Pianofabriek
Gemeenschapscentrum Pianofabriek vzw is a non-profit Dutch-language community centre in Saint-Gilles, Brussels, offering courses, exhibitions, concerts, holiday camps, and rehearsal spaces for residents, schools, and emerging artists under the Flemish Community Commission.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersSaint-Gilles (Sint-Gillis), Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Pianofabriek does
Gemeenschapscentrum Pianofabriek vzw is a non-profit Dutch-language community centre (vzw/ASBL) operating from a historic 1898 industrial building at Rue du Fortstraat 35 in Saint-Gilles, Brussels, under the governance and regulatory framework of the Flemish Community Commission (VGC, Regulation 12/005). Founded in 1978 when State Secretary Vic Anciaux acquired the former Gunther piano factory building for Dutch-language cultural associations, it operates today as one of the N22 network of Brussels community centres and serves the Dutch-speaking community of the broader Brussels-Capital Region across five connected municipalities via the Schoolpodium Zuid partnership. Its core activities are organised under several internal brands: KIDSfabriek (children's holiday camps, after-school activities, school programming), Café Alcantara (on-site vegetarian café staffed by trainees in hospitality), COLABZ (free rehearsal and music/video production workspaces), Citylab (audiovisual hub with iMac/Adobe Suite workstations and the System_D film festival), the Alexandria exhibition space, and self-organisation platforms such as 1060 Pitch, Play It Loud, Try It Loud and Take Over.
The centre's service portfolio spans weekly courses (theatre, circus, music, dance, language, fitness), exhibitions, concerts, slam poetry and spoken-word events, holiday camps, and venue rental, with programming delivered in Dutch, French and English. It maintains partnerships with Kunstenwerkplaats vzw (a resident arts laboratory), Bronks (children's theatre workshops), Atelier Leon (free dance workshops), MUS-E (artistic holiday camps), SpeakEasy and Slameke (spoken-word platforms), Francofaune (music programming), Cineclube Panorama Brasilis (Brazilian film), Brede School Saint-Gilles (after-school network), CUBE (youth services), and serves as a donation drop-off point for the Plateforme Citoyenne - BelRefugees refugee support network.
The business model is a hybrid non-profit structure: the majority of operating funding comes from the VGC public subsidy, supplemented by earned income from course/camp registration fees (€15 reduced via Paspartoe for vulnerable families, up to €70 standard for holiday camps), ticket sales (e.g., €15 for Francofaune concerts), exhibition budgets (typically €500 cost-recovery per show), hall rental, and Café Alcantara food and beverage revenue. Distribution is primarily direct, in-person at the single site, with online registration through the VGC tickets.vgc.be platform; marketing is organic via the website, newsletter, Facebook (gcpianofabriek) and Instagram (gc_pianofabriek), supported by word-of-mouth through the N22 network and partner organisations.
Pianofabriek firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pianofabriek
- Legal name
- Gemeenschapscentrum Pianofabriek vzw
- Website
- https://pianofabriek.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gemeenschapscentrum Pianofabriek vzw is a non-profit Dutch-language community centre in Saint-Gilles, Brussels, offering courses, exhibitions, concerts, holiday camps, and rehearsal spaces for residents, schools, and emerging artists under the Flemish Community Commission.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pianofabriek industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Cultural Center
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)
Keywords
Where Pianofabriek is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint-Gilles (Sint-Gillis)
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pianofabriek business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Course & Training Fees: Weekly courses and workshops for children and adults generate revenue through registration fees, with pricing differentiated between standard and Paspartoe reduced rates. Courses run September to May.
- Exhibition Space Rental & Programming: The exhibition space is provided to artists, typically for one month, with an average budget of €500 allocated for the exhibition, vernissage, and finissage. This is a cost-recovery arrangement, not a revenue generator.
- Hall/Venue Rental: Rooms and halls are available for rental to external groups and organisations for meetings, events, and activities. Catering for groups is also offered through Café Alcantara.
- Café Alcantara: The on-site café generates revenue through food and beverage sales, including Monday lunches (€8), soups, cookies, cakes, croques, and drinks. It also functions as a social integration enterprise, employing trainees in hospitality.
- Holiday & Summer Camps: School holiday camps (Kids Holidays) are offered during Dutch-language school breaks, with registration fees (€70 standard, €15 Paspartoe reduced). Free supervision is provided from 8:30 to 17:30.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard rate for holiday camps |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paspartoe reduced rate for holiday camps |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Monday lunch at Café Alcantara |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Concert tickets (e.g., Francofaune events) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Pianofabriek product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pianofabriek operates as a community cultural center in Saint-Gilles, Brussels, providing cultural activities, courses, workshops, holiday camps, artist residencies, and venue rental services. It also runs an on-site café (Café Alcantara), youth programming (KIDSfabriek, Kids Holidays), a social-integration initiative (Kunstenwerkplaats), content-creation facilities (Citylab with Adobe workstations, COLABZ music and video production), exhibition space (Alexandria), and a school outreach program (Schoolpodium Zuid). The organization operates as a vzw/ASBL under the Flemish Community Commission (VGC) within the N22 network.
