United Cowboys

What United Cowboys does

United Cowboys (legally Stichting Tegentijd) is a Dutch cultural foundation and live-art collective founded in 1987 and operating under the United Cowboys trade name since the early 1990s. The organization is headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and is led by co-artistic directors Maarten van der Put (visual artist, concept and direction) and Pauline Roelants (choreographer), with a Creative Producer (Peer Roosen, joined 2022) and International Project Coordinator (Ulla Havenga, since 2017), supported by a five-person board. It employs approximately 15 people and operates as an ANBI-status (Dutch public-benefit) foundation.

The core offering is the creation and presentation of multidisciplinary live-art performances at the intersection of dance, performance, music, video, and installation art. Primary products include the Art House Platform (the physical facility at Kleine Berg 62 housing Black Space, White Space, and Studio 3), the Seasoning quarterly event series (20 editions since 2014), the WHAT U.C. IS WHAT YOU GET mini-festival, Biotopes (a site-specific immersive durational format), the Nude Study Menu (15+ standalone performances), and the Tsjaikovski Trilogy co-produced with Staatstheater Kassel. The Art House also functions as a residency hub and PLAN talent development partner under the PLAN: Talent Hub Brabant initiative.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining recurring public funding (City of Eindhoven and Province Noord-Brabant as core), project-based grants (notably EU Creative Europe for international collaborations such as future.repair.machine and Perform Europe), ticket sales (approximately €13.50 per event or €50 for a Season Card), and venue rental income. Annual operating budget is €350,596. The organization has an international distribution footprint spanning 14+ European cities plus Canada and participates annually in Dutch Design Week. Customer segments are audiences (live-art and dance), performing artists and choreographers (residencies), and cultural institutions (co-productions and festival partnerships).

Name

United Cowboys

Legal name

Stichting Tegentijd

Website

https://unitedcowboys.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

United Cowboys (Stichting Tegentijd) is a Dutch non-profit live-art collective founded in 1987, creating multidisciplinary performances at the intersection of dance, music, video, and installation art for audiences, festivals, and partner theaters across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Eindhoven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Core funding from City of Eindhoven and Province Noord-Brabant for annual theatre/dance production and talent scouting projects.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual event tickets and season cards for performances at Art House and partner venues.
3. Venue Rental: Rental income from artists and organizations using Art House spaces including White Space, Black Space, and Studio 3.
4. Project-Based Grants: Occasional European funding for exceptional international projects, including Creative Europe grants for EU collaborations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

United Cowboys is a live-art collective that creates and presents multidisciplinary performances at the intersection of dance, performance art, music, video, and installation art. Operating from their Art House venue in Eindhoven, they curate the quarterly Seasoning event series, the annual WHAT U.C. IS WHAT YOU GET mini-festival, and develop named performance works such as Biotopes, the Tsjaikovski Trilogy, and the Nude Study Menu. They also offer residency programs, masterclasses, and venue rental services for artists and cultural institutions across Europe.

Product overview

United Cowboys is a live-art collective that operates as a single unified artistic entity rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their core offering centers on creating multidisciplinary performances at the intersection of dance, performance, music, video and installation art. Key products include the Art House Platform (their physical facility in Eindhoven), the Seasoning quarterly event series, Biotopes (site-specific durational performances), and various named performances such as The New Piece, This Hurts More Than It Used To Do, and the Tsjaikovski Trilogy. They also offer artist residency programs and masterclasses. The Digital Art House serves as their online presence for artist and news content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seasoning Curated quarterly event series introducing new live-art, dance, performance, music, and fine-art work by local and international artists at the Art House in Eindhoven. Includes Season Card subscription for four evenings at €50.
• Art House Platform Physical facility in Eindhoven (Kleine Berg 62) serving as workspace, creative production space, performance venue, and platform for collaborations, workshops, conferences and residencies. Includes White Space (160m²), Black Space (180m²), and Studio 3 (85m²), plus accommodation for up to 3 guests.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 editions of Seasoning produced since 2014
• +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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and moderate.

