The story of sustainability in theatre
The Theatre Green Book is a free resource for theatremakers working at all scales, aiming to create a shared standard for environmentally responsible theatre.
For ‘The story of sustainability in theatre’, we spoke to Gemma Swallow, Technical Director at the National Theatre of Scotland, about the theatre’s involvement with the Theatre Green Book and their approach to environmental sustainability.
Why did the National Theatre of Scotland want to be involved from the beginning in developing the Theatre Green Book?
The National Theatre of Scotland had a robust and active environmental policy before the Theatre Green Book came on the scene and we have always been aware of the impact our activities were having on the planet. We have been proud to be part of the workforce devising and supporting the Theatre Green Book since its inception and now part of the steering group team. It felt important for us as a national company to make sure that Scotland was well represented in those conversations and that the Theatre Green Book represented the whole of the UK.
How has using the Theatre Green Book supported you in taking action in production, buildings and operations so far? What are your next steps?
We have already had good success with the Theatre Green Book sustainable productions over the last few years, achieving Intermediate Standard in many of our shows. With the publication of version 2, we have managed to bring the same energy to our buildings and operations. The new tools make it easy to come up with achievable actions and plans and allow us to take a much more holistic approach to our climate goals. We hope to achieve Intermediate level across all three areas by the end of this year and then set our sights on the challenge of Advanced Standard.
How can theatre makers incorporate climate commitments into their creative methods, rather than perceiving them as a hindrance or a compromise?
The creativity of our theatre makers is key to playing our part in tackling climate change. Environmental sustainability must be integral to everything we do in the same way that inclusivity, equality and fairness should be.
It is not about compromise or blocking creativity, it is about creating an environment where we can let creativity run free. We need to move from retrofitting sustainability into our work, to reimagining how we can start with it from the beginning. Understanding how vitally important it is to do this work is the first thing and working together to make it happen is the next.
Why is it important to share learnings and work in collaboration to achieve sustainability in theatre?
Collaboration and shared learning are the foundations on which the Theatre Green Book has been built. It is fundamental to being able to work in this way and it is not something we can do on our own. Networks for sharing knowledge and resources, and finding creative ways to collaborate, are vital for us all. Many of these networks already exist in Scotland and if we all work together, led by the common language set out in the Theatre Green Book, there is no limit to what we can achieve.
National Theatre of Scotland is a theatre without walls, with no theatre building of its own, instead it tours work in the UK and internationally, sparking connections between people and communities, Scotland and the world.
Theatre Green Book operates as a loose ‘network of networks’ where each nation’s theatre community translates and adapts the guidance to suit their way of working. Its second edition was launched in summer 2024, setting out how to plan the transition to net zero across productions, operations and buildings in theatres.
This story is part of a series developed for Scottish Government’s Climate Week 2024, showcasing the work Culture for Climate Scotland is supporting to help achieve an environmentally sustainable Scotland. This year’s Climate Week is a chance for communities and organisations to celebrate and encourage climate action by sharing ‘Stories for Change’.