The Living Stage: A Case Study in EcoScenography
Tanja Beer
Abstract
The rising global consciousness of environmental degradation brings with it an opportunity to rethink current practices in cultural sectors. In the performing arts, many design methods have little regard for their environmental impact, and are largely unsustainable. This paper will discuss the application of ecological design for performance, with a focus on The Living Stage; a project that explores the potential of ecological strategies to influence the creative process, and deliver new modes of artistic expression. A centrepiece of the 2013 Castlemaine State Festival (Australia), The Living Stage combined stage design, permaculture and community engagement to create a recyclable, biodegradable and edible performance space. The paper has been written to accompany a film on The Living Stage and reveals how the project was achieved through the application of Sim Van der Ryn and Stuart Cowen’s ecological design principles. Moving beyond recycling and efficiency, this enquiry poses a more radical question: ‘Can we create designs that not only enrich our audience, but our community and environment as well?’
The rising global consciousness of environmental degradation brings with it an opportunity to rethink current practices in cultural sectors. In the performing arts, many design methods have little regard for their environmental impact, and are largely unsustainable. This paper will discuss the application of ecological design for performance, with a focus on The Living Stage; a project that explores the potential of ecological strategies to influence the creative process, and deliver new modes of artistic expression. A centrepiece of the 2013 Castlemaine State Festival (Australia), The Living Stage combined stage design, permaculture and community engagement to create a recyclable, biodegradable and edible performance space. The paper has been written to accompany a film on The Living Stage and reveals how the project was achieved through the application of Sim Van der Ryn and Stuart Cowen’s ecological design principles. Moving beyond recycling and efficiency, this enquiry poses a more radical question: ‘Can we create designs that not only enrich our audience, but our community and environment as well?’
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