About

Ecostage is a grassroots initiative and website that provides a framework, tools and resources for embedding practice-based ecological thinking at all stages of our creative processes and scales of production. It launched at COP26 and has been involved in international conversations including hosting a workshop at World Stage Design and developing the Global Voices video archive. We see ourselves as part of a broader movement towards social and environmental justice in the performing arts sector that recognises accountability for the Global North’s impact on the climate crisis.

The Seven Ecostage Principles are designed to bring together creativity, sustainability, Nature connection, well-being and social activism. We are developing a set of free, easy-to-use guides to the principles to read online or download, and apply to practice. You can pledge to the principles and help generate momentum for sector-wide change.

The website includes inspirational case studies, resources, a glossary and a reading list, as well as hosting an industry-wide network of practitioners. The Ecostage team offers online and in-person workshops, talks and consultancies to explore the principles in practice.

Power of Pledging

Anyone can pledge to the Seven Ecostage Principles and help generate collective momentum for sector-wide transformation. Once you’ve pledged you can create a profile on our community page. You will receive the Ecostage Pledge Stamp for use on websites, documentation and correspondence as a declaration of intent and to inspire others. Pledgers are invited to write case studies, contributing to a growing online archive of inspiring and informative stories.

Ecostage answers a need for shared, intersecting principles and joint objectives that can be applied from the outset. It highlights the importance of taking collective action to radically reposition the sector.

Take action. Help to build a movement of ecologically-aware performance makers.

Whether or not we are making work with an environmental or social focus, our creative practices are situated in the rapidly transforming age of the Anthropocene, and the stories we tell are part of an overarching ecological narrative. Ecostage stands for a paradigm shift promoting a holistic approach to creating work.

The initiative draws on, amongst other things, ecology, models of sustainability, well-being practices, imagination, traditional and local knowledge, permaculture, ecoscenography and social activism.

Ecostage aims to embed ecological thinking at the heart of creative practice, inspire and deliver change, and foster ecological regeneration by:

• Cultivating a holistic approach to making and sharing work that recognises the interconnectivity between creativity, ecology, and well-being.
• Empowering people to engage with advocacy and activism, celebrating the small steps and longer leaps, whilst holding the bigger vision.
• Building the Ecostagers Community to foster mutual support, collective activism and creative collaboration.
• Facilitating a place for exchange and shared learning through resources, case studies and workshops.
• Supporting practical application of the Seven Ecostage Principles as a framework for project planning from start to legacy.
• Promoting the power of the Ecostage Pledge to generate collective momentum.
• Challenging current measures of success to include the way in which work is created, such as fair pay, calculating our carbon footprint and incorporating the ‘cradle to cradle’ model.
• Celebrating the aesthetic range and diversity of sustainably-produced work.