Forum Ecological Sustainability in the Theatre / Green Ambassadors

On 9 and 10 October 2025, 13 representatives from the most wide-ranging fields of theatre came together at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele to exchange experiences, ideas and proposals.

Issues of institutional ecology and the concept of the ecological handprint were outlined together with Jacob Sylvester Bilabel from the Aktionsnetzwerk Nachhaltigkeit in Kultur und Medien (Action Network Sustainability in Culture and the Media). Insights were then provided into the Berlinale’s sustainability strategies by its Sustainability Coordinator Andreas Klabunde, while new experiences in this field were examined with transformation manager and one of the first Green Ambassadors David Heiligers (dramaturg at theatres including Schauspielhaus Zürich and Deutsches Theater Berlin). One highly practical example was presented in the form of the CO2e calculator for stage designs created by Lisa-Marie Hobusch (Artistic Production Manager Focussing on Environmental Sustainability) from the Schaubühne Berlin. And finally, a discussion with Dr. Sebastian Brünger from the German Federal Cultural Foundation about its sustainability programmes and the pilot project “Climate Adaptation in the Cultural Sector” also offered some fascinating insights.

The Green Ambassadors of the 2025 Theatertreffen:

Anja Dansberg, Assistant to the Technical Director, Volksbühneam Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin
Katrin Enders, Theatre Dramaturg, TheaterMagdeburg
Julian Firges, Energy Efficiency Engineer, StaatstheaterKassel
Frank Köckritz, Head of Renovation Team, KomischeOper Berlin
Marion Kriedemann, Financial and Administrative Director, MecklenburgischesStaatstheater, Schwerin
Katrin Michaels, Dramaturg, Residenztheater,Munich
Katrin Plötzky, Head of Design, JungesSchauSpielHaus Hamburg
Ute Rohrbeck, Head of Paintshop, MecklenburgischesStaatstheater, Schwerin
Solène Schlachter, Artistic Producer, JungesSchauSpielHaus Hamburg
Benedikt Simonischek, Head of External Venues & Project Manager for Renovation & Strategy, KomischeOper Berlin
Annika Strassmair, Head of Production for Structural and Venue Development, brutKoproduktionshaus Wien GmbH
Simone Theilacker-Wolter, Director of Artistic Production and Deputy Artistic Director, StaatsoperStuttgart
Clara Weyde, Head of Acting and Directing (Theatre), TheaterMagdeburg

The group came together for a workshop at Haus der Berliner Festspiele on 17 and 18 October 2024. There were lectures on the topics of sustainable procurement, climate-conscious renovation and EMAS-certification. Furthermore, a concrete model to implement CO2-reduction in the field of set design was introduced. On both days, the Green Ambassadors had opportunities to exchange ideas and new concepts and to find ways of continuing their efforts (together) after the Forum. This is in keeping with the guiding principle that Jacob Bilabel from Aktionsnetzwerk Nachhaltigkeit in Kultur und Medien (Action Network Sustainability in Culture and the Media) formulated: “No culture at all is not sustainable either”. The Theatertreffen-team is still convinced that networking with each other is one of the most important components in achieving the common goal. 

The Green Ambassadors of the 2024 Theatertreffen:

Johann Casimir Eule, Management Opera, StaatstheaterNürnberg
Adina Fahr, Personal Referent of the Artistic Director, LandesbühnenSachsen
Markus Heinzelmann, Managing Director, TheaterhausJena
Roland Hille, Head of Production, TheaterhausJena
Lisa-Marie Hobusch, Artistic Production Manager with a Focus on Sustainability, Schaubühneam Lehniner Platz
Ilka Kops, Head of Costume Department, DeutschesTheater Göttingen
Marius Labonte, Sustainability Officer, SchauspielhausBochum
Marcus Piso, Head of Facility and Production Management, SalzburgerFestspiele
Nathalie Prasser, Media Officer and Current Coordinator for ÖÜZ, SalzburgerFestspiele
Laura Steiner, Office Financial & Audit Committee/Board & Sustainability, SchauspielhausZürich
Marcus Weide, Technical Director, DeutschesTheater Göttingen
Ralph Zeger, Head of Design, LandesbühnenSachsen

This year’s guests, Yvonne Büdenhölzer, former director of Theatertreffen and currently director of Suhrkamp Theater Verlag, Christoph Hügelmeyer, technical director and environment management officer of Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes (KBB) GmbH, Jana Popihn, assistant to the directors at NDR Kultur, and Catja Schiliing, costume painter at Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg and alumna of the 2021 Forum, gave accounts of their experiences in their respective fields of work. The two-day workshop was an opportunity for the Green Ambassadors to exchange ideas and new concepts with the aim of continuing their work beyond the Forum in accordance with the guiding principle formulated by Jacob Bilabel of the Aktionsnetzwerk Nachhaltigkeit in Kultur und Medien: “More culture with less environmental impact”.

