Theater Thikwa

What Theater Thikwa does

Theater Thikwa is a nonprofit inclusive performing arts organization (Theater Thikwa e.V.) founded in 1990 and headquartered at Fidicinstraße 3 in Berlin Kreuzberg, Germany. The theater operates with a core staff of 8 employees and an ensemble of 44 performers with and without disabilities, producing live theatrical productions, dance pieces, and musical works both at its home venue and through touring engagements. Its core products include full-ensemble productions (such as "Nix gibt's!" and "Früchtchen des Zorns"), the experimental "face to face" one-to-one performance series, a digital archive ("Couch-Theater") streaming historic works via Vimeo, theater pedagogy programs, and a comprehensive accessibility infrastructure encompassing audio description, sign language interpretation, German/English surtitles, and alternative seating. The business model combines transaction-based ticket sales (€16 regular / €10 reduced) distributed via the Reservix platform with material public funding from the Berlin Senate Department for Culture, the Hauptstadtkulturfonds, Aktion Mensch, and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media. Technology infrastructure is limited to standard third-party services (Reservix for ticketing, Kulturkurier for GDPR-compliant newsletter distribution, Vimeo for video streaming); the company has no proprietary technology platform. Customer segments include the general theatergoing public, people with disabilities benefiting from accessibility services, and international audiences served through bilingual surtitles.

Name

Theater Thikwa

Legal name

Theater Thikwa e.V.

Website

https://thikwa.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Theater Thikwa is a Berlin Kreuzberg-based nonprofit inclusive theater (eingetragener Verein) founded in 1990, staging live productions with a 44-person mixed-ability ensemble for general audiences, people with disabilities, and international visitors. Revenue combines ticket sales and public cultural funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Inclusive Theater

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

Keywords

• Inclusive theater productions
• Disability performing arts
• Live theater performances
• Accessible theater services
• Theater pedagogy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets to live theater performances, dance pieces, and musical productions at the theater venue and touring productions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Theater Thikwa stages live theatrical productions, dance pieces, and musical revues performed by an inclusive ensemble of approximately 44 actors and actresses working together with and without disabilities. Productions are presented at the home venue in Berlin Kreuzberg and on tour at festivals and partner theaters across Germany and internationally, with tickets sold through the Reservix platform and a box office.

