TEC TEATRO EXPERIMENTAL DE CASCAIS

What TEC TEATRO EXPERIMENTAL DE CASCAIS does

TEC Teatro Experimental de Cascais is a private Portuguese theatre company founded on 13 November 1965 by Carlos Avilez and João Vasco in Cascais, Portugal. It produces and stages live theatrical performances spanning classical Portuguese and international dramaturgy, performing primarily at Teatro Municipal Mirita Casimiro in Monte Estoril under a partnership with the Câmara Municipal de Cascais. Beyond its core theatrical productions, the company operates the Espaço Memória (Sala Carlos Avilez), a heritage exhibition space documenting its production archive, and runs the annual mostra_T festival, which in 2026 reaches its 11th edition. The organisation maintains an eight-person core team and is supported by a network of institutional partners including DGArtes (for biennial competitive public grants), Fundação D. Luís I (cultural patronage), and the closely affiliated Escola Profissional de Teatro de Cascais.

The company's business model is a hybrid of public-sector cultural funding, municipal support, and ticket-based earned revenue from live performance. Specific ticket pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is concentrated at a single primary regional venue with occasional performances at historic Teatro Gil Vicente and a history of international touring (notably Expo'70 Osaka and Teatro Español Barcelona). Marketing is conducted through a website, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and an email newsletter, with audience reach primarily in the Cascais and Lisbon metropolitan area.

Following the death of co-founder and long-time artistic director Carlos Avilez, the company is in a leadership transition overseen by Fundação D. Luís I, with collaborator Fernando Alvarez providing interim artistic continuity and co-founder João Vasco remaining active. TEC has no disclosed external investment, parent company, or M&A activity, and operates as an independent cultural institution with deep institutional ties to the Cascais municipality and Portuguese national arts policy infrastructure.

Name

TEC TEATRO EXPERIMENTAL DE CASCAIS

Legal name

TEC Teatro Experimental de Cascais

Website

https://tecascais.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TEC Teatro Experimental de Cascais is a private Portuguese experimental theatre company founded in 1965, producing live theatrical performances and operating an annual showcase festival (mostra_T) and heritage archive (Espaço Memória) in Cascais. It serves Lisbon-area theatre audiences and emerging artists under institutional partnerships with the Cascais municipality and DGArtes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theatrical Performances

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Theatre Services & Design (Scenic/Costume/Props/Stage Management) (MPAGABAO)

Keywords

• Experimental theater productions
• Live theatrical performances
• Performing arts festival
• Theatrical heritage preservation
• Cultural arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Cascais

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TEC Teatro Experimental de Cascais is a Portuguese experimental theatre company that produces and stages live theatrical performances, including classical, contemporary, and original works, performed at its home venue Teatro Municipal Mirita Casimiro in Monte Estoril. Beyond main-stage productions, it operates Espaço Memória (Sala Carlos Avilez), an exhibition/archival space preserving the company's theatrical heritage, and hosts the annual mostra_T festival showcasing works by other theatre companies.

