The eco-responsible opera production of 2040

Closing conference Around 'Cassandra'

Faced with energy and climate challenges, profound and systemic changes are needed at all levels of society. Opera and cultural institutions can and must contribute to this transformation. If we look to the future, what kind of creative and environmentally responsible shows will be staged in 2040? What is the performing arts sector currently doing to reduce its CO2 emissions? How much progress have the actors of change made and how can they act? This conference-debate will present some innovative initiatives and will analyse the steps that need to be taken to carry out a radical transformation of current work practices.

The conference will be hosted by Julie Morelle, journalist at RTBF, with the following speakers:

• David Irle is an independent eco-advisor for the cultural sector. He supports professional cultural workers, in particular in the performing arts industry, in moving towards a low-carbon, inclusive and sustainable organisational model. He is co-author of the book Décarboner la culture, a reference work on the carbon footprint of culture.
• Designer Laurine Schott is the founder of SLAU, a studio specialising in ecological transition and social innovation. Her practice focuses on design as a tool for society, a vehicle for critical questioning and discussion. Laurine is currently coordinating a project to standardise the structural elements of sets, instigated by the Collectif 17h25 (La Monnaie, Opéra de Lyon, Opéra de Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence)
• Tom De Clercq and Dirk Crommelinck work at NTGent, one of the partners of the European S.T.A.G.E.S project. This theatrical experiment brings together 14 theatres in Europe in search of an answer to the question: ‘How can we continue our work while reducing our ecological impact?’ In this context, NTGent has taken a number of initiatives, including the creation of a show on the climate crisis, A Play For The Living in a Time of Extinction, which refuses to go on tour and is instead staged in a new production in each new venue by a local team.