Office National Diffusion Artis

What Office National Diffusion Artis does

Office national de diffusion artistique (Onda) is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) founded in 1975 by Philippe Tiry and headquartered at 13 bis rue Henry Monnier in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Its mandate is to encourage the dissemination of contemporary performing arts across all French territories — mainland, overseas, and international — through a combination of financial support, curatorial scouting, and professional networking. Onda serves as a national intermediary between approximately 500 venues and festivals, more than 500 artistic companies and teams per season, and a broad base of French and international programmers, funded primarily by the French Ministry of Culture with additional support from the Ministry of Overseas Departments.

Onda's service portfolio comprises several interlocking layers: systematic and project-based financial aid to venues and festivals (including caps of €10,000-€15,000 per project for touring, residencies, overseas cooperation, and digital production); co-financed programs such as Legato (with La Maison de la Musique Contemporaine), TRIO(S) (with SACD), and L'art de la reprise (with SACEM); and a digital platform called CooProg, an open-source tool launched in October 2023 with German, Luxembourgish and Swiss partners that allows programmers to coordinate artist invitations and tour planning across Europe, serving 800+ users. Around these instruments, Onda runs professional encounters (Ad Hoc, online, itinerant, MAP sessions), working groups on sector challenges, and Design Fiction prospective workshops. Six specialized advisors in Theatre, Music, Dance, Circus, Youth/Public Space, and International scouting collectively review more than 1,600 performances per year.

The business model is publicly funded rather than commercial: core operating revenue comes from Ministry of Culture subventions, augmented by ministerial co-funding for overseas territory visibility, regional council joint funds (€150,000-€185,000 per year per convention), and patronage from Caisse des Dépôts for specific programs. Distribution is channelled through partner venues, regional councils, DRACs, professional networks (IETM, On the Move, Culture Action Europe, British Council, Goethe-Institut, Pro Helvetia), and the digital CooProg and Mon espace Onda portals. Governance is exercised by a board of directors chaired by Bernard Latarjet since 2012, with Marie-Pia Bureau serving as Directrice since September 2022.

Name

Office National Diffusion Artis

Legal name

Office national de diffusion artistique

Website

https://onda.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Office national de diffusion artistique (Onda) is a French non-profit association founded in 1975 that supports dissemination of contemporary performing arts by providing financial aid to approximately 500 venues and festivals, curatorial advice from six specialized advisors, professional encounters, and the CooProg European coordination platform serving 800+ users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government Subsidies: Onda is an association primarily funded by the Ministry of Culture for all its missions and also receives support from the Ministry of Overseas Departments for the visibility of overseas artists.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Onda is the French national office that encourages the dissemination of contemporary performing arts across all French territories and internationally. It scouts new artistic forms, animates a professional community of venues, festivals and artistic companies, distributes financial support to French venues and festivals hosting contemporary work, and facilitates cooperation between French and foreign performing arts professionals. It also operates the CooProg open-source digital platform for European-scale touring coordination.

Product overview

Onda operates as a coordination and support organization for contemporary performing arts dissemination, offering a unified service platform centered on professional networking, financial support programs, and digital tools. The core offerings include the CooProg digital platform for European touring coordination, the Mon espace Onda partner portal, and comprehensive financial support programs including systematic international/overseas support, large-format shows, and co-financed programs (Legato with La Maison de la Musique Contemporaine, TRIO(S) with SACD, L'art de la reprise with Sacem). Supporting services encompass professional encounters (Rencontres Ad Hoc, online, itinerant), working groups on sector topics, Design Fiction prospective workshops, artist-programmer connection sessions (Mises en lien), arts watch recommendations (Repérages), and thematic focuses on youth and overseas territories. The organization does not sell a commercial software product but rather provides services funded by the French Ministry of Culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CooProg Open-source digital coordination platform enabling performing arts programmers to share artistic invitation projects and plan European-scale touring. Used by performing arts programmers at partner venues and festivals to coordinate scheduling and touring with reduced carbon footprint.
• Mon espace Onda Online partner portal for managing financial support requests, submitting applications, and tracking dossier status. Integrated with the CooProg platform for tour date coordination. Used by venues, festivals, and artistic companies partnering with Onda.
• Legato Co-financed support and accompaniment program for the dissemination of contemporary music by emerging ensembles. Combines financial support for venues with accompaniment pathways for ensembles. Targeted at emerging contemporary music ensembles under 15 years old and the venues hosting them.
• TRIO(S) Program created with SACD to promote the presence of choreographic works and strengthen collaboration between dissemination structures and choreographers. Includes a dedicated emerging choreographer track (volet émergence) with support from Caisse des Dépôts. Targeted at dissemination structures and choreographers.
• L'art de la reprise Program by Onda, Sacem, and Institut français supporting long-term diffusion of contemporary musical creation projects beyond their initial exploitation period. Targeted at musical creation projects requiring renewed diffusion support.
• Soutiens financiers (Financial Support Programs) Comprehensive financial support framework for French venues and festivals including systematic support for international and overseas artists, large-format shows and circus tours, regional conventions, and complementary digital production support. Support compensates the operating deficit generated by hosting a show and cannot be systematically renewed. Targeted at French performing arts venues and festivals.
• Rencontres (Professional Encounters) Professional networking meetings including Ad Hoc encounters, online monthly sessions, itinerant traveling encounters, and international sharing sessions. Facilitates knowledge exchange among performing arts professionals on artworks and sector challenges. Targeted at French performing arts programmers, directors, and international artistic companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,600 performances viewed by advisors per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 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

