Théâtre Catapulte

What Théâtre Catapulte does

Théâtre Catapulte is a non-profit professional French-language theatre company founded in 1992 in Ottawa, Canada, that produces original theatrical works and presents touring productions for adolescent and adult audiences across Canadian Francophone communities. As one of four resident companies at La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins since 1999, the company has created over 50 productions and presented over 40 shows from other companies, with a curatorial focus on works by women artists and artists from diverse minorities addressing contemporary social issues. School programming includes cultural mediation services with preparatory workshops, study guides, and post-show discussions; group tickets are priced at $17.50 per student for matinees and evening performances of 15+ students.

The company's revenue model combines multi-source public sector grants (Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Government of Ontario, Heritage Canada, City of Ottawa, Government of Canada), private sponsorships (CECCE, Marcil Lavallée CPA, Desjardins), individual donations via CanadaHelps, and transaction-based ticket sales. Distribution occurs directly through La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins and national touring to Quebec, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island, with school group reservations handled through a dedicated coordinator.

In November 2025, Théâtre Catapulte publicly launched Koinè, a proprietary surtitling software developed in partnership with Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) and technical collaborators Collab Machine and Gotologic. Koinè is Canada's first specialized surtitling application for performing arts, offering multi-screen projection, multi-track language management, image and video integration, and an intuitive operator interface, with a Mac version in development; the first public version is distributed free. The organization also operates the PROPULSER residency program (third edition for the 2026-2027 season) offering a $4,000 creation grant, the annual $700 Bourse Patrick Leroux scholarship at the University of Ottawa, and the Regard extérieur youth arts project (2025-2026). Current leadership comprises Co-Executive Directors Isabelle Bartkowiak (Artistic Director, appointed December 2023) and Martin Cadieux (Director of Operations), with Philippe Larouche as Board President.

Name

Théâtre Catapulte

Legal name

Théâtre Catapulte

Website

https://catapulte.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Théâtre Catapulte is a non-profit French-language theatre company founded in 1992 in Ottawa, producing original works for adolescent and adult audiences and touring across Canadian Francophone communities. It also developed Koinè, Canada's first specialized surtitling software for performing arts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Francophone theatre
• Live theatrical productions
• Surtitling software
• Cultural mediation programs
• Youth arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government funding and grants: Primary funding from public sector partners including Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario government, Heritage Canada, City of Ottawa, and Government of Canada.
2. Ticket sales: Revenue from ticket sales at $17.50 per student for school matinees and evening performances for groups of 15+ students.
3. Private sector sponsorships: Support from private partners including CECCE, Marcil Lavallée CPA, and Desjardins.
4. Donations and fundraising: Donations accepted through CanadaHelps platform for charitable giving.
5. Koinè software: First public version of Koinè is free thanks to Canada Council for the Arts support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Théâtre Catapulte produces, presents, and tours professional French-language theatrical productions for general public and adolescent audiences across Ottawa-Gatineau and Francophone communities throughout Canada. The company also operates cultural mediation programs (preparatory workshops, study guides, post-show discussions) for school audiences, and develops the proprietary Koinè surtitling software for live performing arts venues.

Product overview

Théâtre Catapulte operates as a dual-function organization: it is a professional French-language theatre company and the developer of Koinè, a specialized surtitling software for performing arts. The company's theatrical portfolio includes original productions centered on women's and minority artists' voices, presented to adolescent and general audiences across Ottawa-Gatineau and Canada. Its signature technology product is Koinè, a desktop application that enables real-time subtitle projection across multiple screens and set elements with support for multiple languages, media integration, and customizable formatting. The organization also supports artists through the PROPULSER residency program with a $4,000 creation grant, and awards the annual Bourse Patrick Leroux scholarship to theatre students at the University of Ottawa. Cultural mediation services, including preparatory workshops and post-show discussions, complement the theatrical offerings for school audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Koinè: A surtitling software program designed for performing arts, developed by Théâtre Catapulte in partnership with Université du Québec en Outaouais. It allows users to integrate images, videos, and notes, and project them onto multiple screens or set elements.
• PROPULSER

Products and services

• Koinè Koinè is a professional surtitling software for live performing arts that enables users to prepare, edit, and project subtitles across multiple screens or set elements simultaneously. It supports multi-track language management for bilingual or multilingual surtitling, image and video integration, notes management for operators, and an intuitive interface. Available on Windows 10/11 (64-bit) with macOS 12 Monterey support.
• Théâtre Catapulte Productions Professional French-language theatrical productions focused on women's voices and artists from diverse minorities, addressing contemporary social issues. Presented to adolescent and general audiences in Ottawa-Gatineau and Francophone communities throughout Canada.
• PROPULSER Residence Program A creator catalyst residency program offering artists from Ottawa-Gatineau a research period, one week of technical residency at La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins, artistic and technical accompaniment, and a $4,000 creation grant.
• Cultural Mediation Services (Médiation culturelle) Cultural mediation services for school groups including preparatory workshops led by professional artists, study guides for each production, and post-show discussions with performers. Aimed at making theatre accessible and meaningful for adolescent audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 productions created and presented to Francophone communities throughout Canada
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