• UniT (Graz, Austria)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022EU Creative Europe project partner in future.repair.machine exploring repair as a means to trigger change.
• Pro Progressione (Budapest, Hungary)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022EU Creative Europe project partner in future.repair.machine focusing on circular resistance and Eindhoven.
• Bis es mir vom Leibe fällt b.v. (Graz/Berlin)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022EU Creative Europe project partner in future.repair.machine.
• Akademie August Everding (Munich, Germany)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022EU Creative Europe project partner in future.repair.machine.
• Gothenburg Fringe Festival (Sweden)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Perform Europe EU-funded project partner. The Body as Reference for (R)Evolution represents a collaboration in rethinking cross-border performing arts presentation.
• UA Association 'Contemporary Dance Platform' (Ukraine)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Perform Europe EU-funded project partner representing Ukraine in the Body as Reference for (R)Evolution collaboration.
• ACT Association for Independent Theatre (Bulgaria)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Perform Europe EU-funded project partner. ACT Festival and Toplocentrala Art Centre Sofia present Biotope performances.
• Dutch Design WeekmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Annual collaboration investigating co-creational ways of cross-disciplinary working methods between design and performative practices. United Cowboys serves as an official location.
• AIR BrabantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist-in-Residence platform collaboration between providers of artists' residencies in North Brabant. United Cowboys offers residency spaces to artists exploring alternative approaches.
• Parktheater EindhovencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates to form the Incubator Platform Eindhoven, part of PLAN (Platform for Artists Network) working with partners in Province of Brabant.
• C.IN.E (Mallorca)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration hosting week-long artistic working sessions with local artists, connecting artists, working methods, and artistic approaches.
• Cia Sargantana (Ripoll, Spain)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration for artistic exchange and co-creation in Spain region.
• Staatstheater Kassel (Germany)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Tchaikovsky trilogy including Reminition Swanlake (2021-2023), The Nutcracker (2023-2024), and Another Sleeping Beauty (2025-2026).
• Sommerblut Kulturfestival (Cologne, Germany)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration creating Biotope - Komm Näher / Come Closer durational performance at MAKK Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln.
• Festival Boulevard (Den Bosch)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented IN CASE durational performance and other works at Theater Festival Boulevard.
• IETMmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Network for Contemporary Performing Arts - United Cowboys is a member organization.
• PLAN: Talent Hub BrabantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTalent development network supporting young artists in North Brabant. United Cowboys provides mentorship and development opportunities.
• City of EindhovencoreOthersCore municipal funding for annual theatre/dance production and talent scouting projects.
• Province Noord-BrabantcoreOthersCore provincial funding for artistic programming and international projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rimini Protokoll: Berlin-based collective creating experimental theater and live performance pieces that probe reality and audience participation — comparable in scale, experimental ethos, and German/European co-production model.
• DV8 Physical Theatre: UK-based physical theater company producing experimental, boundary-pushing live performance that fuses dance, theater, and visual storytelling — closely comparable in artistic risk-taking and touring circuit.
• Hofesh Shechter Company: UK-based contemporary dance company known for visceral, music-driven theatrical work and strong international touring — comparable in multidisciplinary performance language and European co-production footprint.
• Club Guy & Roni: Dutch contemporary dance company based in Groningen producing bold, narrative-driven performances with strong visual and musical collaborations — extremely similar in scale, artistic positioning, and use of co-productions with European venues.
• ICK Amsterdam: Dutch contemporary dance and performance company based in Amsterdam, producing interdisciplinary work at the intersection of dance, music, and visual art — directly comparable to United Cowboys' multidisciplinary live-art focus and small-team operating model.
• Sasha Waltz & Friends: Berlin-based dance and opera company producing interdisciplinary performances mixing dance, music, and visual installation — comparable in creative direction, format experimentation, and European touring footprint.

Broad incumbents

• NTGent: Belgian theater company producing innovative, politically engaged performances with strong international co-production and touring activity — comparable regional (Benelux) positioning and audience base.
• Akram Khan Company: UK-based dance company producing interdisciplinary, culturally hybrid performances partnering with major European theaters — comparable artistic ambitions and touring infrastructure, though larger scale.
• Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT): The flagship Dutch contemporary dance company, much larger than United Cowboys but operating in the same Dutch contemporary performance ecosystem with overlapping partner venues and audiences.
• Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch: Iconic German dance-theater company whose work is a clear reference point for the experimental, multidisciplinary live-art approach United Cowboys pursues, though at significantly larger scale and budget.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-c

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 United Cowboys