NIDA commissioned a case study of the student production Blood Wedding in October 2022 to draw insights into the attitudes, behaviours, challenges and opportunities related to transitioning towards sustainable practices. The study also aimed to develop a high-level estimate of the production’s carbon footprint. The creative and production teams behind Blood Wedding reduced the potential carbon footprint by 45%.
Case Study – Blood Wedding
Carbon Footprint Calculation
October 2022
A key pillar of the NIDA Green Plan is to deliver ‘green’ productions by putting theory into practice and changing the way we create and produce creative works. Aiming to gather insights into the attitudes, behaviours, challenges and opportunities related to sustainable production practices, NIDA commissioned a case study of the student production of Blood Wedding in October 2022.
A carbon emissions footprint was also calculated to better understand the environmental impact of live productions. The footprint was calculated based on data provided by NIDA staff and students. As this was the first time NIDA had undertaken such production data collection, we have been on a steep learning curve, and the valuable insights have informed our processes going forward. The emissions factors were sourced from the National Greenhouse Accounts Factors (2022).
When surveyed about how much the Blood Wedding production team might reduce the carbon footprint without extra time or budget, the majority of respondents estimated a 30% reduction, with one respondent citing as low as 10% and none anticipating more than 50% reduction.
Initiatives designed to support the ‘greening’ of Blood Wedding included a sustainability workshop, production team discussion, a student survey both before and after production, data collection and an end-of-life plan.
The Blood Wedding production footprint was lowered by 45% by using recycled or reused materials. Notably, this included the reuse of staging items such as rostra, scenery and prop elements from previous productions.
| Department | Actual production footprint of new items (KgCo2e) | Footprint of stock /re-used items (KgCo2e) | Potential production footprint if all items were new(KgCo2e) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | 1044 | 3404 | 4488 |
| Properties & Objects | 830 | 170 | 1000 |
| Costume | 140 | 4 | 144 |
| Production SM | 93 | 0 | 93 |
| LX/AV | 2253 | 0 | 2253 |
| Transport | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| TOTAL | 4378 | 3578 | 7956 |
| 55% | 45% | 100% |
Engagement with staff and students highlighted a strong desire to not only transition towards sustainable practices but to also play a leadership role in supporting the transition of the broader performing arts industry.
“We know that we can make a difference in the world without damaging it. We know that we can lead an industry capable of change while maintaining high standards of theatre-making. We know that we can follow a long tradition and live in harmony with the environment while attaining our goals, and we’re proud that NIDA also believes in this, and can support our learning by investing in our practice and our leadership.”
– Scott Cleggett
NIDA Technical Theatre and Stage Management Student (2022)
