What Penguin Project LLC does

The Penguin Project is a European cultural-sector initiative founded in June 2019 at the TEH (Trans Europe Halles) meeting in Dresden and operated from Innsbruck, Austria through Die Bäckerei - Kulturbackstube. It develops experiential frameworks—including the Penguin Metaphor, Energy Flow model, Resonance model, Ridge model, Heart-Head-Hand process, and a Movement Toolkit drawn from Laban movement analysis and Marian Chace's dance movement therapy—to help cultural workers in independent cultural centers address burnout, sustain motivation ("keeping the spark alive"), and improve organizational environments. Its core outputs are a freely downloadable book, an online Learning Platform with 20+ curated courses and movement resources, a 10-month Train the Trainer program (which graduated 11 cultural workers in its 2022-2023 inaugural cohort), and in-person workshops delivered at TEH Camp Meetings.

The business model is non-commercial and grant-funded. Primary funding flowed through the Factories of Imagination Part 3 grant administered via TEH (until September 2021), with co-funding from the European Commission and the Erasmus+ programme. All intellectual outputs—the book, worksheets, videos, and the entire Learning Platform—are distributed free. The team consists of two Project Developers (Shawn Antoni Wright and Florian Cope-Ladstätter) plus a distributed contributor network. Distribution is anchored in the TEH network, with partner cultural centers spanning Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, Finland, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Ukraine, and the UK.

Customers are exclusively independent cultural workers and cultural center leaders/members within the TEH network; there are no disclosed paying customers and no traditional sales motion. Geographic scope is Europe-wide. The operating posture is closer to a public-good cultural-sector program than a scalable commercial enterprise.

Name

Penguin Project LLC

Legal name

The Penguin Project

Website

https://thepenguinproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Penguin Project is a European cultural-sector initiative that develops experiential frameworks, embodied movement practices, and organizational development tools to help independent cultural workers sustain motivation and improve their working environments, distributing all resources free of charge via TEH partner centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Sector Consulting and Organizational Development Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Resources & Talent Development (EDAGANAB)

Keywords

• Cultural sector consulting
• Workshop facilitation
• Organizational development
• Trainer certification programs
• Cultural worker training

Headquarters

HQ city

Innsbruck

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grant funding: The Penguin Project is a grant-funded initiative, not a commercial enterprise. Funding came via Factories of Imagination part 3 (until September 2021) administered through TEH, with support from the European Commission and Erasmus+ program.
2. Free resources and book: Core intellectual outputs (the book, worksheets, videos, and learning platform resources) are distributed free of charge to cultural workers and the broader cultural sector community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Penguin Project develops ideas, tools, and methods to help cultural workers keep their spark alive while working in independent cultural centers across Europe. It delivers its offering through a downloadable book, an online Learning Platform of metaphorical frameworks and movement-based exercises, a 10-month Train the Trainer program, and in-person workshops and events. All core resources are distributed free of charge, with delivery supported by European Commission and Erasmus+ grant funding.

Product overview

The Penguin Project is a cultural sector initiative that develops ideas, tools, and methods to help cultural workers keep their spark alive in independent cultural centres. The portfolio consists of four core offerings: (1) The Penguin Book—a downloadable publication providing metaphorical frameworks and tools for individual reflection on work experience; (2) A Learning Platform—an online repository containing learning resources (Penguin Metaphor, Resonance Metaphor, Energy Flow Metaphor, Ridge Metaphor, From Heart to Head to Hand), workshops (4 Phases of Orga Development, 3Cs of Listening, Bodyscan, World Cafe, Self Regulation Exercise), and a Movement Toolkit (Embodiment exercises, Shared Movement Method, Kinesphere exercises, Mind Body Emotions, Balance Exercise, and body awareness practices); (3) A 10-month Train the Trainer Program that accompanies cultural workers to become certified Penguin Trainers and facilitators; and (4) In-person Events and Workshops held at cultural centres. The book and learning platform serve as foundational resources, workshops provide shared experiential learning, and the Train the Trainer Program builds capacity for sustainable peer-to-peer delivery throughout the independent cultural sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 cultural workers trained as Penguin Trainers in the inaugural program (2022-2023)

