Using the Three Elements of Climate Dramaturgy, as developed by our Associate Artist, Zoë Svendsen (Expectation, Facilitation and Permission/E, F, P), here’s a potential timeline for production which supports more climate-positive practices:
- Engaging the Creative Team
- Share ethos of climate care with each creative at first meeting (P)
- Ensure creative production fees cover time for climate careful planning (F)
- In offer letter, share expectations for climate care and how it will be facilitated (E)
- Offer Carbon Literacy Training (F)
- Expect use of the Theatre Green Book (E)
- Contract creative teams at least 6 months in advance, including production manager (F)
- Share details of resources for reuse (set/costume/tech equipment) (F)
- Communicate climate care ethos publicly (P)
- Parameters Meeting
- Introduce Production Decision Impact Tracker to the team (P) (F)
- Arrange schedule for director/designer process to ensure time for climate care (E) (F)
- Arrange tech schedule to fit the team’s access needs/care responsibilities (F)
- Pool ideas for how best to meet Theatre Green Book standards (F)
- Design Concept Meeting
- Bring creatives together to explore early-stage ideas, to enable collaborative climate care (F)
- Start using Production Decision Impact Tracker (F)
- Schedule time prior to White Card meeting to research/‘design out’ any potential environmental impacts (E) (F)
- White Card Meeting
- Expect to name/troubleshoot environmental impacts (E) (F)
- Use Production Decision Impact Tracker to track decisions and plan mitigating actions (E)
- Final Design Meeting
- Use Production Materials Tracker to calculate impact (F) (E)
- Schedule procurement to ensure transport minimised (F)
- Discuss afterlife of all set/costumes/props (F)
- Hold climate parameters meeting for stage management/buyers/props & costume
- Rehearsals
- Adjust rehearsal schedule for access needs/care responsibilities (F)
- Artistic Director/Producer share climate ethics with cast & celebrate climate care in design (P)
- Share anti-racism learning and practice (P)
- In production meetings expect each departmental update to include climate impacts (E)
- Publicise climate care to audiences, through rehearsal interviews etc (E) (P)
- Technical Rehearsals
- Use a climate contingency budget to reduce impacts of last-minute decisions in tech/previews (F)
- Performances
- Communicate show-specific stories of climate care to wider public (P)
- Environmental Action Debrief
- Capture learning from the Production Decision Impact Tracker to reflect on internally and share with future productions (F)
- Afterlife
- Store reusable resources and share details for future use (F)
- Implement recommendations from the Environmental Action Debrief (F)
- Put creatives in touch with their counterpart on the next production to share climate care know-how (P)
Click here for a graphic illustration of this climate careful production timeline and the Three Elements of Climate Dramaturgy.