Product overview

TEC Teatro Experimental de Cascais is a traditional Portuguese theater company founded in 1965, offering theatrical productions as its core product. The company operates from Teatro Municipal Mirita Casimiro in Monte Estoril and maintains an archival/museum facility (Espaço Memória) and an annual theater showcase festival (mostra_T). The portfolio consists of live theatrical performances, not technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Produções (Theatrical Productions) Live theatrical productions staged by TEC, covering classical works (e.g., Gil Vicente, Shakespeare, Molière, Lorca), contemporary plays, and original creations. Performed at Teatro Municipal Mirita Casimiro in Monte Estoril, with a regular season typically running November–December. Targeted at general theatre audiences in the Cascais and Lisbon metropolitan area and international visitors.
• Espaço Memória (Memory Space) A museum and exhibition space (Sala Carlos Avilez) at Av. Marechal Carmona in Cascais that preserves and presents TEC's theatrical heritage, including set designs by artists such as Almada Negreiros, archival materials, and memorabilia from productions dating back to the company's founding. Open Saturdays and Sundays 15h00–19h00 or by guided appointment. Targeted at the general public, researchers, and theatre enthusiasts.
• mostra_T (Annual Theatre Showcase Festival) An annual theatre festival held since 2016 at Teatro Municipal Mirita Casimiro, featuring productions from emerging and established external theatre companies, with age-rating guidance (e.g., M/6, M/12, M/14, M/16). Targeted at general festival audiences and emerging theatre companies seeking showcase opportunities. The 11th edition is scheduled for September–October 2026.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Câmara Municipal de CascaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional partner providing venue (Teatro Municipal Mirita Casimiro) and municipal support. The municipality, led by President Dr. Carlos Carreiras, has been a key supporter since TEC's founding in 1965, including declaring municipal day of mourning for Carlos Avilez.
• Fundação D. Luís IcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Banco Nacional Ultramarino; plays key role in cultural patronage supporting Portuguese cultural institutions including TEC and the Escola Profissional de Teatro de Cascais. Prof. Salvato Teles de Menezes serves as President and Delegated Director.
• DGArtes - Direcção-Geral das ArtescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese government body responsible for arts policy and funding. Provides biennial competitive grants to theatre companies through public tender process.
• Escola Profissional de Teatro de CascaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional theatre school founded by Carlos Avilez, closely linked to TEC. Hundreds of young actors trained at the school. Both institutions shared leadership and vision, with Carlos Avilez serving as a key figure in both.
• República Portuguesa - Cultura, Juventude e DesportomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese government ministry overseeing culture, youth, and sports. Provides institutional support and policy framework for national arts organizations.
• Teatro Gil VicentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric theatre in Cascais where TEC was founded on 13 November 1965 with the production 'Esopaida ou Vida de Esopo'. The theatre, run by Voluntários de Cascais firefighters, has been a key venue throughout TEC's history.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Teatro Rivoli: Porto's municipal theatre hosting theatre, dance, and music programming. Comparable to TEC's municipal theatre partnership model and its role as a curated performance venue.
• Teatro Nacional São João: Porto's national theatre producing classical and contemporary repertoire. Comparable to TEC as a publicly-funded Portuguese theatre producing live performances, though operating at larger national-theatre scale.
• Culturgest: Lisbon cultural venue operated by Caixa Geral de Depósitos, programming theatre, music, dance, and visual arts. Comparable to TEC as a curated cultural programming institution though broader in scope.
• São Luiz Teatro Municipal: Lisbon municipal theatre with curated performing arts programming. Comparable to TEC's venue-based model at Teatro Municipal Mirita Casimiro, both being municipally-supported theatres presenting theatre and performance.

Direct peers

• Companhia de Teatro de Almada: Almada-based professional theatre company producing classical and contemporary repertoire. Comparable to TEC as a municipally-supported Portuguese theatre company with regular season programming.
• A Barraca: Founded by Hélder Costa and Maria do Céu Guerra, A Barraca is a Lisbon-based experimental theatre company. Direct peer to TEC in producing Portuguese classical and contemporary drama with public grant funding.
• Artistas Unidos: Lisbon-based independent theatre company founded by Jorge Silva Melo, producing contemporary Portuguese and international drama. Direct peer to TEC as an independent producing theatre company in Portugal.
• Teatro Nacional D. Maria II: Portugal's national theatre based in Lisbon, producing classical and contemporary Portuguese drama. Directly comparable to TEC as a publicly-supported theatrical production company staging repertoire plays for live audiences.

Regional players

• Companhia Nacional de Bailado: Portugal's national ballet company, also publicly funded through DGArtes. Comparable to TEC as a Portuguese national performing arts company receiving biennial arts grants, though focused on dance rather than theatre.

Others

• Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian: Major Portuguese foundation supporting performing arts through grants and programming. Comparable to TEC through parallel foundation patronage role (similar to Fundação D. Luís I) and as a cultural funding ecosystem participant.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCW5BzQxNa1xPwxdIN9eJNMA?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/teatroexperimentaldecascais
• Instagraminstagram.com/teatroexperimentaldecascais
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tec-teatro-experimental-de-cascais

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 TEC TEATRO EXPERIMENTAL DE CASCAIS