Forum Ecological Sustainability in the Theatre / Green Ambassadors

The Forum Ecological Sustainability of Theatertreffen was created as a space for theatre makers to educate themselves and develop networks for issues of sustainable cultural production.

Participants in the 2021 Forum Ecological Sustainability in Theatre gather for a group photo. — Green Ambassadors 2021

© Piero Chiussi

The Forum Ecological Sustainability provides stakeholders and institutions within the German-language theatre sector with a space to exchange ideas about sustainable cultural work. Representatives of the theatres and production houses nominated for the festival’s selection of 10 productions act as Green Ambassadors, taking part in networking events and workshops. They will discuss approaches and challenges of sustainable theatre work together and develop strategies and projects towards ecologically sustainable cultural production.

Within the framework of the 2021 Theatertreffen and in cooperation with the action network “Nachhaltigkeit in Kultur und Medien”, the project Forum Ecological Sustainability in the Theatre took place for the first time. The aim of this series of events is to actively develop a long-term network for issues of sustainability in the theatre and to connect with already existing initiatives. Theatertreffen would like to serve as a dialogue platform. In 2022, the format will be continued.

Events at the 2022 Theatertreffen

On 14 May, two talks will focus on the Green Deal in theatre and sustainable international cultural production.

To the events

Digital Guide Sustainability

The digital guide “Steps towards more sustainability” provides an insight into the Theatertreffen's carbon footprint and the recycling-based Festival centre 2022.

To the Digital Guide

The Green Ambassadors of the 2022 Theatertreffen are:

Ulrich Beck Head of Artistic Administration Schauspiel Hannover
Katharina Bondzin Make-up Schauspielhaus Bochum
Gudrun Hagemann Head of Finance / Controlling, HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin
Christoph Hill Technical Director, Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin
Alrun Hofert Actor Schauspiel Hannover
Konstanze Horak Commercial Director / Controlling Volkstheater Vienna
Fabian Iberl Technical Director Münchner Kammerspiele
Marcel Klett Managing Director Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin
Kora Kossack Head of Facility Management Deutsches SchauSpielHaus Hamburg
Heinz-Werner Köster Administrative Director Thalia Theater Hamburg
Hajo Krause Technical Director Deutsches SchauSpielHaus Hamburg
Stefano Machalek Technical Department Volkstheater Vienna
Florian Napp Technical Production Manager Nationaltheater Mannheim
Dorothea Neweling Dramaturg Schauspielhaus Bochum
Jana Popihn Personal Assistant to the Commercial Director Thalia Theater Hamburg
Sven Schabram Assistant to the Artistic Director and Managing Director HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin
Sarah Schramm Assistant to the Artistic Director Staatsschauspiel Dresden
Louise Stölting Production Manager “All Right. Good Night.” Rimini Protokoll
Daniel Veldhoen Artistic Director Münchner Kammerspiele
Dominik von Stillfried Stage Management HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin

Forum Ecological Sustainability in the Theatre
Contact and coordination: Katharina Fritzsche
+49 30 25489 208

Forum Ecological Sustainability in the Theatre 2021

The first Forum Ecological Sustainability in the Theatre began with a digital launch event on 13 April 2021, attended by delegates from various departments representing eight theatres, production houses and collectives. This was followed by the Forum’s first two-day analogue workshop on 30 September and 1 October 2021 in Berlin: A total of 15 Green Ambassadors exchanged ideas on ecological sustainability in their workplaces and discussed the opportunities and challenges of a theatre made fit for the future.

In conversations and interactive workshop sessions, the participants outlined various options for initiating sustainable transformation processes and developed strategies for implementing sustainability goals for operational structures and theatre productions. They were introduced to the EMAS Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and to the Creative Green Tools Calculator, two tools for sustainability-oriented structuring and accounting for cultural institutions and projects. As guest speakers, Charlotte Sieben, Managing Director of KBB GmbH and Thomas Oberender, Director of Berliner Festspiele, contributed examples and experiences from their own practice.

Green Ambassadors 2021 — © Piero Chiussi

As a result of their conversations during the workshops, the Green Ambassadors framed a first set of wishes and goals for their own houses and teams, which will be further debated, elaborated and discussed at a digital meeting planned for January 2022. The Green Ambassadors will once again get together in person in the context of the 2022 Theatertreffen, where they will also meet a new generation of Green Ambassadors who will begin the 2nd Forum Ecological Sustainability in the Theatre that year.

The Green Ambassadors of the 2021 Theatertreffen:

Anne Brammen Programme and communications Ballhaus Ost Berlin
Leni von Creytz Trainee event technology specialist Residenztheater Munich
Frank Crusius Technical director Cuvilliéstheater and Marstall of Residenztheater Munich
Katinka Deecke Senior dramaturg Schauspielhaus Zurich
Katrin Dywicki Head of operations and facility management / safety engineer Deutsches Theater Berlin
Sophie Gruber Communications HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin
Eva Hartmann Management Gob Squad Arts Collective
David Heiligers Dramaturg Deutsches Theater Berlin
Paul Lehner Production and workshop manager Schauspielhaus Zurich
Wiebke Leithner Deputy commercial director and guest performance manager Burgtheater Vienna
Julia Rosenberger Production supervisor Burgtheater Vienna
Jule Saworski Stage and costume designer Ballhaus Ost Berlin
Catja Schilling Costume designer and compliance representative Deutsches SchauSpielHaus Hamburg
Björn Stegmann Technical director Ballhaus Ost Berlin
Patrick Tucholski Deputy technical director HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin
Anouk Wallerath Personal assistant to the artistic director Deutsches Theater Berlin

Ambassadors 2021

Catja Schilling

“On the road towards more sustainability, you have to keep looking for the best places to get your energy.”

Catja Schilling
Deutsches SchauSpielHaus Hamburg
Costume painter and Compliance and Sustainability Officer

“We should never forget that we all have the same goal!”

Anne Brammen
Ballhaus Ost
Programme and Communication

David Heiligers

“We are inside a bubble where we don’t have to convince each other that the topic of sustainability is relevant. But these are the crucial issues: How do we deal with conflicting goals (e.g. the freedom of art)? How do we deal with becoming dependent, e.g. on regulations and other protagonists? How can we achieve relevance when we are not the ones who make the decisions?”

David Heiligers
Deutsches Theater Berlin
Dramaturg

“As a trainee, I would like to make an active contribution and initiate a task force on sustainability.”

Leni von Creytz
Bayerisches Staatsschauspiel / Residenztheater
Trainee for Event Technology

Eva Hartmann

“I think that wanting to do something is more powerful and interesting than being made to do something. Creating energy budgets is interesting for companies, too. We don’t have a venue, we tour. In order to create an energy account for our company, we would also need the accounts of the theatres that we perform at.”

Eva Hartmann
Gob Squad
Management

Wiebke Leithner

“Culture must never lose its relevance! It doesn’t matter whether we’re in the mood for it. It’s important! We just have to start considering sustainability.”

Wiebke Leithner
Burgtheater Wien
Deputy Managing Director and Head of Touring

Paul Lehner

“It shouldn’t matter which person in which position is interested in sustainability. It is and will be an arduous task. We should start with our own questions and the process will produce new questions. We have found sustainability reporting to be a useful method.”

Paul Lehner
Schauspielhaus Zürich
Head of Production and Workshops

“I find it both interesting and irritating how much resistance you meet when you suggest even the smallest changes towards more sustainability. People are still very lazy and the road ahead is still very long.”

Patrick Tucholski
HAU Hebbel am Ufer
Deputy Technical Director