 

The Green Ambassadors of Theatertreffens 2023:

Nadine Apperle, Finances & Administration/Controlling, TheaterBasel
Andrea Bettini, Actor TheaterBasel
Torsten Bill, Coordinator for Construction Management and Sustainability, DeutschesTheater Berlin
Marius Labonte, Transformation Management, SchauspielhausBochum          
Silke Messemer, Deputy Costume Director, ResidenztheaterMunich
Katrin Michaels, Dramaturg, ResidenztheaterMunich
Johann Otten, Dramaturg, DeutschesTheater Berlin
Helene Pente, Assistant to Technical Directors, SchauspielhausBochum        
Maik Romberg, Director of Staff Dep. Digitalisation, MünchnerKammerspiele
Julia Rosenberger, Production Support, BurgtheaterVienna
Wolfgang Wiefarn, Lighting, MünchnerKammerspiele

Topics included systems for environmental management and the freedom of art as well as communication strategies and the exchange of existing knowledge and best practices. As invited guests, alumni of the previous forum, Wiebke Leithner (deputy financial director at Vienna’s Burgtheater) and Sophie Gruber (member of the communication team at Berlin’s HAU Hebbel am Ufer), gave insights into their practices and experiences. Furthermore, Charlotte Sieben (managing director of Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH, KBB) talked about the EMAS-certification process of KBB and the Green Ambassadors met Hortensia Völckers, Artistic Director of the German Federal Cultural Foundation, for a conversation.

The Green Ambassadors of the 2022 Theatertreffen

Ulrich Beck, Head of Artistic Administration SchauspielHannover
Claudia Bestenbostel, Communications ThaliaTheater Hamburg
Katharina Bondzin, Make-up SchauspielhausBochum
Alrun Hofert, Actor SchauspielHannover
Fabian Iberl, Technical Director MünchnerKammerspiele
Peter Keune, Technical Director StaatsschauspielDresden
Kora Kossack, Head of Facility Management DeutschesSchauSpielHaus Hamburg
Hajo Krause, Technical Director DeutschesSchauSpielHaus Hamburg
Stefano Machalek, Technical Department VolkstheaterVienna
Dorothea Neweling, Dramaturg SchauspielhausBochum
Veronika Nickl, Actor SchauspielhausBochum
Jana Popihn, Personal Assistant to the Commercial Director ThaliaTheater Hamburg
Sven Schabram, Assistant to the Artistic Director and Managing Director HAUHebbel am Ufer Berlin
Anna Schelmberger, Assistant to the Head of the Costumes Department VolkstheaterVienna
Louise Stölting, Production Manager “All Right. Good Night.” RiminiProtokoll
Christian Thurm, Head of Carpentry NationaltheaterMannheim
Daniel Veldhoen, Artistic Director MünchnerKammerspiele
Dominik von Stillfried, Stage Management HAUHebbel am Ufer Berlin

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.

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 were further debated, elaborated and discussed at a digital meeting in January 2022. The Green Ambassadors once again got together in person in the context of the 2022 Theatertreffen, where they also met a new generation of Green Ambassadors who attended the 2nd Forum Ecological Sustainability in the Theatre that year.

The Green Ambassadors of the 2021 Theatertreffen

Anne Brammen, Programme and communications BallhausOst Berlin
Leni von Creytz, Trainee event technology specialist ResidenztheaterMunich
Frank Crusius, Technical director Cuvilliéstheater and Marstall of ResidenztheaterMunich
Katinka Deecke, Senior dramaturg SchauspielhausZurich
Katrin Dywicki, Head of operations and facility management / safety engineer DeutschesTheater Berlin
Sophie Gruber, Communications HAUHebbel am Ufer Berlin
Eva Hartmann, Management GobSquad Arts Collective
David Heiligers, Dramaturg DeutschesTheater Berlin
Paul Lehner, Production and workshop manager SchauspielhausZurich
Wiebke Leithner, Deputy commercial director and guest performance manager BurgtheaterVienna
Julia Rosenberger, Production supervisor BurgtheaterVienna
Jule Saworski, Stage and costume designer BallhausOst Berlin
Catja Schilling, Costume designer and compliance representative DeutschesSchauSpielHaus Hamburg
Björn Stegmann, Technical director BallhausOst Berlin
Patrick Tucholski, Deputy technical director HAUHebbel am Ufer Berlin
Anouk Wallerath, Personal assistant to the artistic director DeutschesTheater Berlin