The Role of the Play in Society
Parktheater Eindhoven doesn’t just want to say that we’re making a social impact; we also want to better understand where that impact comes from and what we’re actually contributing. We’ve past event working with partners in the healthcare, social services, and education sectors, among others, for years. We also strive to address social issues in our programming, operations, and collaborations with the city.
But how do you make such a contribution visible? And how do you ensure that you not only state what you think you’re achieving, but can also substantiate it?
Looking for a Way to Measure Impact
That’s why we set out to find a way to better assess our social impact. Together with IMPCT Agency, we explored how we can measure this. For 2025, we applied the Social Handprint framework to the activities of Parktheater Eindhoven.
The Social Handprint assesses an organization’s positive contribution to social and sustainability goals. The method uses the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework.
We have aligned our activities with these goals and examined their social effects. This has, for the first time, provided a picture of our impact that is based not only on stories and experiences, but also on data from our own organization.
What do the results show?
The first assessment shows that Parktheater Eindhoven contributed to 14 of the 17 SDGs in 2025. The largest contribution was to SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, followed by SDG 3, Good Health and Well-being, and SDG 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. All in all, the indicative social impact value amounts to €3,736,000.
This amount does not represent revenue for the Parktheater. It provides an indication of the societal value of the impact our activities have. More important than the amount itself is what the measurement shows us: where our contribution lies and which societal goals we address through our activities.
Behind the numbers lie the activities and collaborations that take place every day in and around the Parktheater. These include programs focused on health and well-being, social dialogue, and education, as well as our sustainable events practices and partnerships with organizations in the city. The Social Handprint helps bring these various activities together and make them visible.
A First Step
This initial assessment gives us a new starting point. It provides us with a clearer picture of where our social impact originates, which activities contribute to it, and where we can continue to grow. This allows us not only to reflect on what we do, but also to make more informed decisions about where we want to make a difference in the future.
The results show that the role of a theater goes beyond presenting performances. It is precisely by bringing people together, providing a space for different perspectives, and making social issues visible and open to discussion that we contribute to society.
Theater does more than you think.
