Maison du Geste et de l'Image

What Maison du Geste et de l'Image does

Maison du Geste et de l'Image (MGI) is a Parisian non-profit cultural association founded more than fifteen years ago and headquartered at 42 rue Saint-Denis in the 1er arrondissement. The organization operates as a center for artistic creation and mediation dedicated to children and youth aged 3 to 25, delivering structured programs in theatre, video, photography, dance, sound creation, and stop-motion animation. Programming is organized around rotating annual themes (Liberté·s, Égalité·s, Fraternité·Sororité, Pouvoir·s, Société en·jeu) and includes on-site school ateliers, vacation and weekend stages, weekly workshops, the multidisciplinary HAUT-PARLEURS youth project (now in its 6th edition), the immersive Balade sonore experience, and introductory Séance PourVoir sessions for school classes.

MGI's underlying delivery model is human-intensive rather than technology-driven: programs are facilitated by a roster of professional artists including Sylvain Levey (HAUT-PARLEURS artistic director), Simon Backès, Fabien Arca, France Jolly, and long-time collaborator Samuel Bianchini of ENSAD-PSL. The technology stack is minimal and operational rather than differentiating, comprising a WordPress website, Google Forms for newsletter and reservations, and payment integrations with Pass Culture (state youth cultural voucher) and HelloAsso (French association payment platform).

The business model is a hybrid of public subsidies and program fees. Primary funding comes from the Ville de Paris (Direction des Affaires Culturelles), CAF de Paris, and the Fonds de dotation le Chœur à l'ouvrage, with secondary revenue from participant fees (e.g., €10 per HAUT-PARLEURS participant) and fee-based professional formations for educators developed in partnership with ANRAT and Théâ pour l'OCCE. Distribution is primarily direct-to-institution, with MGI artists delivering ateliers on-site at 100+ partner schools across Paris and Île-de-France, supplemented by programming at the central venue and partner locations such as Musée Picasso and Théâtre de la Poudrerie.

Name

Maison du Geste et de l'Image

Legal name

Maison du Geste et de l'Image

Website

https://mgi-paris.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maison du Geste et de l'Image is a Parisian non-profit cultural association delivering arts education and mediation programs (theatre, video, photography, dance, sound) for children and youth aged 3-25, serving 100+ schools across Paris and Île-de-France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Leadership, Oratory & Civic Speaking Programs (EDAMAOAH), Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI), Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE), Community Development & Social Impact Programs (EDAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Youth arts education
• Theatrical workshops
• School arts programs
• Cultural mediation
• Professional training

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public subsidies and cultural funding: Primary funding from Ville de Paris (Direction des Affaires Culturelles), CAF de Paris, and the Fonds de dotation le Chœur à l'ouvrage. Subsidized cultural mission as a youth arts education center.
2. Program fees: Fees charged for structured programs like HAUT-PARLEURS (10€ per participant). Partial subsidies available through Pass Culture.
3. Professional training services: Fee-based professional development formations for educators and adults in theatrical writing and artistic pedagogy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Maison du Geste et de l'Image (MGI) is a Parisian cultural center offering arts education and mediation programs for youth aged 3-25 across disciplines including theater, video, photography, dance, sound, and stop-motion animation. The organization delivers structured holiday workshops, school-based ateliers, the annual HAUT-PARLEURS multidisciplinary youth project, and continuing professional training for educators. Programs are organized around annual social themes (Société en·jeu, Pouvoir·s, Fraternité·Sororité, Égalité·s, Liberté·s).

Product overview

Maison du Geste et de l'Image (MGI) is a Parisian artistic creation and mediation center for youth, offering a unified portfolio of services organized around core programs: holiday workshops (Stages jeunes) and school-based workshops (Ateliers scolaires) for ages 3-20 covering theater, photo, video, dance, and sound; the annual HAUT-PARLEURS multidisciplinary youth project combining multiple artistic disciplines; professional training for educators (Formations professionnelles); introductory sessions (Séance PourVoir); and immersive sound experiences (Balade sonore). Programs are organized around annual themes including Égalité·s, Liberté·s, Fraternité·Sororité, and Pouvoir·s. The center is located at 42 rue Saint-Denis, Paris 1er.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HAUT-PARLEURS: A multidisciplinary artistic program for youth aged 14-18, involving theater, video, writing, and sound, under the artistic direction of Sylvain Levey.
• Formations Professionnelles

