Working Groups
Sustainable Design Working Group
This working group exists to connect theatre designers with the resources they need for more environmentally sustainable practice, to ensure designers' voices are heard in any sector-wide conversations on sustainability, and to develop any new tools and resources they may need.
What we're up to
Materials Guide
We have been researching and testing sustainable materials to provide practical information that helps designers find greener alternatives that work for them creatively and ecologically. We are very excited to announce that this has been brought together in a new guide. It has been created by volunteers, mainly practising designers, who’ve researched and tested materials and created a set of fact sheets. If you’d like to write about a material that’s not yet included, please get in touch.
The SBTD Guide to Sustainable Materials is available to read and download for free at the link here
Citing the Guide:
Bibliography: Society of British Theatre Designers. “A Guide to Sustainable Materials for Theatre Design, 2025.” Accessed [insert date]. https://www.theatredesign.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/A-Guide-to-Sustainable-Materials-for-Theatre-Design.pdf.
Citation Notes: “A Guide to Sustainable Materials for Theatre Design, 2025,” Society of British Theatre Designers, accessed [insert date], https://www.theatredesign.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/A-Guide-to-Sustainable-Materials-for-Theatre-Design.pdf.
Carbon Literacy
Our Carbon Literacy course is accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project and is specifically developed for theatre designers, including directors, production managers, and other creative collaborators. Using discussion, games, and design challenges, the course offers suggestions and provocations for creating a more sustainable way of working, from the studio through to opening night. The course was piloted at the National Theatre and is now being delivered in collaboration with various venues around the UK. We aim to offer discounted places to members of our sister organisations and unaffiliated practitioners, as well as SBTD members.
Please keep an eye on the SBTD newsletter or social media for news of upcoming courses in your area, and if you are a company, collective, or organisation that would like to host a course, please get in touch.
Sustainable Scenes Studios
These are online meetings for SBTD members and their colleagues, in which we hear from guest speakers or look at past and current projects to identify lessons learned, address problems, and visualise future solutions. Join the mailing list to hear about these.
Green Riders
A subgroup has been formed to review what should be included in designers’ contracts. Green riders are a current conversation across the sector, and it’s essential that designers have a voice in it. It will assess what’s already available and what designers need, make recommendations, and potentially develop an SBTD-approved green rider text. Get in touch if you’d like to join.
Green Map
We are developing a collaborative ‘green map’ of sustainable resources and initiatives in the UK. Please share anything you’d like to see added, Iff you’d like to get involved with creating the map, you have to create a personal account first, then let us know, and we can add you to the SBTD team.
Building networks
We have provided speakers for many industry events, including World Stage Design, the ABTT Theatre Show, OISTAT World Congress and The National Theatre’s Making Theatre Green event. We contributed to the initial research behind The Theatre Green Book and have participated in numerous industry-wide conversations, ensuring the designers’ voices are heard. We also co-hosted Makers and Designers Assemble with Footprint Scenery, Ecostage and Theatre Green Captains at the National Theatre.
Global Voices video archive
This collaboration with Ecostage is a video archive that showcases how performing arts practitioners and their communities have been affected by different aspects of the current environmental crises, including changes to the socio-political and economic landscape. New entries are welcome.
Ecostage
We support the work of our sister project, Ecostage. A re-envisioning of the 2015 ‘Ecostage Pledge’, Ecostage is an initiative founded by theatre designers that offers practical, creative ideas to green up practices in the performing arts, including the Ecostage Guiding Principles, the Ecostage Pledge, The Ecostage Framework for project planning, case studies, workshops, resources and a growing global community.
Be a part of it
Please sign up for our mailing list to hear about meetings and events, or contact us using the form below if you’d like to know more or get involved.
Links
Useful links
Here are some key sector initiatives. We recommend Ecostage’s Resources page for a longer, searchable list.
The SBTD Guide to Sustainable Materials
c(r)eate – A collaborative online platform giving circular life to materials for the arts industry
Contact us to find out more about the Sustainable Design Working Group
If you would like further information on this group please send us a message here: