De Vrijstaat

What De Vrijstaat does

De Vrijstaat, legally Stichting De Vrijstaat, is a nonprofit arts education foundation established in 2010 and headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, serving children and young people aged 6 to 26 in the Leidsche Rijn neighborhood. The organization operates from two complementary physical locations: a monumental farmhouse (boerderij) at Hof van Monaco 3 that hosts offices, courses, and workshops, and Het Gebouw, a purpose-built exhibition space for interactive doe-exposities (Feb–Nov annually). Programming spans year-long academies (TheaterAcademie, KunstAcademie), short courses (KunstKeet, KookKeet, PodiumKeet, Mode Atelier, Kunst Atelier), youth programs (VrijSpraak 12+, BeatRoots 16–26, VrijSpel 16+), seasonal offerings (Kunstvakantieweek, Vakantie Express), and an annual family theater production staged at Podium Hoge Woerd (the 17th production, Apenrots, in June 2026). Programs are delivered through a master-apprentice (meester-gezel) model in which working professional artists teach participants directly.

The organization's go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer enrollment via the website and physical venues with B2B outreach to primary schools, secondary schools, and BSO (out-of-school care) groups, supported by Cultuur & School Utrecht coordination and dedicated cultuurcoaches. Revenue is multi-stream: per-participant course fees (e.g., VrijSpraak €2.50/evening, BeatRoots €8.50/day), per-student school contracts (€7.50–€15), BSO group fees (€300/course), birthday party packages, and venue rental income. A significant portion of funding derives from public subsidies and grants, principally from Gemeente Utrecht and Projectbureau Leidsche Rijn, alongside recurring support from VSB Fonds, Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie, and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Utrecht. U-pas holders access select holiday and expo programs free of charge, reflecting an explicit accessibility mandate.

The operating model is supported by institutional partnerships with HKU, Nimeto, Breitner Academie (artist pipeline), Creatief Vermogen Utrecht (school curriculum co-development), SETUP medialab (digital arts exhibitions), SportUtrecht, DOCK, and JoU (holiday programming). Leadership is anchored by artistic director Daphne de Bruin and writer/director Paul Feld, with Wieneke van der Kwaak and Jermain Bridgewater managing BSO and VO (secondary school) institutional relationships. With 24 employees and no disclosed revenue figures, De Vrijstaat functions as a mid-sized, municipally-anchored cultural education platform rather than a venture-backed growth entity.

Name

De Vrijstaat

Legal name

Stichting De Vrijstaat

Website

https://devrijstaat.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

De Vrijstaat is a nonprofit arts education foundation in Utrecht, Netherlands, serving children and youth aged 6–26 through year-long academies, short courses, youth programs, and annual theater productions delivered from a monumental farmhouse and exhibition space in Leidsche Rijn, funded by course fees, school/BSO contracts, and municipal subsidies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Performance (Film, Stagecraft, Lighting, Sound) (EDAMAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Arts education programs
• Youth creative workshops
• Community theater productions
• School arts partnerships
• Cultural participation funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Course and workshop fees: Children and youth enroll in paid courses and workshops (e.g., KunstAcademie, TheaterAcademie, Mode Atelier, Kunst Atelier, KookKeet, VrijSpraak). Fees are paid per participant per course/season.
2. Venue rental: De Vrijstaat rents out its two locations (boerderij and Het Gebouw) to external parties for events, parties, and cultural initiatives. Contact: [email protected].
3. Birthday party packages: Kinderfeestjes (children's birthday parties) are offered as a paid activity with creative themes, facilitated by De Vrijstaat staff.
4. School / BSO contracts: De Vrijstaat delivers educational programs to primary schools, secondary schools, and BSO (out-of-school care) organizations under contract. Fees per student are charged to institutions.
5. Public subsidies and grants: Core operations are supported by government funding from Gemeente Utrecht and Projectbureau Leidsche Rijn, as well as grants from VSB Fonds, Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Utrecht, and others. This constitutes a significant portion of funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

De Vrijstaat is a nonprofit art workshop (kunstwerkplaats) that delivers hands-on arts education programs for children and youth aged 6 to 26 in Utrecht, Netherlands. The organization operates two physical venues (a monumental farmhouse and Het Gebouw exhibition space) where it runs year-long academies in visual arts and theater, short courses in fashion, cooking and music, weekly creative hangouts, school holiday programs, and annual family theater productions. It also serves schools and out-of-school care (BSO) organizations with curriculum-aligned arts programming and rents its spaces to third parties for events.

