Join NIDA Green for an inspiring conversation with industry professionals and researchers exploring the evolution of sustainable practice in the performing arts.

When: Friday 30 October 

Where: NIDA Theatres, Luminis, 215 Anzac Parade, Kensington

Running time: Guest arrival at 12:45 pm for a 1:00 pm start time 

RSVP: Free event. RSVP essential via button below.

Hear from leaders working at the forefront of sustainability as we reflect on the progress made so far, consider the challenges ahead, and explore how theatre makers can collectively shape a more sustainable future for Australia’s creative industries.

Session 1

Special guest Dr Tanja Beer, author of Ecoscenography: An Introduction to Ecological Design for Performance, and Co-director of the Performance and Ecology Research Lab  [P+ERL] will join NIDA’s Learning and Innovation team discussing the vital role that cultural institutions can play in the climate crisis.

Session 2

Antonia Seymour from Arts on Tour joins Chris Mercer from Theatre Green Book Australia to discuss key learnings from the newly established Green Circle.

Session 3

 Dr Suzanne Osmond hosts a much-needed storage conversation with Suzy Carter from Hero Frock Hire and Hazel Fisher from STC on what long-term sustainable asset management systems in the future might look like.

Session 4

Afternoon tea will be followed by a fascinating Research Presentation Seminar in collaboration with Griffith University featuring Ashish Sharma (Brisbane/Delhi), Penny Challen (Brisbane), Hiroko Oshima (UK/Tokyo) and Imogen Ross (Wollongong/Brisbane), who will share new perspectives on environmental sustainability, creativity and the future of our industry. 

All sessions will include time for Q&A.

Special Guest Speakers

Dr Tanja Beer

Dr Tanja Beer is an Associate Professor in Design at Griffith University, co-founder of the Performance + Ecology Research Lab, and author of Ecoscenography. A performance designer and theatre maker, her interdisciplinary research explores ecological design, regenerative placemaking and the role of the arts in responding to the climate crisis. She is passionate about supporting the next generation of theatre artists to become ecological design thinkers.

Antonia Seymour

Antonia is an arts leader living and working on Gadigal land. She has a rich knowledge of the performing arts sector and the national touring landscape and is passionate about the transformative impact of arts experiences. As the Executive Director of Arts on Tour, she is committed to adopting low emission touring models and providing resources such as the award-winning Green Touring Toolkit to support a sector-wide transition to low emission practices.

Chris Mercer

Chris has a broad range of experience across arts, culture and the built environment. He is currently Managing Director at Aboriginal-owned design and advisory company Yerrabingin and co-founder of Theatre Green Book Australia with Dr Grace Nye-Butler. He is passionate about the role the arts and the built environment can play in building meaningful relationships between people and cultures, and fostering a shared responsibility for a sustainable future.

Hiroko Oshima

Hiroko Oshima is a scenographer, PhD researcher and director of Image Nation Green, a Japanese NGO she co-founded in 2024. With over 130 stage productions to her name, she is researching sustainable materials for scenography through a UKRI-funded PhD at Lancaster University and has translated the Theatre Green Book into Japanese.

Ashish Kumar Sharma

Ashish Kumar Sharma is a PhD candidate at Griffith University and a member of the Performance and Ecologies Research Lab (P+ERL) within CARI. With over 13 years of professional experience in lighting and scenography, his research focuses on sustainable and culturally responsive approaches to lighting, and he currently serves as Postgraduate Representative for ScenoLab Australia.

Penny Challen

Penny Challen is a theatre maker, designer, and NIDA graduate (2001). Penny has worked extensively in the UK and Australia. She is a PhD candidate at P+ERL, Griffith University, researching ways for set production in Australian industry contexts to be more ecologically sustainable.

Hero image: NIDA Production. Photography by Joseph Mayer.