Les Cousines

What Les Cousines does

Les Cousines is a French non-profit artistic association (loi 1901) founded in Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, by co-founders Lolita Bourdet and Charlotte Yonga. The organization runs participatory artistic and cultural programming targeting underserved suburban communities, with a stated emphasis on emerging female artists, youth, seniors, and marginalized populations. Its portfolio spans artistic residencies (Banlieues Plurielles), community photography projects (The Big Project, Murama, Grandeur Nature), training programs (UPOP), cultural events (Cosmorama), public art installations (La Fresque des Victoires), intergenerational programs (Memno, Les Mots Collés), and short films (Mythographia).

The association's core technology stack centers on community arts, participatory photography, and cultural programming rather than scalable software. The notable proprietary component is the Murama augmented reality mobile application, which distributes multimedia content (portraits, interviews, archives, collected contributions) across 10 locations in the Murs à Pêches historic district of Montreuil, combining AR-based heritage storytelling with archival photography and oral histories. Other technical practices include alternative photographic techniques such as anthotypie, cyanotype, photomontage, and analog darkroom work, alongside digital exhibitions and temporary galleries.

The business model is grant-dependent. Revenue derives from public subsidies (DRAC Île-de-France, Est Ensemble, Ville de Montreuil, OPHM, Ministère de la Culture, Ministère de la Cohésion des Territoires), supplemented by individual memberships (adhésions) and donations processed via the HelloAsso platform. Go-to-market is community-led: a core team of 6 delivers programming through direct institutional partnerships with schools, social centers, museums, healthcare facilities, and municipal bodies. There is no commercial pricing; community participation in projects is free. The association is not investable in the conventional VC/PE sense and operates as a subsidized cultural mission rather than a revenue-generating enterprise.

Name

Les Cousines

Legal name

Les Cousines

Website

https://lescousines.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Les Cousines is a Montreuil-based non-profit artistic association that delivers participatory residencies, photography projects, training programs, and cultural events serving emerging female artists and underserved residents of Seine-Saint-Denis and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts and Cultural Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI), Virtual Community Festivals & Cultural Events (Online Celebrations) (MPAGAOAK)

Keywords

• Community arts programming
• Participatory photography projects
• Artistic residency programs
• Cultural association services
• Community-based art education

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreuil

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership fees (Adhésions): Individual membership fees collected through HelloAsso platform to support the association's operations and artistic projects.
2. Donations: Individual donations collected via HelloAsso platform. These provide additional financial resources beyond membership fees.
3. Public subsidies and grants: The organization depends heavily on government subsidies from various institutions including DRAC Ile-de-France, Est Ensemble, Ville de Montreuil, OPHM, Ministère de la Culture, and Ministère de la Cohésion des Territoires for project funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Les Cousines is a non-profit artistic association that creates participatory community art projects, artistic residencies, training programs, cultural events, and exhibitions for residents of Seine-Saint-Denis and beyond. The organization blends professional and amateur artistic practices, focusing on photography, video, murals, installations, and digital experiences that document community memory and address contemporary social issues. Programs are delivered free to participants and include intergenerational workshops, augmented reality experiences, and cross-cultural collaborations.