Product overview

De Vrijstaat is a multi-location art workshop for children and youth aged 6-26 in Utrecht (Leidsche Rijn), operating from two venues: a historic farmhouse and Het Gebouw exhibition space. The organization functions as a unified platform offering structured year-round programs (TheaterAcademie, KunstAcademie), short-term courses (KunstKeet, Mode Atelier, KookKeet, PodiumKeet), youth programs (VrijSpraak, VrijSpel, BeatRoots), and seasonal offerings (Kunstvakantieweek, Vakantieprogramma). It complements these with annual interactive exhibitions (Doe-Exposities) in Het Gebouw, family theater productions at Podium Hoge Woerd, BSO programs, and school education partnerships. Additional services include birthday parties and venue rental.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TheaterAcademie: Year-long theater program for children and young people (10-18 years) working toward a professional production at Podium Hoge Woerd
• KunstAcademie
• BeatRoots
• VrijSpraak Creatief Café
• VrijSpel
• Kunstvakantieweek
• Vakantie Express

Products and services

• Creatieve Doe-Exposities Annual interactive exhibitions in Het Gebouw for children aged 6 and up, combining viewing of professional art with hands-on creative activities led by working artists, running February through November each year.
• TheaterAcademie Year-long theater program for children and youth aged 10-18 that culminates in a professional production performed annually at Podium Hoge Woerd, with participants working alongside professional actors, musicians, and drama teachers.
• KunstAcademie Year-long visual arts program for children and youth aged 9-15 running September through June, in which participants work with three different professional artists per season and exhibit their work at the end of each block.
• Vakantieprogramma (Schoolvakanties) Special activities organized during school holidays in collaboration with SportUtrecht, DOCK and JoU, including Urban Night (13+), Urban Mix (7+), and Vakantie Express (6+); free of charge for U-pas holders.
• Kunstvakantieweek Week-long annual summer arts program in August where participants work with professional artists across music, visual arts, performances, and installations to produce a public end presentation.
• Familievoorstellingen Annual musical theater productions for families featuring a mixed cast of professional actors, students, children and youth, performed at Podium Hoge Woerd each May/June; notable productions include Apenrots (17th), Leeuwenstein (16th), and Vlieg!.
• Kunst Atelier Ten-session visual arts course for youth aged 12+ held on Thursday afternoons, in which participants develop their own creative projects under a professional instructor with access to professional tools and materials.
• Mode Atelier Eight-session fashion design course for youth aged 12+ covering material exploration, fabric printing, clothing construction, dress-form design, and upcycling of existing garments.
• BeatRoots Monthly music lab for youth aged 16-26 featuring workshops, masterclasses, jam sessions, listening sessions and writing camps that develop musical skills and creative connections across genres.
• VrijSpraak Creatief Café Weekly Friday-evening creative hangout for youth aged 12-16 featuring cultural activities, shared meals and workshops, and building toward a biannual VrijSpraak Festival.
• VrijSpel Ongoing program for youth aged 16+ in which participants develop personal creative projects (exhibitions, rap, songwriting, books, podcasts) with professional coaching support.
• KunstKeet Six-session visual arts course for children aged 6+ held on Friday afternoons, in which each block explores a theme and includes a masterclass by a professional artist.
• KookKeet Six-session cooking program for children aged 8+ held on Wednesday afternoons in which participants learn culinary skills in the De Vrijstaat kitchen and take home the dishes they prepare.
• Kinderfeestjes Birthday party packages for children aged 6+ featuring creative activities, cake, and seasonal artistic themes hosted at De Vrijstaat's facilities.
• PodiumKeet Six-session program combining theater and visual arts for children aged 6+, providing an accessible introduction to acting alongside hands-on creative activities, culminating in an end-of-block presentation.
• TheaterCarrousel en KunstCarrousel Five-week course programs for out-of-school care (BSO) groups and other organizations, with TheaterCarrousel introducing theater arts and KunstCarrousel covering visual arts techniques at a low entry level suitable for first-time participants.
• Educatie Programma's voor Scholen Art education programs and workshops developed for primary schools (PO), secondary schools (VO), and BSO organizations, including expo visits, classroom lessons by De Vrijstaat teachers, and collaborative projects with partner schools.
• Locatie Verhuur Rental of De Vrijstaat's two locations — the monumental farmhouse (boerderij) and Het Gebouw exhibition space — for cultural initiatives, celebrations and organizations seeking a distinctive venue.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 consecutive annual theater productions performed at Podium Hoge Woerd with mixed professional/youth casts
