Compagnie Tartaren

What Compagnie Tartaren does

Compagnie Tartaren VZW is a Belgian non-profit (VZW) social-artistic theater company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Leuven, Belgium. It operates as the official city theater company (stadsgezelschap) of Leuven and a partner of Genk, running a participatory model that brings professional directors together with a sustained community of over 50 'Tartaren' players drawn from vulnerable and marginalized populations to co-create original productions. The company reaches an annual audience of more than 3,000 diverse attendees through staged productions (Voorstellingen), experimental lab projects (Labo), guest performances (Te Gast), internal activities, and storytelling installations (Vertelkabinet/Kabardoesjkes).

Its core product is co-created theater — productions such as 'Buffering', '3 zusters', 'De Blijvers', 'Moed(er)', and 'Morsen' — with technology serving purely operational roles: lighting and sound equipment (including LED spots purchased via a 2018-2019 crowdfunding campaign of €10,509.72), a wheelchair-accessible Open TheaterWerkplaats at Riddersstraat 33 in Leuven, the Zap All People ticketing reservation system, Mailchimp for newsletters, and Google G Suite for data storage. The company is GDPR-compliant and holds no patents or proprietary technology platforms.

The revenue model is a typical Flemish subsidized arts mix: municipal and Flemish government funding (City of Leuven, City of Genk, Vlaanderen 'verbeelding werkt'), ticket sales at €5–€10 with tiered discounts (under 26, over 65, culture card, UiTPAS social tariff), donations (€40+ qualifies for tax certificate), merchandise (Cie Bazaar: tote bags, postcard sets, books), and venue rental of the Open TheaterWerkplaats. The organization is supported by a broad sponsor base including Cera Foundation, Lions Club, Ladies' Circle, Rotary Club, and previously Belfius, KBC, Cargill, and Cera Regionale Adviesraad.

Name

Compagnie Tartaren

Legal name

Compagnie Tartaren VZW

Website

https://tartaren.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Compagnie Tartaren is a Belgian non-profit social-artistic theater company based in Leuven, serving as city theater company of Leuven and partner of Genk, where over 50 vulnerable players co-create original productions with professional directors, reaching 3,000+ diverse audience members annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leuven

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies on donations from individuals and sponsors. Donations of €40 or more qualify for a tax certificate. A new website campaign is ongoing in 2026. The 'Oscar de spaartartaar' mascot collects voluntary contributions at events.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue from theater performances with tiered pricing: standard €10, under 26 €9, over 65 €9.50, culture card discount €8, UiTPAS social tariff €2. Tickets sold through website reservation system.
3. Cie Bazaar Merchandise: Sale of derivative products including tote bags (€6), postcards 'Liefde in tijden van corona' (€6 for 5, €28 for full set), jubilee publication '10 jaar Tartaren' (€15), books and other materials (€2-€15).
4. Venue Rental: The Open TheaterWerkplaats at Riddersstraat 33 is available for rental. Interested parties can contact [email protected].

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Compagnie Tartaren is a participatory theater company that creates productions through co-creation between professional directors and a sustained group of around 50–80 "Tartaren" players (vulnerable individuals). The core offering consists of theater productions (Voorstellingen), experimental lab/workshop projects (Labo), guest performances (Te Gast), and a rental theater workspace (Open TheaterWerkplaats), supported by a merchandise line (Cie Bazaar) and donations.

Product overview

Compagnie Tartaren is a social-artistic theater company (sociaal-artistiek gezelschap) based in Leuven, Belgium, operating as a city theater company for Leuven and partner of Genk. The organization functions as a participatory theater company where productions are created through co-creation between professional directors and a stable group of around 80 'Tartaren' players. The core offerings consist of theater productions (Voorstellingen) developed through extended creative processes with professional artists, supplemented by experimental lab/workshop projects (Labo), guest performances (Te Gast), internal activities including theater visits, and the Open TheaterWerkplaats rental venue. Additional offerings include Cie Bazaar merchandise shop and storytelling installations (Vertelkabinet/Kabardoesjkes). The company reaches over 3,000 audience members annually across diverse age groups, social classes, and backgrounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cie Bazaar: Merchandise shop selling derived products from their work including tote bags, postcards, publications, and books.
• Open TheaterWerkplaats

Products and services

• Theater Productions (Voorstellingen)
• Labo (Laboratory)
• Open TheaterWerkplaats (venue rental)
• Cie Bazaar merchandise
• Te Gast (Guest Performances)
• Vertelkabinet / Kabardoesjkes

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 players sustainably supported in their artistic development
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• Stad Leuven (City of Leuven)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCie Tartaren is the city theater company (stadsgezelschap) of Leuven, receiving municipal support and collaborating on cultural programming.
• Stad Genk (City of Genk)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCie Tartaren is a partner of Genk, with a production office and volunteer coordination in Genk at 't Kliniekske.
• Vlaanderen (Flanders)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported through 'Vlaanderen verbeelding werkt' program and cultural infrastructure funding.
• 30CC LeuvencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey venue partner for performances including Wagehuys and Schouwburg locations.
• OPEKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImportant venue partner in Leuven, regularly hosting performances and activities.
• C-minemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner in Genk for performances.
• UiTPAS LeuvenmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for discounted tickets for social tariff audiences.
• Theater aan Zee (TAZ)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partner for summer festival performances.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Toneelhuis: City theater company of Antwerp, operating as a Flemish 'stadsgezelschap' producing original theatrical productions with professional ensembles. Closely parallel structure to Tartaren's Leuven-based stadsgezelschap model.
• NTGent: Flemish city theater company ('stadsgezelschap') of Ghent with publicly funded repertory model and co-creation with diverse artistic teams. Comparable to Compagnie Tartaren as another municipally anchored Flemish theater organization producing original work.
• Cie De Queeste: Belgian socially-engaged theater company creating performances with non-professional participants and vulnerable groups. Highly comparable participatory co-creation model and social-artistic positioning.
• Bronks: Brussels-based theater company focused on young audiences and participatory work. Comparable in producing original socially-engaged theater with public funding support, though aimed at a younger demographic.
• Theater Antigone: Flemish city theater company of Kortrijk producing socially engaged theater with a comparable blend of artistic quality and community relevance. Similar scope, regional funding model, and repertoire approach.
• Compagnie Cecilia: Belgian French-speaking theater company creating original socially-engaged productions. Comparable artistic mission of socially engaged independent theater-making in Belgium.
• 4Hoog: Flemish regional theater company producing socially engaged original work with public subsidies. Similar operating scale and community-engaged artistic mission to Compagnie Tartaren.

Emerging players

• De Figuranten: Belgian theater company using non-professional performers in original productions. Comparable participatory casting model where community members become the cast of artistic work.
• Hotel Modern: Experimental Dutch theater company blending performance, visual art, and multimedia in intimate productions. Comparable experimental aesthetic and small-scale producing model.

Broad incumbents

• Het Nationale Theater: Larger Dutch publicly funded theater company with broader repertoire including socially engaged work. Comparable city-theater business model, though at substantially larger scale than Tartaren.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHF12EyXofUH-eLIHnQFmpw
• Facebookfacebook.com/compagnie.tartaren
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compagnie-tartaren

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Compagnie Tartaren