Product overview

Les Cousines is a cultural association creating spaces for artistic expression for both professional and amateur artists. The organization operates as a platform combining community art projects, educational programs, and cultural event management. The portfolio includes artistic residencies (Banlieues Plurielles), training programs (UPOP), digital experiences (Murama AR application), large-scale mural projects (La Fresque des Victoires), community photography projects (The Big Project, Grandeur Nature), cultural events (Cosmorama), and physical exhibition venues (Local du Morillon, temporary galleries). The programs serve diverse audiences including young creators, residents of Seine-Saint-Denis, school children, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cosmorama Annual cultural event celebrating the cosmopolitan richness of a neighborhood through a panorama of singular stories and plural heritages, presented as a poetic outdoor experience for the local community in Montreuil.
• Mythographia Short film depicting young people in the Morillon neighborhood of Montreuil sharing anecdotes that evolve into myths and extraordinary fables, weaving daily reality with fantastical projections.
• The Big Project Community art project inviting residents to create scale replicas of objects linked to personal histories using locally harvested materials, then staging and photographing the sculptures with their authors in the neighborhood.
• Banlieues Plurielles Artistic residency program for young female creators in Seine-Saint-Denis, hosting six artists for two-week residencies at Maison Montreau with creation grants and material budgets, concluding with collective exhibitions.
• Murama Augmented reality-enabled photographic experience in Montreuil's historic Murs à Pêches district combining ancestral and innovative photographic techniques with interviews, archives, and collected contributions accessible via a mobile AR application across 10 locations.
• UPOP (Université Populaire des Arts Visuels) Popular University of Visual Arts offering training to young women in various artistic practices and facets of the artist profession, culminating in a public exhibition.
• Utopia Collective project exploring neighborhood memory through cultural outings and artistic workshops, producing photomontages and texts on urban planning issues, with public exhibition structures designed collaboratively with local architects at Place Le Morillon.
• Grandeur Nature Photography project documenting urban transformation in Bobigny and Bondy using alternative photographic techniques (Caravana Obscura mobile darkroom and Anthotypie) that emphasize sustainability and environmental consciousness.
• La Fresque des Victoires Large-scale mural project in the Morillon neighborhood of Montreuil honoring invisibilized people and emancipatory struggles, created collaboratively with residents and local artists.
• Les Mots Collés Visual creation workshops for teenagers on discrimination and struggle themes, led by professional photographers, resulting in reclamatory and political posters inspired by feminist collage practices.
• Café de la Pêche Amazigh Cultural project celebrating Amazigh women through a planned 2026 trip to Algeria with ten women to collaborate with Algerian artists, including exhibitions, screenings, round tables, and creative workshops.
• Memno Intergenerational photography project involving EHPAD Le Figuier senior residents and schoolchildren documenting the memory of the CASH hospital complex in Nanterre through analog photography and recorded testimonies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6 young artists received professional residencies with creation bursaries and material budgets
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Palais de TokyoflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Major contemporary art center in Paris hosted Joie Collective exhibition as part of Les Cousines programming.
• Cinémathèque de TangercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Film archive in Morocco commissioned Le Photo Call participatory photography installation for National Film Festival of Tangier.
• 19M GaleriecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Fashion and textile center hosted 'Joue la comme gadji' exhibition featuring Gadji FC football collective and photography by Lolita Bourdet.
• Collectif Negro MurominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collective represented by Pedro Rajao participated in Art et Militantisme roundtable on discrimination and struggles.
• École Les PâquerettescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Primary school partnered on Memno intergenerational photography project with EHPAD Le Figuier residents.
• Hôpital CASH, NanterreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Hospital complex in Nanterre, subject of Memno project documenting the heritage and memory of this atypical institution.
• Ministère de la CultureflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The Murama project was selected as a laureat of the Mondes Nouveaux program initiated by the Ministry of Culture, providing recognition and support for the innovative augmented reality photography project in the Murs à Pêches heritage area.
• Maison MontreaucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Municipal cultural venue in Montreuil hosting the Banlieues Plurielles artistic residency program for young female creators.
• Agir In Seine-Saint-DeniscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Local organization supported Art et Militantisme roundtable discussion at Café La Pêche.
• Collectif Justice pour AdamacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Justice for Adama collective represented by Assa Traoré participated in Art et Militantisme roundtable.
• OPHMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Office Public de l'Habitat de Montreuil supported La fresque des Victoires project celebrating invisible figures and emancipation struggles.
• Ministère de la Cohésion des TerritoirescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Ministry supporting cohesion policies provided funding for La fresque des Victoires and other community art projects.
• Centre Social EspérantocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Local social center in Montreuil partnered on La fresque des Victoires project and hosts some activities.
• Musée de l'Histoire VivantecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Local museum partnered on Utopia project and hosted Banlieues Vivantes collective exhibition featuring residency artists' works.
• Association QuatorzecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Architecture firm collaborated on design and construction of public exhibition structures for Utopia project at Place Le Morillon.
• EHPAD Le Figuier, NanterrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Senior care facility partnered on Memno intergenerational photography project with local school children.
• Collège PoliceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Middle school whose 4eB class participated in Utopia project exploring neighborhood memory and urban planning.
• Festival Regard NeufminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Regional arts festival hosted the first edition of Cosmorama on June 9, 2019.
• Lycée Français René Descartes, Phnom PenhcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018French international school in Cambodia partnered on 'Sous le ciel sur la terre' photography project exploring Khmer culture with 7 classes.
• DRAC Ile-de-FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles d'Ile-de-France provided support for The Big Project, supporting artistic activities in Montreuil neighborhoods.
• Ville de MontreuilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The city of Montreuil has supported multiple projects including The Big Project, La fresque des Victoires, and various exhibitions.
• Est EnsemblecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Métropole du Grand Paris territorial structure supporting artistic projects in the eastern suburbs including The Big Project.
• OPH (Office Public de l'Habitat)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Supported Cosmorama project and other initiatives at the Morillon neighborhood, providing backing for cultural events in housing areas.
• HelloAssocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatform used for membership (adhésions) and donations processing, enabling public support for the association's activities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Palais de Tokyo: Major contemporary art center in Paris hosting exhibitions and residencies across a much larger portfolio. Comparable as an institutional partner/venue that curates work by community-rooted artists alongside established programs, and as an existing collaborator of Les Cousines.
• Centre Pompidou: National museum and cultural center in Paris with broad programming across visual arts, design, and music. Comparable as a public cultural institution that supports participatory and educational programming in priority neighborhoods.
• Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain: Paris contemporary art foundation commissioning exhibitions, residencies, and publications with artists worldwide. Comparable as a private cultural foundation that provides venue, curation, and visibility support to emerging and community-rooted artists.
• Le BAL: Paris photography and image-arts center producing exhibitions, publications, and educational programs. Comparable as a photography-focused cultural institution with educational/community programming for schools and underserved audiences.
• Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP): Paris photography museum presenting exhibitions, collections, and educational programs. Comparable as a photography-focused cultural institution offering exhibition space and educational programming accessible to general and school audiences.

Direct peers

• La Friche la Belle de Mai: Cultural cooperative in Marseille operating a former industrial site as a multidisciplinary venue with residencies, exhibitions, and community programming. Comparable as a grassroots-led cultural organization combining production, training, and community-facing programming.
• Les Grandes Personnes: Community arts association based in Seine-Saint-Denis (Drancy) producing participatory projects with residents of priority neighborhoods. Highly comparable as a Seine-Saint-Denis-rooted, community-led non-profit focused on cultural expression in underserved suburbs.
• Artagon: Paris-based non-profit supporting emerging artists through mentorship and exhibitions, with a focus on young creators from underserved backgrounds. Comparable as a small-team arts non-profit building pipelines for emerging creators through institutional partnerships.
• Maison du Geste et de l'Image: Paris cultural center dedicated to image and movement arts with participatory workshops, exhibitions, and educational programming. Comparable as a participatory visual-arts non-profit serving diverse audiences including youth.

Emerging players

• Magnum Foundation: New York-based photography non-profit supporting socially engaged documentary projects and grants for emerging photographers. Comparable as a photography-and-social-impact non-profit with grantmaking and participatory photography programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hellolescousines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Les Cousines