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HKU (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025De Vrijstaat collaborates with HKU to involve students and recent graduates in its programs as artists, art teachers, and activity facilitators. Students organize end presentations (e.g., Musician 3.0 with Uncommon Ground festival) at De Vrijstaat locations. HKU students from Interactive Performance Design helped build ESCAPEROOM Het Inni Park. This partnership provides emerging artists with real-world teaching experience while De Vrijstaat gains access to young talent.
• Nimeto (MBO onderwijs)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Students and recent graduates from Nimeto are invited to participate in De Vrijstaat programs, providing practical arts education experience to students of creative MBO programs.
• Breitner AcademieminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Art education institution whose recent graduates are invited to join De Vrijstaat's artist and facilitator pool.
• Podium Hoge WoerdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Podium Hoge Woerd is the performance venue where De Vrijstaat's annual family theater productions are staged. Each June, the Vrijstaat TheaterAcademie's mixed professional-youth cast performs for public and school audiences at this venue.
• SportUtrechtminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SportUtrecht partners with De Vrijstaat to co-organize Vakantie Express, combining sports and culture activities for children during school holidays. Free participation for U-pas holders.
• DOCK and JoU (Utrecht youth organizations)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025DOCK and JoU co-organize holiday programs with De Vrijstaat, such as Urban Night (13+) and Urban Mix (7+), providing combined sporting and creative activities.
• SETUP (Utrecht medialab)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019SETUP collaborated with De Vrijstaat and artist Casper de Jong to develop the 2018 ROBOTS digital werkplaats exhibition, exploring the relationship between humans and machines. SETUP contributed technical expertise and medialab resources.
• Creatief Vermogen UtrechtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Creatief Vermogen Utrecht is a city-wide initiative that De Vrijstaat participates in to develop educational programs for partner schools. Under this framework, De Vrijstaat co-develops curriculum with artists and partner schools including De Klimroos, Hof ter Weide, and Sint Maarten School. The artist is actively involved in developing workshops and educational materials.
• Cultuur & School UtrechtcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCultuur & School is the coordination platform and knowledge hub for cultural education in Utrecht. De Vrijstaat lists all its school offerings on this platform, which schools use to discover and book arts education programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CREA Amsterdam: Amsterdam University-affiliated cultural education center offering arts courses, workshops, and performances for students and youth, structurally analogous to De Vrijstaat's HKU-linked programming model.
• Jeugdtheater De Krakeling: Amsterdam youth theater producing stage productions for children and young people, with an analogous annual production cycle and educational programming akin to De Vrijstaat's TheaterAcademie.
• Stichting MIMIK: Deventer-based performing arts organization producing theater for children and youth with parallel educational programming, comparable scope of annual productions and school outreach.
• Vrijpaleis: Amsterdam-based independent arts studio for children and youth with a comparable meester-gezel pedagogical model, multi-disciplinary program portfolio, and instructor-led workshops for similar age ranges.

Regional players

• Het Klooster: Utrecht cultural center in a heritage building offering arts education, workshops, and youth programming, comparable on venue character and city-level arts education positioning.
• Theater De Lieve Vrouw: Amersfoort-based independent theater and production house for young makers, with a comparable program of youth-led productions and artist-development initiatives in the broader Utrecht region.

Broad incumbents

• Kunstmuseum Den Haag: Major Dutch art museum with established educational programming for children and youth, comparable on the arts education mission though at larger institutional scale and with broader collections.
• Stadsschouwburg Utrecht: Utrecht's main municipal theater and broader cultural programming institution, overlapping with De Vrijstaat in school-youth theater productions at Podium Hoge Woerd and city-wide cultural education coordination.

Others

• Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie: National Dutch cultural-participation fund that co-finances De Vrijstaat's exhibitions and programs; comparable as a peer in the sense of being a key ecosystem enabler in cultural education funding.
• Cultuur & School Utrecht: City-wide coordination platform and knowledge hub for cultural education in Utrecht where De Vrijstaat lists its school offerings; structurally comparable as an ecosystem orchestrator rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/devrijstaat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/devrijstaat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 De Vrijstaat