Product overview
Pianofabriek (Gemeenschapscentrum Pianofabriek vzw) is a community center operating from a historic piano factory building in Saint-Gilles, Brussels. It is an initiative of the Flemish Community Commission (VGC). The organization offers a diverse portfolio of services organized around several core areas: (1) General community center activities including courses, events, and venue rentals; (2) Café Alcantara as an on-site hospitality service; (3) COLABZ programs providing free music rehearsal spaces and music/video production workspaces; (4) Citylab as an audiovisual hub supporting Brussels creators with editing facilities and film programming; (5) Exhibition space for local artists; (6) KIDSfabriek children's programming including holiday camps and after-school activities; and (7) Social integration programs. The organization also hosts partner Kunstenwerkplaats vzw for artist residencies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Café Alcantara: The café and meeting place of GC Pianofabriek, offering vegetarian cuisine, soups, lunches, and drinks with prices that are accessible to all.
- KIDSfabriek
- Citylab
- COLABZ
- 1060 Pitch
- Play It Loud
- Try It Loud
- Take Over
Products and services
- Gemeenschapscentrum Pianofabriek The main community cultural center in Saint-Gilles, Brussels, offering cultural activities, courses, workshops, and community programming for residents of the Brussels-Capital Region. Operates as a vzw/ASBL under the Flemish Community Commission (VGC).
- Café Alcantara On-site café serving food and beverages to center visitors and event attendees at the Saint-Gilles facility.
- KIDSfabriek After-school and creative programming for children at the center, targeted at parents seeking Dutch-language cultural activities during out-of-school hours.
- Kids Holidays Holiday camps and activity programming for children during school holiday periods.
- Citylab Content-creation workspace equipped with Adobe Creative Suite workstations, available to community members for digital content production.
- COLABZ: Music & Video Production Music and video production services provided at the center for musicians and video creators.
- COLABZ Music Rehearsal Space Dedicated rehearsal space with recording equipment available to musicians for booking.
- Exhibition Space Alexandria Exhibition hall hosting curated art shows available for viewing and to exhibiting artists.
- Zaalverhuur (Venue Rental) Hall and venue rental service for organizations and private hirers needing event space at the center.
- Organise It Yourself / Try Out DIY event-organizing program that supports community members in self-organizing cultural events and initiatives.
- Artist-in-Residence Program Residency program hosting artists at the center to develop and present work in collaboration with the community.
- Kunstenwerkplaats vzw Social-integration program using arts-based engagement to support socially vulnerable residents in Brussels.
- Schoolpodium Zuid School outreach program delivering subsidized Dutch-language cultural performances and educational programming to schools.
Quantifiable outcome
- Supports dozens of autodidact Brussels artists annually, many of whom develop professional careers in the audio-visual field
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Pianofabriek
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Pianofabriek technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Pianofabriek partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Kunstenwerkplaats vzwcoreKunstenwerkplaats (K*W*P) is a multi/inter/post-disciplinary arts laboratory operating within the Pianofabriek building. It provides artistic, technical, production, and administrative support for emerging artists. The association offers residences, long-term projects, and collaborations with partners across the arts sector.
- Schoolpodium ZuidcoreSchoolpodium Zuid is a joint initiative of five community centres (Pianofabriek, De Rinck, Het Huys, Ten Weyngaert, and De Moelie) delivering cultural and educational programming to schools in Uccle, Saint-Gilles, Anderlecht, Forest, and Linkebeek during school hours.
- BronksminorBronks has organised theatre workshops for children (from 2nd grade primary) at the Pianofabriek for several years, in collaboration with the Brede School Saint-Gilles. The year concludes with additional rehearsals and a public presentation during Ascension weekend.
- Atelier LeonminorAtelier Leon organises free participatory dance workshops at the Pianofabriek every Wednesday afternoon for children, youth, and adults. No registration is required; participants enter and exit freely. The workshops are open to neighbourhood groups and associations.
- MUS-EminorMUS-E provides artistic workshops during school holiday camps (Kids Holidays) at the Pianofabriek, contributing to creative and active holiday programming for young children.
- CUBE (Commune de Saint-Gilles Youth Service)minorCUBE, the youth service of the Commune of Saint-Gilles, co-organises summer activities for teenagers during the Dutch-language school holidays.
- Cineclube Panorama BrasilisminorCineclube Panorama Brasilis co-programmes Brazilian cinema events as part of the Bora Pianofabriek series, bringing Brazilian film culture to the community centre.
- Plateforme Citoyenne - BelRefugeesminorPianofabriek serves as a material donation collection point for the Plateforme Citoyenne - BelRefugees refugee support network in Brussels.
