What does it truly take to make the performing arts eco-friendly? It’s about much more than just turning off the lights when the curtain falls!

The EU-funded Greenstage project is taking sustainable culture to a whole new level by bringing Circular Stage Design directly into production practices. By partnering with local authorities and pioneering cultural organizations, Greenstage is proving that world-class art and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.

The Digital Engine: Digital Tools for Real-World Change

At the heart of this movement is greenstage.eu, an open-access platform built by an international team to give cultural organizations the exact tools they need to go green:

• The SAPA Tool (Sustainability Assessment for the Performing Arts): Developed alongside the Wuppertal Institute, this dialogue-driven self-assessment tool helps organizations evaluate their environmental, social, economic, and cultural footprint. Using the digital SAPA Tool, teams map out their strengths, identify room for growth, and build actionable roadmaps for change.
• The Zero Waste Stage Toolbox: Say goodbye to decision fatigue! This free, comprehensive hub offers proven zero-waste strategies, downloadable material-flow tracking templates, legal guidance, and best-practice showcases to guide decision-makers through every step of transformation.

Putting Theory to the Test: The "Zero Waste Stage Labs"

The platform is officially stepping out of the digital realm and onto the live stage! Across Europe, partner organizations are launching Zero Waste Stage Labs to test these tools in real time across four major stage productions and one international festival:

• Riga (March 2026): The Latvian National Theatre kicked off the testing ground with their eco-conscious production of Rūdolfs Blaumanis’s ‘In Fire’.
• Ljubljana (Late August 2026): Production house BUNKER will transform the Mladi Levi Festival into a live lab. Beyond operating as a zero-waste event, the festival will double as an international gathering space for artists, experts, and sustainability leaders to exchange ideas.
• Vienna & Oberhausen (2026/27 Season): Volkstheater Wien (Austria) and Theater Oberhausen (Germany) will take up the torch next, integrating the SAPA process and zero-waste toolboxes directly into their upcoming production seasons.

What does "Zero Waste" mean behind the scenes?

In performing arts, zero waste means keeping materials - from costume threads to massive set designs - in continuous circulation, maximizing resource efficiency, and minimizing waste at every stage of production.

Shaping Policy for a Greener Tomorrow

Real change requires systemic support. That’s why project partners are rolling out Policy Hubs in Oberhausen, Vienna, Riga, Ljubljana, and Mantua.

These working groups bridge the gap between cultural institutions, policymakers, and public administrators. By connecting local insights to transnational strategies, the project team will culminate their efforts by drafting the Greenstage Manifesto - a unified set of policy demands driving the long-term ecological transformation of the performing arts.

Get Involved & Follow the Journey

Want to implement these free tools in your own venue or follow the journey of these zero-waste productions?

• Explore the tools at www.greenstage.eu
• Follow the project on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram for exclusive behind-the-scenes updates

Project Partners & Funding

• Lead Partner: Theater Oberhausen (on behalf of the City of Oberhausen)
• Partners: Latvian National Theatre, Volkstheater Wien, BUNKER production house, Wuppertal Institute
• Municipal & Associated Partners: City of Mantua, Cities of Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Wuppertal, Ljubljana, Riga, and Vienna
• Initiator & Application Support: NRW KULTURsekretariat

Greenstage is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.