Though not strictly ‘design’ focused, I want to share information about the recently released Culture for Climate: a preliminary study into how Australian performing arts organisations are responding to the global environmental crisis report, which I peer reviewed last month for the newly-formed Performance and Ecology Research Lab [P+ERL] based at Griffith University in QLD.

The Climate for Culture report aims to celebrate examples of best practice and demonstrate that sustainability is not only possible for Australian theatre companies to embed, but incredibly beautiful and inspiring as well. P+ERL began their research well before the Australian Government released its landmark National Cultural Policy—Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place in January 2023 but now reads as an astute response to environmental sustainability being completely absent within the government’s paper. Its team of authors plan to use the information they gathered in Culture for Climate to leverage a stronger commitment to sustainability in the Arts and within our public education systems.

Many APDG members have created work with the companies that P+ERL has profiled. It was exciting to read a report that deep dives into the sustainability ethos of over 15 different performance companies across Australia, representing a broad spectrum of environmental initiatives, diverse forms, budgets and audience reach.

The report is an interesting read and very easy to digest, despite initially appearing lengthy. Certainly more entertaining than the National Cultural Policy. I suggest a big cup of tea and a slice of carrot cake will aid reading – that strategy worked well for me!