On sustainability in the performing arts
Where did this fabric come from, who made it, and where will it go when I no longer need it?
As a performance designer, it is almost impossible not to reflect on material consumption, production methods and the waste that is eventually produced in our industry. Often, there is little time to find new homes for things built, and even less time to debrief and reflect together how things could be done better and more sustainably.
As a freelancer, one is seldom involved in policy making processes, though we all have a responsibility to address these issues, now. We need to dare to ask for the sustainability ambitions for the productions we are embarking on. If nothing else, to always consider the "before and after story" of the materials we choose to work with, and do everything we can to "refuse, reduce, re-use and recycle". And learn while doing, sharing with collegues the hacks we devise along the way. One can feel rather lonely and powerless when it comes to making a difference, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Working in a time of climate emergency and biodiversity crisis, the performing arts need to make a change - art and culture must be a part of the conversation and support our communities dealing with the largest threat humanity has faced so far. There is no alternative.
We need to make a change in our production methods, where sustainability is an inevitable factor to consider - alongside economy and timeframes - when envisioning, planning and designing productions.
Eventually a circular production model could free up valuable resources and also create new job opportunities - such as local specialists sourcing pre-used materials and distributing things to the local community at the end of a production. Somewhat like a location scout in the film industry.
I am a member of Hållbart Kulturliv NU, a non-profit organisation that works for a green transition in the wider cultural sector in Sweden. (See link below.)
While associated as a freelance designer with Folkteatern Gävleborg, I have been involved in developing their sustainability plan.
During 2024, I translated the Theatre Green Book, a method and an online guide to sustainable performing arts, into Swedish. The translation was initiated and is licensed by Svensk Scenkonst (Swedish Performing Arts Association).
Useful links:
Theatre Green Book på svenska (Svensk Scenkonst)
Theatre Green Book (UK version)
Green Producers Tool (Green Producers Club)
ASSITEJs hållbarhetsarbete i Sverige
Report from Performing Green workshop in Gävle 2024 - for designers and directors. (ENG)
Julie ́s Bicycle (UK)
"This is a positive development. To resist change and refuse adaptation to sustainable methods and materials is not an alternative. We don’t need to agree on the scale of risks that climate change will pose, but we can agree to trust the science behind recent predictions and to take these seriously. We can, both as individual practitioners and within our organisations, increase awareness and define clear goals. Work towards a climate-friendly transition should take place on four planes simultaneously: individual, institutional, educational, and political. We need to do this now, to meet the demands of the future while we still can make a difference."
- Annika Bromberg, author of "Klimatet, vår viktigaste berättelse - den (o)hållbara scenkonsten" (STDH 2021)
The simple aluminium/perspex screens in "Macbeth" at Folkteatern Gävleborg were recycled from a previous production. The surface of the screens were modified by glueing dyed/painted, second-hand thin fabric onto them, creating a rough but transparent "concrete" surface. Table made from available materials in the workshop, chair and lamp from store. Costume (design by Åsa Eriksson) from store.