How Operas Are Going Green

One of them is La Scala, in Milan, which will install solar panels on the roof of its new office tower in December 2022 while further digitizing operations to cut back on an estimated 10 tons of paper per year.

In Britain, a hub of cultural initiatives to combat the climate crisis, Opera North in Leeds has been working to reduce its carbon footprint since 2018.

The pandemic has made environmental consciousness a more urgent and passionate issue.

The theater, which has since 2017 hosted the Green Carpet Fashion Awards celebrating sustainable design, is pursuing the same agenda in its costume department by asking designers to work with recyclable fabric.

The issue of employing local artists is also a hot topic, given both the effects of Britain’s exit from the European Union and growing climate awareness.

On a more abstract level, freshly commissioned stage works have raised awareness.

Opera North has provided “carbon literacy training” to its staff members and, starting Tuesday, it will begin offering the workshops to the general public as online courses.

…Read the full story