Great news! The CIRCLE-T partnership has released the Methodological Guide – a key publication that lays the groundwork for greener, more circular theatre-making. This guide is the first major intellectual output of the project and was shaped collaboratively by theatre educators, designers, and sustainability experts across Ireland, Greece and Poland.
Why this guide matters
Theatre often focuses on artistic vision but overlooks its environmental footprint – from discarded sets to single-use costumes. CIRCLE-T was created to challenge this status quo by embedding circular economy thinking in the earliest stages of creative work. The guide empowers youth theatre practitioners, early-career designers, and educators to rethink materials, production cycles, and collaboration models for a lower-waste, climate-conscious future.
How it was created
Instead of a purely academic study, the consortium combined three strands of work:
- Research & analysis – mapping circular economy best practices within and beyond the performing arts.
- Field visits & interviews – learning directly from theatres, festivals and sustainability pioneers such as Teatr Syrena’s Eko Syrena initiative and Native Events in Ireland.
- Co-design with practitioners – youth theatre members, early-career designers and a review board shaped the content to make it relevant and actionable.
This process ensured the final guide is both conceptually solid and practically useful for rehearsals and production teams.
What’s inside
The publication offers:
- A shared vocabulary for sustainability in theatre.
- Step by step recommendations for integrating reuse, repair, and recycling in scenography and costume design.
- National and international case studies to inspire local adaptation.
- Practical frameworks for upskilling teams and embedding sustainable choices into planning and budgeting
The guide is modular and it is a resource you can consult whether you’re designing your first eco-set or rethinking a whole training programme.
Who should read it
- Youth theatre leaders and educators looking to integrate green skills into workshops and productions.
- Emerging designers and scenographers seeking hands-on strategies for low-impact stagecraft.
- Cultural organisations & VET institutions wanting to modernise training with sustainability at its core.
- Policy-makers and funders exploring how to support circularity in the arts sector.
Next steps for CIRCLE-T
The guide is only the first building block. It will feed into the upcoming CIRCLE-T Game, Training Guide, and Know-How Toolkit, expanding from methodology to interactive learning and ready-to-use resources for theatres and schools.
Access the guide
The CIRCLE-T Methodological Guide is available for free in English, Greek and Polish. Visit the Guide’s page to explore the publication!