SENS INTERDITS
Sens Interdits is a Lyon-based non-profit association (founded 2009) running an international biennial theatre festival on memory, identities, and resistances, with year-round touring production, a dramatic-text publishing line, and a youth webradio program serving exiled and international artists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLyon, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What SENS INTERDITS does
Sens Interdits (legal name: Association Sens Interdits) is a non-profit cultural association founded in 2009 by Patrick Penot in Lyon, France, operating as an international biennial theatre festival with year-round programming. The organization conducts a biennial festival focused on themes of memory, identities, and resistances, presenting 14+ shows in original languages with subtitles across Lyon metropolitan-area venues (Les Célestins, Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse, TNP Villeurbanne, Les SUBS, Le Ciel, Théâtre du Point du Jour, Les Ateliers Frappaz, Théâtre de la Renaissance, Gadagne, Villa Gillet). The 9th edition (October 10–31, 2025) drew 10,230 spectators and 73 artists, with 43 mediations, debates, and workshops. Beyond the biennial event, Sens Interdits operates as a delegated producer coordinating international tours — 80 representations across France, Chile, Brazil, Switzerland, Belgium, and Spain in 2025 — and runs a publishing line (Collection Sens Interdits via Éditions L'Espace d'un instant), a youth Webradio training program (16–25 year olds, launched 2019), and territorial mediation workshops.
The business model is a mixed public-private non-profit structure. Revenue streams include ticket sales (€8–€26 per category, plus Pass Sens Interdits at €8–€22 and free programming), institutional grants from CNM, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Métropole de Lyon, Ville de Lyon, ONDA, and DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, private mécénat, individual donations, and publishing royalties. Partnerships span 20+ institutional, media, and venue partners including France Culture, RFI, Institut Français (for the Season France-Brazil 2025), Festival d'Automne à Paris, FIAC Salvador, and EURODRAM. The core team is 8 people plus an intern, led by Tina Hollard (artistic direction/coordination), Marie-Pierre Mourgues (administrative direction/development), François Remandet (artistic direction/territorial development), and governed by a board chaired by President Olivier Neveux. The organization is independent with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed M&A activity.
SENS INTERDITS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SENS INTERDITS
- Legal name
- Association Sens Interdits
- Website
- https://sensinterdits.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sens Interdits is a Lyon-based non-profit association (founded 2009) running an international biennial theatre festival on memory, identities, and resistances, with year-round touring production, a dramatic-text publishing line, and a youth webradio program serving exiled and international artists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SENS INTERDITS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Theater Festival
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
Keywords
Where SENS INTERDITS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lyon
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SENS INTERDITS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Festival Tickets and Performances: Revenue generated from ticket sales for festival performances and touring productions across partner theatres in France and internationally.
- Institutional Funding and Grants: Financial support from public institutional partners including CNM, Region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Métropole de Lyon, Ville de Lyon, ONDA, DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and private partners/mécènes.
- Donations and Patronage: Individual donations, patronage from private partners, and membership contributions to support the festival's mission.
- Publishing (Collection Sens Interdits): The collection publishes texts by programmed authors through Éditions L'Espace d'un instant, creating an additional revenue stream and extending the festival's reach.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Category 1 tickets |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Category 2 tickets |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Category 3 tickets |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Pass Sens Interdits standard |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free admission performances |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Special youth pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
SENS INTERDITS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sens Interdits is a non-profit cultural association that organizes the biennial international theater festival "Festival Sens Interdits" in Lyon, France, featuring engaged artistic programming on themes of memory, identities, and resistances. The organization coordinates international touring productions (8 shows, 80 representations in 2025 across France and abroad), publishes dramatic texts through Collection Sens Interdits with Éditions L'Espace d'un instant, runs mediation and educational workshops (Ateliers-Transmission), and operates a youth webradio journalism program (Webradio Sens Interdits) supported by SCAM and INA.
Product overview
SENS INTERDITS is a cultural organization centered around its biennial international theater festival (created in 2009) held in Lyon, France. The organization operates as a platform combining multiple interconnected offerings: the Festival Sens Interdits (international theater festival featuring 14+ spectacles in original languages with subtitles), Production/Diffusion (coordinating 80+ annual theater tours internationally), Collection Sens Interdits (publishing dramatic texts through L'Espace d'un instant), Ateliers-Transmission (educational workshops and mediation programs), and Webradio Sens Interdits (youth journalism program). The organization supports artists who are prevented or in exile, particularly from regions including Palestine, Russia, Ukraine, Chile, and various African countries, and maintains international partnerships for cultural exchange and democratic values.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Festival Sens Interdits International biennial theater festival held in Lyon, France, focused on themes of memory, identities, and resistances. Features engaged artistic programming from international artists including those from conflict zones and exiled communities. The 9th edition (October 2025) featured 14 spectacles in original languages with subtitles, 40 representations across 10 partner venues in the Lyon metropolitan area.
