Theatre Green Book initiative

22 March 2021

Groups and individuals across theatre have been talking for some time about how to make theatre more sustainable and working on blueprints to promote change. The Theatre Green Book aims to bring that thinking together into one place, and develop it as straightforward, practical advice on the first steps everyone should be taking to make productions, theatre buildings and front-of-house operations sustainable.

This ‘Green Book’ of guidance for sustainable theatre will focus on first steps: what everyone can and should be doing to change their practice now, but it will also map out paths ahead, indicating what further steps might be needed to reach a sustainable future quickly.

The first part of the project is looking at productions – a ‘Beta’ version is now available for theatres to trial on re-opening shows and provide feedback on before the final version is released later in the year.

More work will be done on the other strands looking at theatre buildings and front-of-house operations will follow.

Theatres Trust is a project partner along with ABTT and Buro Happold. Paddy Dillon is the Green Book Co-ordinator.

Thanks to the following funders:

ABTT, Aecom, AHMM, Bristow Consulting, Buro Happold, Charcoalblue, English National Opera, Gardiner & Theobald, Glyndebourne Opera, Haworth Tompkins, Ingleton Wood, Laing O’Rourke,  National Theatre, Paddy Dillon Architect, Plann Ltd, Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells, Scottish Opera, Stage Electrics, Theatreplan Ltd, Theatres Trust, the Wolfson Foundation.

Thanks to the following for their support of the Green Book:

Association of Lighting Designers, Community Leisure UK, Creative Carbon Scotland, Creu Cymru, Ecostage, Federation of Scottish Theatre, ITC, Julie’s Bicycle, PMF, Scene Change, SiPA,  SMA, Society of British Theatre Designers, Society of London Theatre / UK Theatre, Stage Sight, Staging Change, Theatre and Dance NI.