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Die Bäckerei - KulturbackstubecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2019Die Bäckerei - Kulturbackstube is the lead organization of the Penguin Project, providing research expertise and working power. Based in Innsbruck, Austria, it is the home base for the project's founders and hosts Train the Trainer workshops. Die Bäckerei contributes the conceptual and research foundation of the project.
• Trans Europe Halles (TEH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2019TEH (Trans Europe Halles) coordination office co-leads the Penguin Project, providing administrative expertise and budget via the Factories of Imagination project (until September 2021). TEH provides the network platform for workshops, discussion rounds, and recruiting Train the Trainer participants from member cultural centers across Europe.
• Penguin Trainer Alumni (partner cultural centers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of 11 Penguin Trainers (graduates of the inaugural Train the Trainer program) based at cultural centers across Europe. Trainers include: Kaspars Kondratjuks (Kanepes Kukturas centrs, Latvia), Anna Hořejší (ECOC 2028, Czech Republic), Magdalena Lindroos (Malakta, Finland), Daryna Zhyvohliadova (Taras Shevchenko National University, Ukraine), Vullnet Sanaja (Anibar, Kosovo), Natalie Chan (Kakilang, UK), Alberto Di Gennaro (MALA, Latvia), Filip Petkovski (Cultural Heritage VULGUS, North Macedonia), Johannes Reisigl (Kulturverein Grammophon, Austria), Katarina Zivanovic (Creative Center Nitra, Slovakia), and Barbora Jombíková (Stanica Žilina - Záriečie, Slovakia).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Culture Action Europe: European cultural-sector advocacy and policy network with members drawn from independent cultural centers across Europe. Comparable beneficiary community and EU funding exposure, with a more policy-oriented rather than OD-oriented offering.
• IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts): European network running professional development, peer learning, and capacity-building programs for performing-arts professionals. Operates in the same beneficiary population (cultural-sector workers) with a more policy/advocacy lens.
• ENCATC (European Network on Cultural Management and Policy): European academic and practice network for cultural management education and research. Overlaps in serving cultural-sector professionals with structured development programs, though its primary modality is academic training rather than embodied practice.
• Trans Europe Halles (TEH): Core network partner that distributes the project across European cultural centers and co-led the Factories of Imagination grant. Not a direct competitor but the foundational distribution and funding infrastructure on which the Penguin Project depends.
• Baring Foundation: UK foundation that funds arts and cultural-sector capacity-building, including leadership and well-being programs for arts managers. Comparable in targeting cultural-sector worker development, primarily as a funder rather than direct training provider.

Direct peers

• Mobius Executive Leadership: Embodied and somatic executive leadership development firm using movement and somatic practices. Closely comparable in pedagogical approach (body-based, experiential learning for organizational contexts) even though its primary buyers are corporate rather than cultural-sector.
• Trigon Entwicklungsberatung: Austrian/German organizational development consultancy whose partner Margit Liebhart actively contributes to the Penguin Project. Trigon operates in the same OD-for-mission-driven-organizations niche with similar facilitation-based delivery.
• Presencing Institute (MIT / Otto Scharmer): Theory U and presencing-based leadership development organization with a comparable theory-driven, embodied methodology and a Train-the-Teacher-style dissemination model. Overlaps with Penguin in blending contemplative practice and organizational change.
• Die Bäckerei - Kulturbackstube: Parent organization and operational home of the Penguin Project in Innsbruck, sharing the same core team, methodology roots, and target audience of independent cultural workers. The most directly comparable entity since it shares staff, venue, and research foundation.

Regional players

• Creative Scotland: Scotland's national arts and creative industries funding body that operates leadership and organizational development programs for grantees. Comparable in mission (strengthening independent cultural organizations) but geographically focused on Scotland rather than pan-European.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penguin-project-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Penguin Project LLC