- Production / Diffusion (Tournées Sens Interdits) Coordination of international theater tours in France and abroad through delegated production arrangements. In 2025, over 80 representations were coordinated across France, Chile, Brazil, Belgium, Spain, and Switzerland. The service supports 8 touring shows including And here I am, Khalil Khalil, La nuit je rêverai de soleils, Le Quai de Ouistreham, Losing it, Shabaab, Trilogie de la guerre, and Ütruf Tripay.
- Collection Sens Interdits Publishing collection in partnership with Éditions L'Espace d'un instant that publishes dramatic texts by programmed authors and accompanied artists. Makes dramatic writings exist that span from France to Turkey, Iraq to Palestine, Ukraine to Russia.
- Ateliers-Transmission Mediation and transmission workshops that maintain links with partners and extend the festival's reach throughout the Lyon metropolitan area. Includes meetings, readings, debates with artists, and educational programs aimed at students and professionals.
- Webradio Sens Interdits Youth radio program launched in 2019 allowing 20 young people aged 16-25 from the Lyon metropolitan area to discover journalism and radio professions through the festival. Supported by SCAM and INA, it creates cultural radio journalism content and is hosted on Arte Radio.
- Les Interdits, ici & ailleurs Series of encounters, readings, and debates with artists and thinkers around human rights, cultural resistances, and contemporary theater writings held during the festival period.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10,230 spectators for 9th edition (2025)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SENS INTERDITS
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SENS INTERDITS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SENS INTERDITS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
29 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- CNM - Centre National de la MusiquecoreNational cultural institution providing institutional support and funding for the festival's music and performing arts programming.
- Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreRegional council providing major institutional funding and support for festival operations and touring activities.
- Métropole de LyoncoreMetropolitan government supporting festival presence across the Lyon metropolitan area.
- Ville de LyoncoreCity of Lyon providing local institutional support for festival activities.
- ONDA - Office National de Diffusion ArtistiquecoreNational office supporting artistic diffusion providing operational support for touring and international presence.
- DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreRegional cultural affairs directorate providing state funding and institutional recognition.
- Institut Français - Francia BrasilcoreFrench Institute supporting Sens Interdits au Brésil as part of Season France-Brazil 2025.
- Éditions L'Espace d'un instantcorePublishing partner for Collection Sens Interdits, publishing dramatic texts by programmed authors and artists.
- France CulturemajorMedia partner providing radio coverage and visibility for festival programming and artists.
- RFImajorInternational French radio partner contributing to festival media coverage and audience reach.
- HumanitésminorMedia partner contributing to festival communication and press coverage.
- Les Célestins, Théâtre de LyoncoreMajor partner theatre hosting multiple festival performances and co-productions including Losing it, Reminiscencia, and Les Interdits events.
- Théâtre du Point du JourmajorPartner theatre hosting Wayqeycuna and other festival performances.
- Théâtre de la Croix-RoussemajorPartner theatre hosting Moi, Elles, Hewa Rwanda performances.
- Théâtre National PopulairemajorNational popular theatre hosting Silence, ça tourne (Lebanon).
- Le CielmajorPartner venue hosting Giraffe Mons (Ukraine puppet theatre) and related programming.
- Les SUBScorePartner venue co-producing Losing it, Shabaab, Khalil Khalil, Trilogie de la guerre and hosting Les Traversées.
- Festival d'Automne à ParismajorMajor Paris festival hosting Trilogie de la guerre (France-Russia) touring performances.
- FIAC - Festival Internacional de Artes em Cena SalvadormajorBrazilian partner for Sens Interdits au Brésil mini-festival as part of Season France-Brazil 2025.
- Les Ateliers FrappazmajorPartner venue hosting Feu! and other performances, including writing workshops.
- Théâtre de la RenaissancemajorPartner theatre hosting ÄKÄ Free Voices of Forest, Malqa, and Marée performances.
- GADAGNE - Musée de l'Histoire de LyonmajorPartner museum hosting Ukraine contemporary creation discussions and Giraffe Mons company encounter.
- Villa GilletminorPartner venue co-organizing Voix de Palestine events with Sens Interdits.
