Sustainable practice in theatrical lighting design: a designer’s perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT The climate crisis that we currently face requires that all industries look inward to examine how they can become more sustainable. Within the arts and live entertainment industry, there is a growing movement towards sustainability that mainly explores the material resources used in set, props and costume. This article identifies a need to examine sustainable practices that apply to the more technical disciplines of theatre, such as lighting design. The focus of this research is to investigate how stage lighting can increase sustainable practice and how technical design can move away from the idea of sustainability as a limitation, instead using sustainability as a source of inspiration by employing an eco-creative approach. This article combines the reflections of a group of lighting professionals working in Melbourne/Naarm with examples from practice-led research to identify opportunities and obstacles for pursuing sustainability. This research offers access points to begin examining how lighting and technical design can be audited for sustainability, and areas of focus that can increase eco-creativity. The ultimate aim of this article is to suggest approaches to performance lighting that benefit live production while also caring for the environment.