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

• Région Hauts-de-FrancemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Convention signed for 2024-2027 to bring responses to challenges facing the performing arts sector. Joint fund of 150,000 euros (2/3 Onda, 1/3 region) for artistic projects selected jointly.
• Région Centre-Val de LoiremajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership convention for 2024-2027 with Region Centre-Val de Loire, DRAC Centre-Val de Loire, and Scène O Centre network. Common annual fund of 185,000 euros for four priority axes.
• Collectivité de CorsemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Multiannual cooperation convention renewed in December 2024 for 2024-2026, to develop links between Corsican performing arts professionals and their continental peers while favoring internationalization.
• Reshape Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Project led by Onda from 2019-2021 with 13 partners and 6 associate partners across Europe and Mediterranean. Consortium included ACT Association (Bulgaria), AltArt Foundation (Romania), Artemrede (Portugal), Arts and Theatre Institute (Czech Republic), British Council, Bunker (Slovenia), Flanders Arts Institute (Belgium), Goethe-Institut Barcelona, Onassis Foundation, POGON Zagreb (Croatia), and Pro Helvetia (Switzerland).
• Ministry of Culture (Ministère de la Culture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1975Onda is primarily funded by the Ministry of Culture for all its missions. The ministry provides core operational funding and establishes the framework for Onda's national mandate to support performing arts dissemination.
• Ministry of Overseas Departments (Ministère chargé des Outre-mer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Overseas Departments provides specific support for the visibility of overseas artists, enabling Onda to strengthen its action in favor of artists from French overseas territories.
• DRACs (Directions Régionales des Affaires Culturelles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnda works in close collaboration with DRACs in different regions, relying on their advisors' expertise, participating regularly in expert committees, and associating with locally conducted reflections on professional issues.
• Région Bourgogne-Franche-ComtémajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership convention to encourage circulation of works and artists, with common annual fund of 150,000 euros (2/3 Onda, 1/3 region) for cooperation initiatives around sustainability and new modes of meeting inhabitants.
• ARTCENAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnda carries out joint actions with neighboring organizations including ARTCENA in the performing arts sector.
• SACD (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint creation of TRIO(S) program to promote the presence of choreographic works and strengthen collaboration between dissemination structures and choreographers.
• Maison de la Musique Contemporaine (MMC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Legato program, a support and accompaniment device for the dissemination of contemporary music by emerging ensembles, with musical patronage from Caisse des Dépôts.
• SACEMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'L'art de la reprise' device supporting the dissemination of musical creation projects over the long term.
• Institut françaismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnda acts in complementarity and often partnership with the Institut français, within the framework of a convention setting out the respective mission perimeters. Onda supports international artist reception while Institut français handles French artist diffusion abroad.
• IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnda is a founding member and associate member of IETM, a major international network for contemporary performing arts.
• On the MoveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnda is a member of On the Move, a network focused on mobility and international collaboration in the arts.
• Culture Action EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnda is a member of Culture Action Europe, a European cultural policy advocacy network.
• British CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Europe Beyond Access project led by British Council, and maintains privileged links with British Council offices in London and Paris.
• Goethe-InstitutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnda maintains privileged links with Goethe-Institut as a neighboring intermediate agency in Germany.
• Pro HelvetiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnda maintains privileged links with Pro Helvetia as a neighboring intermediate agency in Switzerland, including participation in Reshape project.
• La Collaborative (Regional Cultural Agencies)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnda works with regional agencies gathered within La Collaborative, including OARA, ODIA Normandie, Spectacle vivant en Bretagne, Agence culturelle Grand Est, and L'Agence Unique/Occitanie culture, particularly for Design Fiction working groups.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pro Helvetia: Swiss Arts Council performing the same role of publicly-funded arts dissemination, scouting and international cooperation that Onda performs for France, and a direct partner in the Reshape consortium.
• IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts): International network for contemporary performing arts of which Onda is a founding and associate member, operating in the same space of cross-border performing arts cooperation, advocacy and knowledge sharing.
• ARTCENA: French national resource center for performing arts (theatre, circus, puppetry, street arts), carrying out joint actions with Onda and operating in overlapping sector-support territory.
• ODIA Normandie: Normandy's regional agency for performing arts dissemination; collaborates with Onda through La Collaborative, particularly on the Design Fiction working groups.
• Institut français: French public operator for international cultural cooperation, with a complementary mandate to Onda (Institut français handles French artists abroad, Onda supports incoming international artists in France) and a formal convention defining their respective roles.
• Maison de la Musique Contemporaine (MMC): French organization supporting contemporary music creation and dissemination, partnered with Onda on the Legato program supporting emerging ensembles with patronage from Caisse des Dépôts.
• Agence culturelle Grand Est: Grand Est regional cultural agency with similar advisory and support functions, working with Onda within La Collaborative on shared sector initiatives.
• OARA (Office Artistique de la Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine): French regional cultural agency for performing arts dissemination, member of La Collaborative alongside Onda, with comparable advisory and support missions at regional scale.

Broad incumbents

• Goethe-Institut: Germany's national cultural agency, providing international cultural programming and arts dissemination at much larger scale; Onda maintains privileged links as a neighboring intermediate agency.
• British Council: UK international organization for cultural relations and arts dissemination; partnered with Onda in the Europe Beyond Access project and maintains privileged Paris–London links.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Office National Diffusion Artis