Teater Giljotin
Teater Giljotin is an independent experimental theater founded in 1989 in Stockholm, producing innovative performances, running venue rentals, and operating the Giljotin Performance Laboratory and Ankoku International Performance Festival for Swedish and international arts audiences.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Teater Giljotin does
Teater Giljotin is an independent experimental theater and performing arts venue operating from a 400 sqm facility at Torsgatan 41 in Stockholm, Sweden. Founded in 1989 by director Kia Berglund and composer Rikard Borggård, the organization has produced over 120 works across theater, dance, performance art, concerts, and stand-up comedy. Its distinctive offering is anchored by the Ankoku Performance Language — a proprietary method developed by resident artistic leader Tana Maneva that blends Japanese Butoh dance with contemporary theater and performance art. The venue comprises an 80-seat auditorium, a 70 sqm basement rehearsal studio, a foyer, and dressing and kitchen facilities, and is supported by a core staff of 11 with a broader ensemble of 50+ actors and artists.
The theater operates a diversified revenue model combining ticket sales (processed exclusively through the external Kulturbiljetter platform and on-site box office), venue rental (2,000-17,000 SEK per session across full theater, foyer, and studio), bar and hospitality services, touring and co-production arrangements, and public funding from Stockholms Stad, Kulturrådet (Swedish Arts Council), Region Stockholm, and private foundations. In 2017 it launched the Giljotin Performance Laboratory — an international platform for experimental performing arts led by Tana Maneva — and in 2024 hosted the inaugural Ankoku International Performance Festival. It maintains an international artist network spanning Bulgaria, Georgia, the Netherlands, USA, and Japan through co-productions and residencies.
As of 2025, the company faces an acute funding crisis following the withdrawal of its Kulturrådet operating grant for 2026 and has launched a public donation campaign citing risk of closure. Its marketing relies primarily on the company website (teatergiljotin.se), the Kulturbiljetter ticketing platform, earned coverage from major Swedish cultural press (DN, SvD, SR, Aftonbladet, Expressen), Instagram, and email newsletter distribution.
Teater Giljotin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Teater Giljotin
- Legal name
- Teater Giljotin
- Website
- https://teatergiljotin.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Teater Giljotin is an independent experimental theater founded in 1989 in Stockholm, producing innovative performances, running venue rentals, and operating the Giljotin Performance Laboratory and Ankoku International Performance Festival for Swedish and international arts audiences.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Teater Giljotin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Experimental Theater / Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Cabarets & Variety Nightlife (MPAGAIAI)
Keywords
Where Teater Giljotin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stockholm
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Teater Giljotin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Ticket sales: Revenue from ticket sales for own productions and guest performances, sold via Kulturbiljetter and at the door. Covers a wide range of programming including theater, dance, performance art, stand-up comedy, and concerts.
- Venue and space rental: The theater generates significant rental income by renting its entire venue (theater, foyer, kitchen, dressing room, and studio), foyer only, or rehearsal studio to external producers, artists, and event organizers. Pricing ranges from 2,000 SEK to 17,000 SEK per session depending on space and time.
- Bar and hospitality services: Foaje service and bar operations during performances generate additional revenue. Foaje opens 1 hour before performances with refreshments available.
- Public funding and donations: Teater Giljotin receives operational funding from Stockholms Stad. The theater has launched a public donation campaign following the cancellation of its Kulturrådet operational grant for 2026, citing acute risk of closure.
- Touring productions: Selected productions such as 'Mefisto Remixed' and 'All my actions today will aim to avoid the things that I have to do' are available as touring productions, generating revenue through venue licensing and co-production arrangements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Entire theater rental |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Foyer rental |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Studio (rehearsal space) rental |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Teater Giljotin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Teater Giljotin is an experimental theater and performance venue in Stockholm that produces and hosts original live theater performances, guest productions, and an annual international performance festival. It also rents out its theater, foyer, and rehearsal studio spaces to external producers and event organizers, and runs masterclasses in the Ankoku Performance Language through its Performance Laboratory platform.
