Green Theatre
TAHI New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance acknowledges that we must work to preserve the sustainability of our planet. TAHI is committed to improving and promoting sustainable practices in theatre events and festivals. Our hope is to become leaders in improving environmental sustainability in the arts.
TAHI aspires to minimise its impact on the environment and maximise the effective use of our resources. We hope to achieve this by increasing communication and awareness of our efforts and fostering responsible environmental behaviour amongst members of our board, staff and artists.
Key Initiatives:
TAHI is committed to finding ways to work towards environmental sustainability and using our festival as a platform to advocate for better practices.
Transport
We encourage audiences, artists and staff members to use public transport when possible - please refer to Metlink for public transport options
When public transport is not available, we encourage carpooling within our team
Digital
Our programmes and tickets are available via QR code to minimise printing
Consumables
Our technical team is using reusable consumables where possible. For example, using velcro straps instead of gaffer tape, or mats to cover cables rather than taping them down.
We are working on sharing technical resources across all programming.
Sourcing
We are sourcing sustainable materials for merchandise and consider where materials are sourced from and working on sustainable procurement for the festival
TAHI sources hospitality from sustainable organisations
Communication
We will communicate successes, results and resources with our partners, including other festivals.
Green Theatre Panel
In 2023 we held a panel on Green Theatre in Aotearoa at the Playmarket office. We discussed green theatre tips and tricks as well as using resources to track and calculate your carbon footprint. Watch the archived video of this session here!
Festival director Sally Richards talks with Hannah Smith and Ralph McCubbin Howell from Trick of the Light Theatre Company, Track Zero’s Sarah Mead and Kena Duignan from Wellington City Council about sustainable practices and ways to make green theatre a priority in Aotearoa. .
Sustainability Hui
In 2022, we held a sustainability hui in collaboration with the Sustainability Trust - presented as part of the 2022 TAHI Festival. The session was attended by the TAHI team, artists and venue representatives. This archived video acts as a shared resource for other venues moving forward
At TAHI, we understand that this process will not be instantaneous and that it will take a bit of trial and error to get our minimisation policies and practices in place. We are committed to improving and promoting sustainable practice in theatre events and festivals and will update our policy as we continue our sustainability journey.
Sustainable Practice
TAHI - New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance is committed to improving and promoting sustainable practice in theatre events and festivals. In 2021 we began our consultation with Sustainability Trust to create guidelines which we can begin to implement and measure.
Glossary of useful terms:
Greenwashing: when the sustainability of a product is exaggerated or falsely represented.
Environmental footprint: the effect that a person, item, or company has on the environment.
Sustainable: the capacity to endure in a relatively ongoing way – in this context, whether humans can continue to co-exist with the natural environment.
Procurement: the action of obtaining or buying something.
Carbon offsetting: compensating for carbon dioxide emissions by participating (usually monetarily) in schemes that make equivalent reductions of carbon dioxide.