- FrancofauneminorFrancofaune is a music platform that programmes and promotes concerts at the Pianofabriek, including events featuring artists like Clarence Pinko, Coup Dur, NORD//NOIR, and VioleTT Pi.
- Slameke (slam poetry platform)minorSlameke organises monthly slam poetry open-mic events (every third Thursday) at the Pianofabriek, providing a platform for spoken word and slam artists.
- SpeakEasy (Spoken Word Brussels)minorSpeakEasy is a spoken word open stage initiative that organises monthly events at the Pianofabriek (every second Thursday) for emerging and established poets, spoken word artists, and musicians, with a monthly special guest.
- Brede School Saint-GillescoreBrede School Saint-Gilles is a broad school network collaborating with the Pianofabriek on after-school activities and holiday programming, ensuring accessibility for all children in the commune.
- Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie (VGC)coreThe Flemish Community Commission is the governing authority for Dutch-language community centres in Brussels. Pianofabriek operates as a VZW/ASBL under the VGC's regulatory framework (Regulation 12/005) and receives institutional support through the N22 network.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pianofabriek competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- KVS (Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg): Brussels Flemish theatre with comparable Dutch-language cultural mission and Brussels audience focus, though operating at significantly larger scale with theatrical performance rather than multi-purpose community centre programming.
- Bozar (Centre for Fine Arts): Larger Brussels arts institution offering concerts, exhibitions, and educational programming. Broader and more established than Pianofabriek but serves overlapping Dutch/French/English-speaking audiences.
- Flagey: Larger Brussels cultural centre in Ixelles with similar mission (concerts, cinema, exhibitions, community activities) but at a more established scale with broader national programming and ticketed concerts.
Direct peers
- Beursschouwburg: Brussels neighbourhood theatre and cultural centre offering comparable programming mix of concerts, exhibitions, workshops, and community engagement in a similar scale and bilingual Brussels context.
- Recyclart: Brussels alternative cultural space with overlapping focus on emerging artists, urban culture, and community-engaged programming, though with a stronger nightlife and electronic music emphasis.
- Het Huys: N22 network community centre in Forest, Brussels. Direct peer in the Schoolpodium Zuid partnership, offering comparable Dutch-language cultural, youth, and community programming under the same VGC governance.
- De Rinck: Sister N22 community centre in Anderlecht, Brussels. Co-partner in the Schoolpodium Zuid 5-centre school programming initiative, sharing the same VGC regulatory framework, Dutch-language cultural mission, and operational model as Pianofabriek.
- De Moelie: N22 network community centre in Uccle, Brussels. Direct peer in the Schoolpodium Zuid initiative, serving the same Dutch-speaking Brussels audience with similar programming mix.
- Ten Weyngaert: N22 community centre in Linkebeek serving the Brussels periphery. Direct peer under the VGC framework and Schoolpodium Zuid partner, with similar courses, events, and social integration mandate.
Emerging players
- Ancienne Belgique (AB): Brussels concert venue that partners with Pianofabriek via Francofaune for emerging-artist programming. Comparable in live-music venue operations and Brussels cultural scene positioning, though AB is a larger, ticketed concert hall.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pianofabriek social profiles
Digital presencePianofabriek financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pianofabriek leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Pianofabriek subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Pianofabriek funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pianofabriek M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pianofabriek
What does Pianofabriek do?
Pianofabriek operates as a community cultural center in Saint-Gilles, Brussels, providing cultural activities, courses, workshops, holiday camps, artist residencies, and venue rental services. It also runs an on-site café (Café Alcantara), youth programming (KIDSfabriek, Kids Holidays), a social-integration initiative (Kunstenwerkplaats), content-creation facilities (Citylab with Adobe workstations, COLABZ music and video production), exhibition space (Alexandria), and a school outreach program (Schoolpodium Zuid). The organization operates as a vzw/ASBL under the Flemish Community Commission (VGC) within the N22 network.
Is Pianofabriek a public or private company?
Pianofabriek is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Pianofabriek founded?
Pianofabriek was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pianofabriek based?
Pianofabriek is headquartered in Saint-Gilles (Sint-Gillis), Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Pianofabriek make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Course & Training Fees are the primary driver. The others are exhibition Space Rental & Programming, hall/Venue Rental, café Alcantara and holiday & Summer Camps.
Who are Pianofabriek's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are KVS (Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg), Bozar (Centre for Fine Arts) and Flagey. Direct peers are Beursschouwburg, Recyclart, Het Huys, De Rinck, De Moelie and Ten Weyngaert. Ancienne Belgique (AB) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Pianofabriek have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pianofabriek.
What industry is Pianofabriek in?
Pianofabriek's product category is Community Cultural Center. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAF, Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages), with a secondary code of EDAMALAI, Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance). Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7900.