Theatre Green Book Programme – A Path to Sustainable Theatre: Irish Edition
The Theatre Green Book began as a collective initiative by theatre-makers in the UK and has grown to involve theatre-makers across the world. Co-founders, Renew Culture, have expanded the resource into an international movement of Theatre Green Book networks, who translate the Theatre Green Book, adapt it to their practice, and share their expertise with theatre-makers across the world.
Since the Theatre Green Book, led by Paddy Dillon and Lisa Burger, came out in 2021, networks all over the world, encompassing all varieties of theatre, opera and dance, have joined this collective initiative.
We’re learning, together, to make theatre sustainable. We’re learning how to share that progress with our partners and audiences.
The Irish version of the Theatre Green Book, adapted by CatrĂona Fallon from Green Arts Initiative in Ireland, supported by SinĂ©ad Wallace and Mike O’Halloran, is now available below, and provides a roadmap for creating more sustainable productions in Ireland at every level, from Basic to Net Zero.
Developed in collaboration with sustainability experts and theatre professionals, this guidebook is designed to help you reduce your environmental impact while maintaining creative excellence.
Training
Performing Arts Forum & Green Arts Initiative in Ireland are delighted to have collaborated with CCI Skillnet to offer a Theatre Green Book training series specifically tailored for Independent Production Companies, Freelance Producers, Production Managers, Freelance Directors, and Designers.
This free online training was led by Sinéad Wallace and introduced the Theatre Green Book’s principles and practices, helping you transform your productions into more sustainable ones.
A summary of these training sessions that took place in November 2024 can be found in the videos below:
Operations Training
Productions Training
Theatre Green Book: Founders
Paddy Dillon
Paddy Dillon is the co-founder and director of the Theatre Green Book, an initiative for sustainability in theatre that has transformed the sector and become recognised as a global standard for sustainability. He is known internationally as a leader and advocate for theatre sustainability, and has promoted theatre sustainability across the world, speaking at conferences from Bogota to Bergamo.
From 2015 to 2021 Paddy was trustee of the UK’s Theatres Trust, serving as deputy chair and interim chair. He currently chairs ITEAC, the ABTT’s international theatre conference, which he has transformed into a global initiative with events across East Asia, Europe and South America.
Paddy is also an award-winning theatre architect, responsible for the regeneration of the National Theatre, in London, alongside many other projects. Paddy is author of nine books, including a children’s history of architecture. He is an experienced broadcaster and journalist.
Lisa Burger
Lisa Burger CBE is one of the most respected strategic leaders in the arts. Until spring 2022 she was Joint Chief Executive and Executive Director of the UK’s National Theatre, where the key achievements of her career included the development and launch of NT Live tobroadcast work from leading UK theatres into cinemas around the world.
During the Covid pandemic, she created NT at Home, a free on-line product which reached a worldwide audience of 10m, and has now developed into a commercial subscriber service.  In the course of the pandemic, she was instrumental in helping develop the UK government’s support package for the arts.
Lisa co-founded Renew Culture and the Theatre Green Book in 2020. With unparalleled experience of theatre, both in the UK and internationally, she has specialised in resilience, commercial strength and sustainable growth. She is a Trustee of Historic Royal Palaces and of the Royal Opera House and has previously Chaired the Lyric Hammersmith.
Lisa’s work in theatre has been recognised with a special Olivier award, a CBE and an Honorary Doctorate.
Theatre Green Book: Irish Edition
CatrĂona Fallon
CatrĂona Fallon has worked in the Irish arts sector for three decades in venue management, visual arts, festivals, and more latterly in sustainability and climate action. With Theatre Forum, she is the co-founder of the Green Arts Initiative in Ireland which has been responsible for: The Greening Venues Pilot Project 2020-2021, the Greening Arts Centres Project 2021-22, and the Greener Touring Project 2022-23. CatrĂona was Project Manager of a Creative Climate Action project with Dingle Hub, Corca Dhuibhne Inbhuanaithe – A Creative Imagining, (2021-22) on the Dingle Peninsula. CatrĂona (along with JBEU and Native Events) is currently supporting the roll out of the Arts Council’s Climate Action & Environmental Policy and Creative Ireland’s Climate Action projects. She is committed to supporting community engagement on climate change as the Treasurer of Kerry Sustainable Energy Co-op, the Secretary of the West Kerry Dairy Farmers’ Sustainable Energy Community and a member of Transition Kerry.
Sinead Wallace
Sinéad Wallace is an award-winning freelance lighting designer and teaches Lighting Design on the MFA in Stage Design at The Lir Academy. Sinéad has been working in Sustainable Theatre making for 3 years and has developed The Lir Academy’s Sustainability policy and Action Plan, as well as working as Sustainability Lead for their first two Theatre Green Book productions. She has been certified Carbon Literate by the Carbon Literacy Project and has completed their Train the Trainer programme. She received a Climate Leadership Award from Trinity College in 2024 for her work at The Lir Academy. Sinéad is currently completing Trinity College’s Micro-credential in Climate Leadership.
Mike O'Halloran
Mike began working professionally in theatre in 2005, having previously worked as a 35mm and digital projectionist. He has worked as Production Manager, technician and designer for various companies in Ireland. Mike is also a board member of the Association of Irish Stage Technicians where he currently acts as Treasurer. He has been a Technical Officer at University of Galway Drama Department since 2017 and is continually inspired by the creativity and dedication displayed by students there. Since 2021, the Department staff and students have been using the Theatre Green Book as a core text when planning productions at the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance.