Lichthof Theater E.v.

What Lichthof Theater E.v. does

LICHTHOF Theater E.v. (legally LICHTHOF Theater gGmbH) is a Hamburg-based non-profit theater company founded in 2006 that operates as both a production house and presenting venue for independent contemporary performing arts. The organization serves general public audiences, young emerging artists, and educational groups through its main performance venue (160 m², maximum 100 visitors) in Hamburg-Bahrenfeld at Mendelssohnstraße 15B and a separate rehearsal studio, Probebühne RENTZEL (117 m²), at Rentzelstraße 36. Programming consists of own productions, co-productions with collectives, and presentations of external artists, with thematic emphasis on social and political issues including migration, identity, wealth disparity, and post-colonial discourse. Leadership is a two-person team comprising Artistic Director Matthias Schulze-Kraft and Managing Director Julia zur Lippe.

The company's core product portfolio includes its regular theater program, the annual WE PRESENT festival for emerging Hamburg performance artists (co-organized with Treibstoff Festival Basel for 2026), the WE PRODUCE research-grant and production-support program, the participatory Bürger:innenbühne (citizens' stage), the STIMME X contemporary music-theater festival, and the experimental #lichthof_lab digital stage that has produced browser-based interactive works such as '(save me) not' with the Frauen und Fiktion collective. Revenue is generated through ticket sales on a tiered solidarity-pricing model (€8–€28, with no proof-of-means required for reduced tiers), space rental for rehearsals, workshops, photoshoots, and non-public events, and donations, with material operational support from public funding bodies (Behörde für Kultur und Medien Hamburg, Fonds Darstellende Künste) and private foundations (Claussen-Simon-Stiftung, LICHTHOF Stiftung). Ticketing is operated through the third-party Reservix platform. International co-productions (e.g., KOHKS with Colectivo Teatral Luz de Luna from Bogotá) and partnerships (Thalia Theater, Flinn Works, wirvier Kollektiv) extend its reach beyond Hamburg while physical operations remain local.

Name

Lichthof Theater E.v.

Legal name

LICHTHOF Theater gGmbH

Website

https://lichthof-theater.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LICHTHOF Theater is a Hamburg-based non-profit production house and presenting venue for independent contemporary performing arts, operating a 100-seat main stage and a rehearsal studio, with own productions, co-productions, and the WE PRESENT emerging-artist festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Performing Arts / Live Theater Venue

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), VIP Hospitality & Client Entertainment (Boxes, Suites, Hosted Experiences) (MPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Independent performing arts
• Contemporary theater productions
• Experimental dance venue
• Theater space rental
• Participatory citizens theater

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Single-ticket sales for performances at €8–€28 price range. Tickets sold via Reservix web shop, advance-sale outlets, and at-the-door box office.
2. Space Rental: Venue spaces (stage, foyer) rented for rehearsals, workshops, photoshoots, and non-public events.
3. Donations and Gift Vouchers: Donations accepted (donation receipts from €100). Gift vouchers sold online at arbitrary amounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LICHTHOF Theater is a non-profit production house and presenting venue in Hamburg-Bahrenfeld that produces and hosts contemporary independent performing arts including theater, dance, performance, multimedia, and participatory projects. It runs a main 160 m² stage and the Probebühne RENTZEL rehearsal studio, presents an annual program of around 38 productions, and operates the WE PRESENT festival for emerging Hamburg artists, the #lichthof_lab digital stage, and the Bürger:innenbühne citizens' stage. Tickets are sold primarily through the Reservix online platform, space is rented to external producers, and donations are accepted.

Product overview

LICHTHOF Theater E.v. is a non-profit independent theater in Hamburg-Bahrenfeld operating as a presenting and producing venue for contemporary performing arts. The organization operates two physical spaces: a main performance hall (160 m², max 100 visitors) at Mendelssohnstraße 15B and the Probebühne RENTZEL rehearsal studio (117 m²) at Rentzelstraße 36. The theater's core offerings include its regular program of performances and productions, the annual WE PRESENT festival for emerging Hamburg talent, the #lichthof_lab digital experimentation platform, the Bürger:innenbühne (citizens' stage) participatory program, and WE produce artist support grants. Ticketing is managed through the Reservix platform. The venue also rents its spaces for rehearsals, workshops, photoshoots, and non-public events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WE PRESENT: Festival for young Hamburg performance artists
• Bürger:innenbühne
• #lichthof_lab
• WE PRODUCE
• RENTZEL

Products and services

• LICHTHOF Theater Main Stage (Hauptspielstätte) The primary 160 m² performance hall of LICHTHOF Theater in Hamburg-Bahrenfeld (Mendelssohnstraße 15B), seating up to 100 visitors, hosting the theater's main program of contemporary theater, dance, multimedia, and participatory productions.
• Probebühne RENTZEL A 117 m² rehearsal studio at Rentzelstraße 36, Hamburg, with ~6 m ceiling height, dance floor, blackout capability, natural daylight, WLAN, piano, sound system, and wheelchair access, available for rental by independent artists, ensembles, and organizations.
• WE PRESENT Festival An annual 4-day festival presenting 10 performances by emerging Hamburg-based artists across three venues (LICHTHOF Theater, Thalia Box, and RENTZEL), curated by Anne Pretzsch and Lisa Florentine Schmalz, and co-organized with Treibstoff Festival Basel for international exchange.
• Bürger:innenbühne (Citizens' Stage) A participatory theater program that invites members of the public to co-create community-driven theatrical works, functioning as LICHTHOF's dedicated citizens' stage format for socially engaged projects.
• #lichthof_lab Digital Stage A digital stage and experimental space that develops and presents browser-based games and multimedia projects exploring the intersection of digital media, performance, dance, and theater, including the collaborative browser game "(save me) not" developed with the "Frauen und Fiktion" collective.
• WE produce A research scholarship and production support program that provides grants and resources to emerging artists developing new performance work.
• STIMME X Festival A festival for contemporary music theater in northern Germany, co-organized with regional partners and hosted by LICHTHOF Theater.
• Ticketing via Reservix Online and physical ticket sales for LICHTHOF performances processed through the Reservix platform, accessible via the LICHTHOF web shop, advance-sale outlets, the evening box office, and the 24/7 hotline (0761 888 499 99).

Quantifiable outcome

• Arme Arme Reiche Reiche selected to shortlist of Berliner Theatertreffen 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Thalia Theater (BOX im Thalia, Gaußstraße)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLICHTHOF collaborates with Thalia Theater during Theaternacht Hamburg, using BOX im Thalia as an additional venue for performances.
• Treibstoff Festival BaselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWE PRESENT 2026 festival is co-organized with Treibstoff Festival Basel, bringing international exchange to young Hamburg performance artists.
• Dachverband Freie Darstellende Künste HamburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella organization for Hamburg's independent performing arts scene, providing re-opening and guest performance funding.
• wirvier KollektivminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHamburg-based collective co-producing KOHKS with Colectivo Teatral Luz de Luna (Bogotá) for performative harbor cruise.
• Colectivo Teatral Luz de Luna (Bogotá)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian theater collective co-producing KOHKS with wirvier Kollektiv for international cultural exchange.
• Flinn Works (Berlin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin-based ensemble that presented Ultimate Safari at LICHTHOF, later winning ITI Germany prize.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mousonturm Frankfurt: Independent performing arts venue in Frankfurt presenting contemporary theater, dance, performance, and discursive formats. Direct peer as both are mid-size independent production houses and presenting venues focused on experimental work in German cities.
• FFT Düsseldorf: Forum Freies Theater (FFT) is a Düsseldorf-based independent production house for contemporary performing arts. Direct peer as both are mid-size independent venues focused on experimental theater and performance with comparable funding models and program scales.
• Sophiensæle Berlin: Berlin-based independent production house for contemporary performing arts with multiple stages. Direct peer as both are artist-development platforms presenting experimental theater, dance, and performance with similar funding structures (public cultural funding) and similar size/scale.
• Radialsystem Berlin: Berlin venue for contemporary dance, performance, and music theater, housed in a former pump station. Direct peer as both operate as mid-size presenting venues with a focus on contemporary experimental performing arts and similar artist-development programs.
• PACT Zollverein Essen: Performing arts center in Essen focused on contemporary dance, theater, and performance. Direct peer as both operate as production and presentation venues for independent performing artists, run residency programs, and receive similar public arts funding.
• Kampnagel Hamburg: Kampnagel is Hamburg's largest center for contemporary performing arts, presenting independent theater, dance, and performance. Direct peer as both organizations operate in Hamburg's independent performing arts scene with similar experimental/contemporary programming and shared funding ecosystem.
• Theater im Pumpenhaus Münster: Independent theater in Münster presenting contemporary dance, performance, and theater. Direct peer as both are small-to-mid-size independent venues focused on experimental and contemporary performing arts with similar public-funding dependency.
• LOFFT Leipzig: Independent production house and venue for contemporary performing arts in Leipzig. Direct peer as both are mid-size German independent venues with similar program mix (theater, dance, performance), talent development programs, and public funding structures.

Broad incumbents

• HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin: Larger Berlin-based theater with three venues presenting contemporary performing arts. Broad incumbent as it operates at greater scale and with a municipal theater structure, but with overlapping experimental/contemporary programming and similar artistic positioning.

Regional players

• Kaserne Basel: Independent performing arts venue in Basel, Switzerland, with similar experimental programming. Regional player as it is a direct programming peer but operates in a different country (Switzerland) and collaborates with LICHTHOF through the Treibstoff Festival.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Lichthof
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lichthof-theater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Lichthof Theater E.v.