THEATRE AUX MAINS NUES

Name

THEATRE AUX MAINS NUES

Legal name

Théâtre aux Mains Nues

Website

https://theatre-aux-mains-nues.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Puppet Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Puppetry & Marionette Theatre (MPAGABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

Keywords

• Puppet theater performances
• Professional puppeteer training
• Artist residency programs
• Cultural mediation services
• Puppet arts research

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Performance ticket sales and cultural programming: Revenue is generated through ticket sales for performances (operated via Weezevent online ticketing), professional formation program fees, and public subsidies from public cultural funders. The theater also receives coproduction and residency support from cultural institutions.
2. Professional formation and training programs: Professional marionnettiste training programs (500-hour full program, 180-hour intensive fundamentals, weekend-format courses) generate revenue through enrollment fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Théâtre aux Mains Nues is a Paris-based puppet theater venue that produces and hosts live puppet theater performances (spectacles) for audiences ranging from infants to seniors, including accessibility-adapted productions. It operates a 500-hour professional marionnettiste training program alongside shorter fundamentals intensives, hosts artist residencies and the national compagnonnage apprenticeship program for puppeteers, and runs the annual Matières sensibles research seminar in partnership with the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Product overview

Théâtre aux Mains Nues operates as a missioned puppet theater venue in Paris's 20th arrondissement, offering a unified portfolio of live puppet theater performances, professional puppeteer training programs, and academic research activities. The core offerings include regular performances (spectacles) featuring various puppetry techniques such as marionnettes, théâtre d'objets, and paper theater, supplemented by professional formation programs in puppet manipulation and a research seminar series 'Matières sensibles' conducted in partnership with the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Cultural mediation activities and artist residency programs round out the venue's mission as both a performance space and educational institution dedicated to the puppet arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theater Performances (Spectacles)

Quantifiable outcome

• 14+ Matières sensibles research sessions conducted since 2022, engaging academic and practitioner communities.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Laurette Burgholzer & E.S.T. – Études sur le théâtrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic researcher Laurette Burgholzer co-convenes the Matières sensibles seminar with the theater and leads the 'Apprendre à créer' research project (supported by DGCA), documenting the theater's pedagogical practices.
• Espace Jéliote – Centre national de la marionnette (Oloron-Sainte-Marie)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025National puppet center providing support for 'La Caçaire' (La Grand'Veneuse) alongside the theater's compagnonnage hosting role.
• Agence Culturelle Départementale Dordogne-PérigordminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Departmental cultural agency supporting the production 'La Caçaire' by La Grand'Veneuse, which is presented at the theater.
• Théâtre Antoine Vitez – Scène d'IvryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Coproduction partner for 'La Lune des pauvre' (Théâtre du Tricorne) alongside Théâtre aux Mains Nues.
• Réseau À Table ! (Mayenne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025A territorial dynamic supporting artists in puppet arts across 11 partners in western France, coordinated by Le Théâtre de Laval CNMa, contributing support for 'YSS' (AÏE AÏE AÏE) shown at the theater.
• DRAC Nouvelle-AquitaineminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles (DRAC) of Nouvelle-Aquitaine provides funding support for productions hosted at the theater, particularly for projects in the 'Garage Résidence Station d'essence patrimoniale' framework.
• Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes de Charleville-MézièrescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The major international puppet festival coproduces the 'Mytho!' series (Tekha Hepta) with the theater and serves as a key platform for the distribution of productions developed in residence.
• MOTIF – Marionnette Objet Théâtre Île-de-FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MOTIF is a network of 8 Île-de-France puppet arts structures (including Le Mouffetard CNMa, festival MARTO, La Nef, Théâtre Halle Roublot, PIVO, Biennale Mars à l'Ouest, Théâtre de Châtillon, and Théâtre aux Mains Nues) that coordinate co-production, touring, and project visibility.
• Théâtre Halle Roublot / Cie Espace BlanccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Théâtre Halle Roublot is a frequent coproduction and support partner for multiple companies presented at Théâtre aux Mains Nues, and co-hosts network events such as the annual MOTIF project presentation day.
• Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The theater has partnered with the Bibliothèque nationale de France (site Richelieu) since 2022 to co-host the annual 'Matières sensibles' research seminar series exploring puppet arts history, transmission, and practice. The partnership also includes joint publication projects such as 'L'Art du marionnettiste' (Actes Sud, 2025).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• PIVO – Pôle Itinérant en Val-d'Oise: MOTIF network member offering a venue-less puppet platform for touring productions and artist support, complementing TMN's residency and presentation role in the regional ecosystem.
• Théâtre Halle Roublot: Fellow MOTIF member and frequent coproduction partner located in Île-de-France. Operates a similar puppet venue + formation + residency model and shares co-hosting duties for MOTIF network events.
• Le Mouffetard – Centre national de la Marionnette: Paris-based national center for puppetry (CNMa) and co-member of the MOTIF network. Operates venue, training, and creation programs directly comparable to TMN's three-pillar model, but at a larger institutional scale.
• La Nef – Centre d'Animation Culturelle de Pantin: MOTIF network member based in Pantin offering puppet and object theater programming, residencies, and audience development initiatives closely comparable to TMN's activities.
• Théâtre de Châtillon: MOTIF network member operating puppet and object theater programming in the Hauts-de-Seine, sharing the regional coordination role and puppet programming mission with TMN.

Broad incumbents

• Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes de Charleville-Mézières: Largest international puppet festival in France and a key coproduction partner for TMN's resident companies. Provides distribution, international visibility, and a platform for productions developed through TMN residencies.

Regional players

• Festival MARTO: Biennial puppet festival in Marne-la-Vallée and a MOTIF network co-member. Provides a regional showcase window for productions created at or supported by TMN and other Île-de-France puppet structures.
• Théâtre Antoine Vitez – Scène d'Ivry: Coproduction partner for productions like 'La Lune des pauvres' (Théâtre du Tricorne). While not exclusively a puppet venue, it shares TMN's mission-driven approach to non-mainstream theater in Île-de-France.
• Espace Jéliote – Centre national de la Marionnette: National puppet center in Oloron-Sainte-Marie (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), provides support for productions similar to those presented at TMN and operates regional puppetry programming and formation.
• Théâtre de Laval – Centre national de la Marionnette: National center for puppetry based in Laval (Pays de la Loire), coordinates the Réseau À Table! and operates comparable training, creation, and touring functions outside Île-de-France.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TMNparis20
• Instagraminstagram.com/theatreauxmainsnues
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theatre-aux-mains-nues

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 THEATRE AUX MAINS NUES