NIDA Green is an environmental sustainability strategy that is actively supporting the National Institute of Dramatic Art (based in Sydney, Australia) in achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and plans to equip new generations of industry practitioners with the sustainability skills and practices to create positive change in their future workplaces across Australia and globally. NIDA Green is our roadmap to achieving environmentally sustainable outcomes across all of NIDA’s curriculum, student productions, building infrastructure and operations. It is the result of extensive consultation with staff and students, industry practitioners and international partners. NIDA Green has a committed group of volunteer staff and students who meet regularly to discuss and then action what can be achieved on our Sydney campus as a Green Team. Our student-led productions use Theatre Green Book standards as their baseline, and all production students are learning to track their materials, record their actions and share knowledge around more sustainable ways to do things with each other. Our Facilities and Operations staff are constantly looking for less carbon intensive and more ecologically sound ways of operating the buildings and theatres. Our Executive team place Environmental Sustainability high up on their agenda when planning for the future of NIDA as a leader in the performing arts.

NIDA began its formal journey towards ecological awareness in 2020, when our [then new] CEO Liz Hughes placed environmental sustainability as one of the key organisational pillars NIDA was to be based on, as well as First Nations First, Diversity and Inclusion. Since then NIDA has included all staff and students in its plans to become carbon neutral by 2030, and has been embedding environmentally sustainable philosophies and practices across the entire curriculum.

NIDA offers over 11 courses at a tertiary level; incl Design, Properties, SFX, Costume, Scenic Construction, Directing, Acting, Musical Performance, Technical Theatre, Lighting, Sound, Video, Cultural Leadership and Writing. From 2023 onwards, environmental sustainability and ecological awareness is being written into our multi-faceted teaching methods, student learning outcomes and assessments.

We want to be part of the big changes ahead in our industry sector, by helping to train the future story-tellers and creators. We still have much to learn on this environmental sustainability journey as well as share what we have already learnt. Collaboration is a key factor in our leadership.