Products and services

• Stages jeunes (Holiday Workshops) Artistic practice workshops during school holidays and Saturdays for youth aged 12-20 covering theater, photo, video, and dance disciplines. Delivered at MGI headquarters in Paris and via partner schools.
• Ateliers scolaires (School Workshops) Artistic practice workshops integrated into school time, partnering with elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools across the Paris region for theater, video, photo, and dance projects.
• HAUT-PARLEURS Annual multidisciplinary artistic project for youth (14-24 years) combining theater, video, sound, writing, and dance, culminating in a public performance. Multiple editions since 2021 with rotating annual themes including Société en·jeu, Pouvoir·s, Fraternité·Sororité, Égalité·s, Liberté·s.
• Formations professionnelles (Professional Training) Continuing education programs for professionals including theater educators, covering contemporary theatrical writing for youth, project design for children and adolescents, and artistic pedagogy techniques such as cyanotype, sound creation, and stop-motion animation.
• Séance PourVoir Introductory 3-hour session for school classes to discover MGI's artistic resources and experience different artistic disciplines including theater, photo, and video.
• Balade sonore 30-minute immersive sound walk created by France Jolly, a poetic and visual journey through MGI's premises with headphones, combining documentary and artistic creation.
• Journées des arts plastiques Annual arts education days for elementary school classes, such as the 2024 edition 'Corps et graphies' delivered in partnership with Musée Picasso.
• Enseignements optionnels théâtre (Optional Theatre Classes) Optional theatre curriculum support for high schools (Lycée Montaigne, Lycée Paul Bert) with professional artistic accompaniment for secondaries and seniors.
• Animation pédagogique (Pedagogical Training) Professional development sessions for teachers to learn theater, photo, and animation cinema techniques using professional tools for use in classroom settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 100+ schools across Paris and Île-de-France with artistic programming
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

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

• Théâtre de la Poudrerie (Montreuil)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner venue for cinema residency 'L'Odyssée de l'Endurance' in collaboration with Orchestre spectacle.
• Ville de Paris (Direction des Affaires Culturelles)coreOthersPrimary institutional funder and supporter of MGI's cultural mission for youth arts education in Paris. The organization is described as 'soutenu par la Ville de Paris'.
• La Caisse d'Allocation Familiale de Paris (CAF de Paris)coreOthersKey public partner supporting the HAUT-PARLEURS youth citizenship program with funding for youth arts education initiatives.
• Musée PicassoflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint programming for the 4th edition of Journées des Arts Plastques 2024. MGI provided video capture of student performances inspired by Picasso's works during guided museum visits.
• ANRAT (Association Nationale de Recherche et d'Action Théâtrale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for professional formation in theatrical writing for youth, co-developing the 'Écritures théâtrales contemporaines pour la jeunesse' training series.
• Théâ pour l'OCCEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner for theatrical writing formation programs, working with MGI on the 'Écritures théâtrales contemporaines jeunesse' series.
• Les Araignées philosophesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPhilosophy workshop provider for the HAUT-PARLEURS 2024-2025 season, contributing to youth civic education component.
• Théâtre du PhareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre company partnership for youth programming, including the 'KiLLT – Ki Lira Le Texte' residency project.
• L'Archipel des luciolesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the 'Des cinés, la Vie!' video program bringing cinema workshops to social sector organizations.
• Passeurs d'imagesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network partner for video and cinema education programs.
• Various Paris Schools (Réseau scolaire parisien)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 100 partner schools (écoles, collèges, lycées) throughout Paris and Île-de-France receiving MGI artistic programming. Schools include Collège Octave Gréard, Lycée Montaigne, Collège Paul Verlaine, and many others.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Théâtre National de Chaillot: National theatre in Paris with a substantial youth education department (Chaillot École d'Art) offering multidisciplinary performing arts training for young people. Comparable in mission (youth arts education, school integration, subsidized programming) but operates at national scale.
• Forum des images: Paris cinema institution dedicated to film education and image literacy, running school workshops, youth programs, and teacher training. Highly comparable to MGI's video/cinema component and youth-mediation model.
• Le BAL: Paris venue for image and photography practices with an educational program serving schools and youth. Comparable to MGI in its focus on image practices, Paris-based operations, and educational mediation approach.
• Compagnie Théâtre du Phare: Paris-based youth theatre company and existing MGI partner. Comparable as a creator and deliverer of theatrical programming for young audiences, with overlapping artist networks and Paris-area school partnerships.
• Théâtre de la Ville: Major Parisian subsidized theatre that runs extensive youth arts education programs and school partnerships across Paris. Comparable to MGI as a publicly-funded performing arts venue combining professional productions with structured youth mediation, though at significantly larger scale.
• La Gaîté Lyrique: Paris digital arts and contemporary culture venue with significant youth education programming and school partnerships. Comparable as a Paris-based publicly-funded cultural non-profit offering multidisciplinary arts workshops for young audiences.
• L'Archipel des lucioles: Paris association running 'Des cinés, la vie!' and other cinema-education programs for youth, including social-sector audiences. Already an MGI partner; comparable as a Paris-based non-profit delivering youth video/cinema education.
• Musée en Herbe: Paris children's art and culture museum offering workshops, guided visits, and educational programming for school groups. Comparable as a Paris arts-education non-profit targeting young audiences and partnering with schools.

Broad incumbents

• Comédie-Française (Éducation): France's oldest active theatre with a substantial education department running school programs, teacher training, and youth workshops. Comparable in theatre-education mission and public funding model but at much greater scale.
• Centre Pompidou (Éducation): Paris's flagship modern art museum with a major youth and school education division offering multidisciplinary arts workshops across its collections. Comparable audience (Parisian youth, schools, educators) but vastly broader scope and budget than MGI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/maisongesteimage
• Instagraminstagram.com/hautparleurs_mgi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mgi-paris

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Maison du Geste et de l'Image