About the Green Theatre Project

In September 2019, the Miskolc National Theatre announced its commitment to become the country's first environmentally conscious theatre institution, a so-called green, eco-conscious theatre, starting from the 2019/2020 season. In recent years, the Theatre has made its operations more sustainable in a number of areas through the initiative, with the help of its professional partners. Since then, more than 20 cultural institutions have joined the project, and the aim is to make a more sustainable approach a basic principle in the field of culture.

How can a theatre go green?
 

From 2019/2020, our theatre has set itself the goal of becoming a green theatre institution and, with its project, it wants to pass on its own experience and its path to becoming a green institution as a model for other cultural institutions committed to the environment.

We have achieved most of our objectives in just six months, on our own, without any financial support, with the advice of experts, and by following valuable examples. I think it is important to emphasise this because I believe that environmental awareness is not necessarily a function of financial support and investment - I see ingenuity, openness, and determination as a much more important factors. As well as receptiveness to thinking together and working together.

Based on my experience so far, I feel that in addition to its social impact, a more environmentally aware operation of cultural institutions can ensure their survival and artistic freedom in an increasingly difficult context and with dwindling domestic financial resources.

Our theatre has set 6 basic objectives for the Future - Green Theatre Project: such as raising awareness (both for the theatre's staff and for the audience), cooperation with professional organisations, associations, companies, and other cultural institutions, striving for environmental awareness in energy, waste management and operation, and recycling in the artistic production.

Energy efficiency:

Our goal: to achieve the smallest possible eco-footprint and carbon neutrality in the future, to strive for energy efficiency, and to make energy improvements that are specifically environmentally conscious. We are planning to introduce sensor lighting, improve insulation, develop a sustainability strategy, and - in the near future - supply hot water to our buildings entirely from renewable sources. Our long-term plans include increasing the green area of the Theatre - a possible roof garden - and the introduction of a grey water system. It is also important to replace our stage lighting fleet with LED devices as soon as possible, which could save more than 70% of energy, and to take advantage of digital solutions in design and construction. In the future, we also want to find a more environmentally friendly solution to reduce carbon emissions from the company's commuting.

Our improvements: This year, also as part of a municipal project, the heating system was upgraded by replacing the outdated gas boilers with largely geothermal sources.

Waste management:

Our aim: to minimise the Theatre's non-recyclable waste, maximise the efficiency of selective waste collection, and avoid single-use plastics in the future, we would like to give preference to use mostly electronic mail!
Improvements: (In addition to the general types of waste that can be collected separately (plastic, paper, metal), we have set up so-called collection islands for batteries, fluorescent tubes, printer ink dispensers, non-refillable bottles, and used mobile phones (in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute Hungary). We have introduced a re-cup system in the Artists' Canteen, and we now use washable make-up wipes in our hairdressing salon. Since the introduction of these improvements, our general waste has been reduced by around 5000 litres per month.

Recycling:

We aim: to make the most efficient use of our existing resources. We use the best possible resources to maximise the use of our resources. We also want to promote recycling and efficient use of textiles through our projects. In the future, we would like to promote the creation of an inter-theatre database, which would allow the exchange of supplies, sets or furniture between theatres in different parts of the country and, where appropriate, between theatres in need.

Developments: Our theatre has always sought to reuse its sets, furniture, props and costumes in as many ways as possible. We often advertise campaigns and rely on donations from our audience to purchase certain props. Our agreement with the Miskolc Reuse Centre has further expanded the possibilities for reuse (our scenic designers and props can buy furniture and props from their warehouse for pennies on the euro), and we have also partnered with the domestic design brand Nanushka, so that through their Sustainability Programme, we can make our costumes from recycled textiles.

Operations:

Our aim: to make environmental sustainability a primary consideration in the theatre's procurement and operations for its artistic projects. In the future, we will strive to reduce the use of printing and paper and to significantly reduce the use of single-use plastics. In the future, we want to introduce the use of eco-conscious hygiene products, detergents, cleaning products, garbage bags, make-up tools and hairdressing accessories as widely as possible, and reduce the number of disposable, non-degradable, environmentally harmful products. In the future, we would like to become a bird-friendly institution and increase the green area of the building.