34 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• La Nouvelle Scène Gilles DesjardinscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain venue partner and copresentation partner. Théâtre Catapulte is one of four resident companies at this 24,000 sq ft modern Francophone theatre centre in Ottawa. The venue reopened in January 2016 after reconstruction.
• Conseil des Arts du CanadacoreOthersMajor public sector funder supporting Theatre Catapulte's productions and development of Koinè surtitling software.
• Conseil des arts de l'OntariocoreOthersProvincial arts council providing operational funding and support for touring productions.
• Gouvernement de l'OntariocoreOthersProvincial government providing funding support for arts and cultural programming.
• Patrimoine CanadacoreOthersFederal government department supporting heritage and arts programming.
• Ville d'OttawacoreOthersMunicipal government supporting local arts and cultural initiatives.
• Théâtre ActionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOntario French-language theatre network providing support, advocacy, and copresentation for Franco-Ontarian theatre.
• Théâtre du TrilliummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOttawa-based theatre company and founding partner in La Nouvelle Scène venue.
• Théâtre la Vieille 17majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOttawa-based theatre company and founding partner in La Nouvelle Scène venue.
• Vox ThéâtremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOttawa-based theatre company and founding partner in La Nouvelle Scène venue.
• Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)coreTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partner in development of Koinè surtitling software. Michèle Laliberté (professor of translation) and Nadia Baaziz (computer science department) led the academic collaboration.
• Collab Machine (Pierre-Luc Thivierge)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partner specializing in digital collaboration solutions that collaborated on Koinè software development.
• Gotologic (François Prenoveau)coreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware development partner responsible for technical development of Koinè surtitling software.
• Théâtre d'Aujourd'huimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal theatre company and key partner in Koinè software development, testing, and validation.
• Ex MachinamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuébec theatre company and key partner in Koinè software development and testing.
• Opéra de MontréalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal opera company and key partner in Koinè software development and testing.
• Festival TransAmériques (FTA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal contemporary theatre festival and key partner in Koinè software development and testing.
• Écoles catholique Centre-Est (CECCE)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench Catholic school board in Eastern Ontario supporting PROPULSER residency program.
• Marcil Lavallée CPAminorOthersAccounting firm supporting PROPULSER residency program.
• DesjardinsminorOthersFinancial cooperative supporting PROPULSER residency program.
• Département de théâtre de l'Université d'OttawamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic theatre department providing partnership and administering the Patrick Leroux scholarship for theatre students.
• Réseau dialoguemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram supporting Regard extérieur youth project under Programme VIF with funding from Government of Canada.
• Centre des services communautaires VanierminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity services center in Vanier collaborating on Regard extérieur youth arts project.
• École secondaire publique De La SalleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic secondary school partnering on Regard extérieur youth arts project.
• École secondaire catholique Béatrice-DeslogesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Catholic secondary school partnering on Regard extérieur youth arts project.
• AXENÉO7minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGatineau arts center collaborating on performative creation workshop with Théâtre Catapulte.
• L'ImagierminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisual arts exhibition center in Aylmer collaborating on performative creation workshop.
• Théâtre l'EscaouettemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoncton theatre company coproducing Les ensevelies with Théâtre Catapulte.
• Théâtre IndépendantmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary theatre collective created in 2018, composed of JJ Houle, Charles Voyer, Léo Gaudreault, Flavie Lemée, and Antoine Racine. Production collective for Le gardien des enfants.
• Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOttawa English-language theatre company coproducing Les Passants, performed in French with English surtitles.
• Théâtre français de TorontomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToronto French-language theatre company partnered in the 5-Year Project for audience development in Franco-Ontarian communities.
• La ManufactureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal theatre company collaborating on Koinè software project.
• Cirque du SoleilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntertainment company collaborating on Koinè software project.
• Centre du Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui (CTD'A)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal theatre company collaborating on Koinè software project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vox Théâtre: Ottawa French-language theatre company and co-founding resident of La Nouvelle Scène. Competes directly with Théâtre Catapulte for the same Franco-Ontarian audiences and school programming.
• Théâtre de Quat'Sous: Long-established Montreal French-language theatre company with a comparable contemporary, socially-engaged artistic mandate and touring model. Operates in the same professional French-language production space as Théâtre Catapulte at scale.
• Théâtre la Vieille 17: Ottawa French-language theatre company and co-founding resident of La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins. Direct competitor for the same Francophone audience in Ottawa-Gatineau, sharing venue and ecosystem.
• Théâtre français de Toronto: Toronto-based professional French-language theatre company explicitly partnered on the 5-Year Project to develop Franco-Ontarian audiences. Operates in the same Ontario Francophone minority context with similar mission and audience as Théâtre Catapulte.
• Théâtre du Rideau Vert: Quebec City-based French-language theatre company with comparable touring productions and a similar multi-decade operating history. Functions as a comparable professional French-theatre producing model in the broader ecosystem.
• Théâtre l'Escaouette: Moncton-based Acadian French-language theatre company that co-produced Les ensevelies with Théâtre Catapulte. Comparable Francophone-minority community mandate, touring productions, and co-development model.
• Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC): Ottawa-based theatre that co-produced Les Passants with Théâtre Catapulte, performed in French with English surtitles. Operates in the same Ottawa venue and audience market with complementary linguistic positioning.
• Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui: Montreal-based French-language theatre company that partnered on Koinè software development and testing. Similar French-language contemporary production focus and touring infrastructure used to validate Koinè.
• Théâtre du Trillium: Ottawa-based French-language theatre company and co-founding partner of La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins. Shares the same resident-company structure, Francophone-minority mandate, and Ottawa operational footprint.

Emerging players

• Opéra de Montréal: Montreal-based performing arts organization that partnered on Koinè surtitling software development and validation. Larger bilingual performing-arts operator with an overlapping use case for surtitling technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/lacatapulte
• Facebookfacebook.com/lacatapulte
• Instagraminstagram.com/theatre_catapulte

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Théâtre Catapulte