Product overview

Theater Thikwa is an inclusive performing arts theater in Berlin Kreuzberg that operates as a unified offering of live theater productions and accessibility services. The core product consists of live theatrical performances and dance productions featuring an ensemble of artists with and without disabilities, presented both at their home venue and on tour. Productions range from full ensemble works like 'Nix gibt's!' and 'Früchtchen des Zorns' to experimental formats like the 'face to face' one-to-one performance series. The theater supplements its live offerings with digital products including the 'Couch-Theater' video archive of historic productions, accessibility services such as audio description and sign language interpretation, and theater pedagogy programs. Productions are ticketed through Reservix while communications use Kulturkurier newsletter services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Theater Productions Live theatrical productions and dance performances staged at the Theater Thikwa venue in Berlin Kreuzberg, featuring artists with and without disabilities working together as an inclusive ensemble. Open to the general public and sold through Reservix and box office channels.
• On Tour Performances Touring versions of Thikwa productions that travel to other venues, festivals, and cultural events across Germany and internationally, extending the theater's reach beyond the Berlin home venue.
• Theaterpädagogik (Theater Pedagogy) Educational theater programs and workshops delivered in collaboration with universities and training institutions, providing theater pedagogy training for aspiring theater professionals, including a documented collaboration with Universität der Künste Berlin.
• face to face Series One-to-one performance series pairing Thikwa ensemble members with external performers in short 15-minute sketches without director involvement, including sub-series 'face to face – Gegensätze' (contrasts) and 'face to face – Resonanzen' (resonances).
• Couch-Theater Digital Archive Online video archive of historic Theater Thikwa productions from 28 years of the company's history, including 'MAISON DE SANTE' (2005), 'DSCHINGIS KHAN' (2012), 'ORLANDO' (2001), and others, streamed via the Vimeo platform.
• Früchtchen des Zorns (Fruits of Wrath) Co-production with SKART (Hamburg) and choreographer Dasniya Sommer (Berlin) exploring the constructive potential of disagreement and conflict through dance rituals, body art, and live music, performed by the Thikwa ensemble.
• Nix gibt's! (Nothing's Got!) Large pension revue co-produced with glanz&krawall, addressing 137 years of German pension insurance through magic, tap dance, word acrobatics, and musical performances.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 major theater awards received
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• glanz&krawallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership with glanz&krawall for 'Nix gibt's!' - a large pension revue combining magic, tap dance, word and song acrobatics. The collaboration follows their earlier work 'Die Tüten aus der Verwaltung'.
• SKARTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHamburg-based performance collective collaborating on 'Früchtchen des Zorns' (Fruits of Wrath), exploring constructive potential of disagreement and conflict through dance rituals and body art.
• Dasniya SommercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin-based dancer and choreographer providing choreography for 'Früchtchen des Zorns' production, bringing expertise in bondage and ballet-inspired movement.
• Universität der Künste BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative theater project 'Wir fühlen's bald' where Thikwa performers worked with Master's students in Theater Pedagogy, exploring themes of romantic love based on feminist comic 'Ich fühl's nicht' by Liv Strömquist.
• matthaei & konsortenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater company that collaborated with Thikwa performer André Nittel on 'Die Sumpfgeborene' production, resulting in a theater film shown at Sophiensaele.
• Stiftung Berliner MauercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin Wall Memorial Foundation co-presenting dance performance 'Auf kurze Distanz' at the memorial site for 60th anniversary of Berlin Wall construction.
• No Limits Festival BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGermany's premier disability and performing arts festival, where Theater Thikwa participated with inclusive performances.
• Mittenmang Festival BremenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStreet theater festival in Bremen featuring excerpts from 'face to face' productions with free admission.
• Theater an der ParkaueminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYouth theater venue hosting Thikwa performers for guest production 'Kompost Horror' in collaboration with directors Manuel Gerst and Leonie Gross.
• DIE VIELENminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign coalition advocating for voting rights for all and cultural participation. Theater Thikwa signed the declaration as part of 2021 election year advocacy.
• Thikwa Werkstatt für Theater und KunstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal workshop providing workplace for artists with disabilities, serving as the home base and creative hub for Theater Thikwa's inclusive ensemble.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Heilgendammer Schloßtheater: Regional repertory theater in Germany producing mainstream and contemporary productions; comparable as a German regional theater reliant on public subsidy with touring repertoire.
• Kampnagel Hamburg: Hamburg performing arts venue presenting inclusive and experimental international work; comparable as a German venue that hosts touring disability-arts productions including Thikwa's co-production with Hamburg-based SKART.
• Sophiensaele: Berlin independent performing arts venue presenting experimental and inclusive contemporary work; comparable as a Berlin venue partner for Thikwa co-productions and host for Thikwa performer guest productions.

Emerging players

• PossAbilities Arts: Inclusive performing arts initiative working with disabled and non-disabled performers in collaborative productions; comparable as a niche player in the same disability-arts sector with similar ensemble model.

Direct peers

• Graeae Theatre Company: UK-based professional theater company of disabled artists, directly comparable as an internationally recognized disability-led theater producing original work and running accessibility-focused programming.
• Theater HORA: Berlin-based inclusive theater company combining performers with and without disabilities, directly comparable as a German inclusive-theater pioneer operating in the same city and serving overlapping audiences and festivals.
• Back to Back Theatre: Australian disability-led ensemble theater company producing internationally touring work; directly comparable as a professional inclusive ensemble with international touring profile and federal arts funding.
• Mind the Gap: UK-based professional disability arts theater producing touring inclusive performances; comparable as a mid-sized inclusive theater company producing work with and by learning-disabled artists.

Broad incumbents

• Schaubühne Berlin: Major established Berlin theater with broad repertoire including inclusive and experimental programming; comparable as a larger incumbent operating in the same city with overlapping accessibility initiatives.
• Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin: Berlin's leading experimental theater with strong social-political programming and inclusive casting practices; comparable as a major Berlin theater producing politically engaged, accessible contemporary work.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thikwa
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheaterThikwa
• Instagraminstagram.com/theaterthikwa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theater-thikwa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Theater Thikwa