Product overview
Teater Giljotin is an experimental theater and performing arts venue in Stockholm, founded in 1989 by director Kia Berglund and composer Rikard Borggård. The company offers a diverse portfolio centered on innovative, boundary-pushing theatrical and performance productions, including original works, curated guest performances, and international collaborations. Its core activities span live theater productions across genres (drama, physical theater, dance, opera, concerts), stand-up comedy programming, and the Giljotin Performance Laboratory—an international platform for experimental performing arts led by Tana Maneva using Ankoku Performance Language. The theater also operates venue rental services, offering its stage, studio, and foyer spaces to external producers and artists, and hosts the annual Ankoku International Performance Festival. Additional offerings include masterclasses in performance methodology and the Rebuild Creativity residency supporting Ukrainian artists. The venue maintains international partnerships with artists and institutions across Bulgaria, Georgia, the Netherlands, USA, and Japan.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Theater Productions Original and curated theater performances, plays, and stage works presented at Teater Giljotin's venue in Stockholm for live audiences.
- Giljotin Performance Laboratory International platform for modern performing arts, experimental theater, and music led by Tana Maneva, offering workshops, masterclasses, and co-productions using the Ankoku Performance Language rooted in Japanese Butoh.
- Ankoku International Performance Festival Annual international performance festival organized by Teater Giljotin and Tana Maneva, featuring performances and artist exchanges with collaborators from Bulgaria, Georgia, the Netherlands, the USA, and Japan.
- Giljotin International Stand-up Stand-up comedy programming featuring international and Nordic comedians performing in English, including featured performers such as Pernille Haaland and Gilli Apter.
- Masterclass: Ankoku Performance Language Workshop teaching Tana Maneva's transgressive Ankoku Performance Language method rooted in Japanese Butoh dance, expanded into contemporary theatrical form, cultivating trance-like states, transparent focus, and transcended body expression.
- Venue Rental - Full Theater (Hela Teatern) Full theater rental including stage (6m x 14m), foyer, kitchen, dressing room, office, and basement rehearsal space for external producers and event organizers; capacity 80 audience members.
- Venue Rental - Studio (Studion) Rehearsal space rental in the theater's basement facilities, approximately 70 sqm, suitable for theater, dance, performance, and stand-up rehearsals as well as photo studio setups or workshops.
- Venue Rental - Foyer (Foajén) Foyer rental for events not requiring a stage, including mingling, book releases, readings, DJ sets, and exhibitions; equipped kitchen with espresso machine and separate private dining room.
- Rebuild Creativity Residency Program Residency program for Ukrainian performing artists establishing future collaborations with Swedish performing arts through education, residence, and knowledge exchange, creating a foundation for future Swedish-Ukrainian cultural projects.
Companies that use Teater Giljotin
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Teater Giljotin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Teater Giljotin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Smart Coop SverigeminorCooperative production house collaborating with Motus on the production 'Sanningsland' (September-October 2025). Smart provides cost management, salaries, contracts, and touring coordination services for its member artists.
- MotusminorNewly started free theater group working with physical stage language, co-producing 'Sanningsland' with Smart Coop Sverige at Teater Giljotin in September-October 2025.
- Ukrainian and Swedish artists (Rebuild Creativity initiative)minorTeater Giljotin initiated a residency program for Ukrainian performing artists (Rebuild Creativity) to establish future collaborations through education, residency, and knowledge exchange, creating a foundation for future Swedish-Ukrainian cultural projects.
- Teater GertrudeminorTheater company that produced 'Ett trevligt judiskt par' at Teater Giljotin in September 2025, written by Marianne Goldman and directed by Sara Key.
- GORE (UK)minorUK-based partner collaborating with Teater Fatal on 'R U Scared Yet?' (October 2025), alongside University of Sussex (UK) and ABF (SE), with Teater Giljotin as co-presenter.
- EMPTY SPACEminorNewly formed theater company that produced 'Vargarnas Tid' at Teater Giljotin in November-December 2024. EMPTY SPACE focuses on 'theater of the poor' using donated, borrowed, and found materials for set design and costumes, reflecting a sustainable and accessible approach to production.