- SCAM - Société Civile des Auteurs MultimédiaminorPartner supporting 'En d'autres langues' radio program and sound productions.
- INA - Institut National de l'AudiovisuelminorPartner supporting radio programming and archive access for web radio activities.
- EURODRAMminorEuropean theatre translation network working on translation and circulation of contemporary dramaturgies, holding meetings during festival.
- Maison d'Europe et d'OrientminorPartner organization linked to EURODRAM network for theatre translation activities.
- FETEAG Caruaru et RecifemajorBrazilian festivals hosting Sens Interdits performances as part of Season France-Brazil 2025.
- MIAC Porto-AlegremajorBrazilian venue hosting Sens Interdits performances including L'Opéra du villageois and Les Sans...
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
SENS INTERDITS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Theater der Welt: Triennial international theatre festival organized by the German Theatre Association. Comparable as a festival that curates international contemporary theatre addressing political and social themes, with a touring element across host cities.
- Festival d'Avignon: France's flagship international performing arts festival (annual, July). Comparable to Sens Interdits as a large international theatre festival programmed in France and operating a producer/diffuser model, though at significantly greater scale and on an annual cadence.
- Holland Festival: Leading international performing arts festival in Amsterdam. Comparable as a festival presenting international contemporary theatre and dance, commissioning new work, and operating a producer/diffuser model.
- Biennale de la danse de Lyon: Biennial performing arts event based in Lyon (sister organization in scale and cadence). Comparable as a metropolitan biennial that programs international dance/theatre, coordinates across multiple Lyon venues, and drives cultural tourism.
- Festival d'Automne à Paris: Major international performing arts festival in Paris; co-producer and touring partner of Sens Interdits (Trilogie de la guerre). Direct peer in curating and touring contemporary international theatre and dance across France.
- Wiener Festwochen: Austrian annual international performing arts festival in Vienna. Comparable as a festival programming contemporary international theatre, frequently with sociopolitical engagement themes, and producing/touring international productions.
- Sibiu International Theatre Festival: One of the largest performing arts festivals in Europe, held annually in Romania. Comparable as an international theatre festival with strong production and diffusion activities and significant international touring reach.
- Festival de Marseille: Annual international performing arts festival in Marseille. Comparable as a French festival programming engaged international theatre and dance, with Mediterranean and MENA focus areas that overlap thematically with Sens Interdits' identity programming.
Broad incumbents
- Edinburgh International Festival: Major international performing arts festival held annually in Edinburgh. Comparable as a multi-genre international arts festival; broader in scope (opera, music, dance, theatre) but overlapping in international theatre programming and touring coordination.
Regional players
- Printemps des Comédiens: Annual theatre festival in Montpellier, France, presenting international contemporary theatre. Comparable as a French regional theatre festival with international programming and touring partnerships, serving a similar audience segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SENS INTERDITS social profiles
Digital presenceSENS INTERDITS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SENS INTERDITS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
SENS INTERDITS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SENS INTERDITS 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 SENS INTERDITS
What does SENS INTERDITS do?
Sens Interdits is a non-profit cultural association that organizes the biennial international theater festival "Festival Sens Interdits" in Lyon, France, featuring engaged artistic programming on themes of memory, identities, and resistances. The organization coordinates international touring productions (8 shows, 80 representations in 2025 across France and abroad), publishes dramatic texts through Collection Sens Interdits with Éditions L'Espace d'un instant, runs mediation and educational workshops (Ateliers-Transmission), and operates a youth webradio journalism program (Webradio Sens Interdits) supported by SCAM and INA.
Is SENS INTERDITS a public or private company?
SENS INTERDITS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SENS INTERDITS founded?
SENS INTERDITS was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SENS INTERDITS based?
SENS INTERDITS is headquartered in Lyon, France, in the Europe region.
How does SENS INTERDITS make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Festival Tickets and Performances are the primary driver. The others are institutional Funding and Grants, donations and Patronage and publishing (Collection Sens Interdits).
Who are SENS INTERDITS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Theater der Welt, Festival d'Avignon, Holland Festival, Biennale de la danse de Lyon, Festival d'Automne à Paris, Wiener Festwochen, Sibiu International Theatre Festival and Festival de Marseille. Edinburgh International Festival is listed as a broad incumbent. Printemps des Comédiens is listed as a regional player.
Does SENS INTERDITS have an API?
No public API is recorded for SENS INTERDITS.
What industry is SENS INTERDITS in?
SENS INTERDITS's product category is International Theater Festival. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking). Its NAICS code is 56192.