Improvements: We have applied bird silhouette stickers to the glass surface of our office building and we are striving to use eco-hygiene and cleaning products.

Awareness raising:

The project's achievements can in themselves have an impact on everyone, whether spectator or staff member, who visits the institution. Our aim is to cooperate with environmental organisations in as many areas as possible through various actions and awareness-raising programmes. In the future, we would like to organise awareness-raising programmes for our colleagues, and to have an impact on the promotion of public transport and the reduction of meat consumption, in cooperation with the local transport company and green organisations. We plan to continue our participation in tree-planting and litter-picking activities. And we want to pass on our own experience and the path of becoming a green institution as a model for other cultural institutions committed to the environment and sustainability.

Developments: We also participated in the last Kocsonya Festival in Miskolc (200 000 visitors) and moderated thematic panel discussions, and we presented exhibitions on the harmful effects of climate change and human intervention in the exhibition hall of the theatre. As part of our cooperation with WWF Hungary, we have set up a fundraising box in our box office, which will provide an opportunity to support green causes in the future. In February 2020, we published a brochure with useful tips for a green everyday life. To mark European Waste Reduction Week, we created an awareness-raising video campaign, and for our own staff and audiences, we created two information boards in the theatre called Green Theatre Corner, which provide useful infographics on environmentally friendly practices.

Cooperation with professionals:

From the very beginning, we have been able to rely on the professional advice of our partners, with whom we have an ongoing relationship and we look forward to continuing to take every opportunity to work together. We are preparing cooperation with the Faculty of Environmental Engineering of the University of Miskolc, which will provide the professional background for the project and further opportunities for applications in the future. In one and a half years we have signed cooperation agreements with 16 associations, companies or professional organisations, and 20 national theatres and production companies have joined our project or have adopted the standard agreement we have developed. We hope that our initiative will also be an opportunity to build relationships between different partners!

Our partners:

Friends of the Earth Hungary
Greenpeace Hungary
WWF Hungary

Nanushka

Felelős Gasztrohős
Jane Goodall Institute Hungary
Hungarian Ornithological Society
Holocene Association Miskolc
Green Belt Association
Green Connection Association Miskolc
Green Action Association Miskolc
Miskolc Recycling Centre
Awake Foundation
Humus Association
10 Million Tree Foundation

Green Theatres:

Bartók Chamber Theatre, 

Latinovits Theatre of Budaörs, 

Budapest Puppet Theatre, 

Central Theatre,

Csiky Gergely Theatre Kaposvár,

Csokonai Theatre, 

Here and Now Company, 

JURÁNYI Production Community Incubator House - (FÜGE Production), 

Katona József Theatre, 

Kultkikötő, 

Manna Production,

Miskolc National Theatre, 

MU Theatre, 

Örkény István Theatre, 

Rózsavölgyi Salon, 

Studio K Theatre, 

Szeged National Theatre, 

Szentendre Theatre,

Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, 

Városmajori Open-Air Stage, 

Weöres Sándor Theatre

Successful applications:

SPAR Helping Hands programme

MagNet Bank Community Giving Programme 2020

Ministry of Human Resources - Human Resources Support Service

How to get ahead?

Miskolc National Theatre is a huge undertaking to become a green institution, so we are thinking long term and in small steps. Our goal is to find solutions in all areas of the theatre's operation that can help our environment. Future - Green Theatre Project is also an open initiative to which anyone can contribute: it can be an idea, a more efficient process, financial or material support that will make this theatre, one of the largest theatre institutions in the country, more efficient and also environmentally friendly. Our aim is that our theatre should be an example for all the theatres and cultural institutions in Hungary or elsewhere in the world, and that together we can do something for the audience of the future!

April 2021