5) the Atelier de Réalisation Théâtrale (A.R.T.) for theatrical creation, and (6) civil society partnership workshops for inclusion through theater. These services are interconnected, with the Petit Théâtre serving as the central venue where workshops, performances, international residencies, and the annual festival converge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A.R.T. (Atelier de Réalisation Théâtrale): Theatrical creation workshop operating as a theatre company producing Créarc's own performances.
• Rencontres du Jeune Théâtre Européen
• Réseau du Jeune Théâtre Européen

Products and services

• Petit Théâtre (65-seat venue)

Quantifiable outcome

• 180 participants attend weekly workshops; 253 members in 2023; 140 participants in the closing spectacle of the Rencontres du Jeune Théâtre Européen
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ville de GrenoblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional partner providing the Petit Théâtre venue (4 rue Pierre Duclot) and supporting youth policy programs. Créarc aligns with Grenoble's public policies in favor of youth (12–30 years old). The city also organizes commemorative events (e.g., 80th anniversary of Grenoble's Liberation) in partnership with Créarc.
• Grenoble Alpes MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan authority supporting youth cultural policies in the Grenoble metropolitan area, aligned with Créarc's mission.
• Département de l'IsèrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental council supporting youth cultural initiatives aligned with Créarc's activities.
• Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council supporting youth cultural policies that Créarc participates in.
• Ministères français (Culture, Éducation, Justice, Affaires sociales)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench government ministries supporting youth cultural and social policies, with Créarc aligned to their programs.
• Union EuropéennecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Union funding and policy support for youth cultural exchange through theatre, including co-productions with European countries (Poland, Lithuania, Italy, etc.) and participation in the Réseau du Jeune Théâtre Européen.
• Réseau du Jeune Théâtre EuropéencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of theatre professionals and pedagogues from 9 countries (Poland, Lithuania, Belgium, UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Romania) that Créarc manages and coordinates, constituting a collective of artistic trainers capable of operating across Europe.
• L'Arche à GrenoblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability services association collaborating with Créarc on theatre workshops for people with mental disabilities, including co-productions of accessible shows (Mémoria, Le Voyageur, La source, La forêt des songes, Damian).
• Association des Paralysés de FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational disability organization working locally with youth with disabilities, collaborating with Créarc on inclusive theatre projects.
• Centre Communal d'Action Sociale de Grenoble (CCAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal social action center partnering with Créarc to reach socially excluded youth through theatre-based inclusion programs.
• IME AGORA d'EybenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedico-educational institute for people with disabilities, partnering with Créarc for weekly theatre workshops serving 10 participants.
• École de Musique Jean Wiener (CRI) et Collège PicassocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic school and secondary school collaborating on Classes à Horaires Aménagés (CHAM) combining music and theatre for students from 6th to 9th grade.
• Cité Scolaire Internationale de GrenoblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational secondary school partnering with Créarc for theatre workshops combining UPE2A (newly arrived migrant) students with international section students.
• Lycée Champollion, GrenoblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic high school hosting a weekly theatre workshop (Friday 18:00–20:00) for students from seconde to terminale, enabling artistic expression and civic development.
• ARIST (Atelier de Recherche Théâtrale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatrical research partner collaborating on productions such as 'Énée aux Enfers' and other creations presented at the Petit Théâtre and at international venues.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Théâtre de Grenoble: Major municipal theatre in Grenoble offering a broad season of theatrical programming; comparable as a regional French theatre venue operating in the same geographic market, though at a significantly larger scale and with a wider artistic remit.
• Centre Dramatique National de Valence: French national dramatic centre (CDN) located in the broader Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region; comparable as a publicly funded French theatre institution producing and presenting performances, though operating at a larger national-funded scale.
• Le Maillon - Théâtre de Strasbourg: Strasbourg-based theatre and European venue with programming emphasizing European cultural exchange; comparable as a French theatre with a European-orientation and youth-focused programming, though operating at a larger institutional scale.
• MC2: Maison de la Culture de Grenoble: Grenoble's flagship cultural institution presenting theatre, dance, and music; relevant as a regional incumbent offering theatrical programming in the same catchment, though with a broader multi-disciplinary focus and substantially larger infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Théâtre du Petit Rond: Small-scale French community/youth theatre comparable in operating philosophy (workshops, youth programming, intimate venue); relevant as a similar-sized local theatre association model in the broader French cultural-association landscape.
• Jeune Théâtre National (JTN): French national network dedicated to supporting young theatrical creation and emerging companies; directly comparable as a French organization focused on promoting and showcasing youth-theatre productions and emerging artists.
• Théâtre Nouvelle Génération (TNG) - CDN de Lyon: French national dramatic centre dedicated to young audiences in Lyon; highly comparable as a CDN focused on theatrical creation and dissemination for children and adolescents, sharing the same youth-theatre positioning within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Regional players

• NOVA Villa – Centre culturel de Grenoble: Local cultural venue/centre in the Grenoble area offering theatrical and community programming; relevant as a regional peer operating community-driven cultural programming in the same geographic catchment.
• L'Hexagone de Meylan: A performing arts venue and cultural institution in Meylan (Grenoble metropolitan area) that hosts theatrical productions and partners with Créarc for accessibility-month performances; directly comparable as a regional performing-arts presenter serving the same catchment.

Others

• ASSITEJ France: French national chapter of ASSITEJ (International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People); directly comparable as a network organization promoting youth and inclusive theatre practice in France, with overlapping thematic mission and partnership potential.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lecrearc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClraeZkx_ls-xlcbxpFh8Kw
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/crearc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cr%C3%A9arc---petit-th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre-de-grenoble

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Créarc - Petit Théâtre de Grenoble