- Multiple institutional supporters (Kulturrådet, Stockholms Stad, private foundations)core'Vargarnas Tid' received production support from Kulturrådet (Swedish Arts Council), Gerald and Monica Naglers Stiftelse, Svante Bergströms Teaterstiftelse, Helge Ax:son Jonsons Stiftelse, Stieg Larssons Stiftelse, Lars Dencik, Deutsche Gesellschaft, Peter Rothschild, Föreningen för Förintelsens Överlevande, Theodor Kallifatides, Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, and Dramaten.
- IntercultcoreTeater Giljotin's production 'Beautiful Souls' (2022) is part of the Theatre in Palmvia Intercult project, a European co-production initiative bringing together international performing arts collaborations.
- Toplocentrala Center for Contemporary ArtcoreBulgarian partner venue where Teater Giljotin's 'Beautiful Souls' (2023) was performed to critical acclaim following its Swedish premiere. Toplocentrala is a key international partner in Sofia, Bulgaria, supporting Giljotin's touring and co-production activities.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Teater Giljotin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Black Box Teater: Oslo-based venue for contemporary performing arts and international dance/theater. Comparable as a Nordic publicly funded experimental venue hosting international guest performances and supporting independent artists and companies.
- Sophiensæle: Berlin-based venue for contemporary dance, theater, and performance art. Directly comparable as an independent, publicly funded experimental performance space of similar scale, hosting international residencies, festivals, and co-productions — and already cited as a previous commissioning partner of Teater Giljotin's composer.
- Kampnagel: Hamburg's leading independent venue for contemporary performing arts, dance, and theater. Comparable as a publicly funded multi-space complex hosting experimental international work, festivals, and residencies in a Northern European cultural hub.
- HAU Hebbel am Ufer: Berlin's three-venue complex dedicated to contemporary dance, theater, and performance. Comparable as a publicly funded German experimental performance institution with international touring, festivals, and artist residencies.
- Atalante: Gothenburg-based independent theater and performance venue. Comparable as a Swedish independent experimental theater producing physical theater, dance, and contemporary performance with international collaborations.
- Mousonturm: Frankfurt venue for contemporary dance, performance, and theater. Comparable as a publicly funded German independent house presenting international experimental work, festivals, and residencies at similar scale to Teater Giljotin.
- Moderna Dansteatern (MDT): Stockholm's municipal contemporary dance and performance theater. Closest local peer, sharing the same city and overlapping audience for experimental movement-based and performance art programming, but operating with larger capacity and municipal backing.
- Teater Galeasen: Independent Stockholm theater producing original and contemporary work. Comparable as a Stockholm-based independent theater of similar scale producing original Swedish and international contemporary drama and physical theater.
Regional players
- Dansens Hus: Stockholm's national stage for dance, located in the same city. Comparable as a Stockholm venue presenting contemporary dance and movement-based performance, though operating at significantly larger capacity and serving a broader audience.
Broad incumbents
- Sadler's Wells: London's flagship dance and performance venue. Comparable only at the category level — large-scale presenter of contemporary dance and performance art with international touring artists — but operates at vastly larger scale and as an established institution rather than an experimental venue.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Teater Giljotin social profiles
Digital presenceTeater Giljotin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Teater Giljotin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Teater Giljotin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Teater Giljotin 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 Teater Giljotin
What does Teater Giljotin do?
Teater Giljotin is an experimental theater and performance venue in Stockholm that produces and hosts original live theater performances, guest productions, and an annual international performance festival. It also rents out its theater, foyer, and rehearsal studio spaces to external producers and event organizers, and runs masterclasses in the Ankoku Performance Language through its Performance Laboratory platform.
Is Teater Giljotin a public or private company?
Teater Giljotin is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Teater Giljotin founded?
Teater Giljotin was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Teater Giljotin based?
Teater Giljotin is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Teater Giljotin make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are venue and space rental, bar and hospitality services, public funding and donations and touring productions.
Who are Teater Giljotin's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Black Box Teater, Sophiensæle, Kampnagel, HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Atalante, Mousonturm, Moderna Dansteatern (MDT) and Teater Galeasen. Dansens Hus is listed as a regional player. Sadler's Wells is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Teater Giljotin have an API?
No public API is recorded for Teater Giljotin.
What industry is Teater Giljotin in?
Teater Giljotin's product category is Experimental Theater / Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses), with a secondary code of MPAGALAC, Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues). Its NAICS code is 71111.