An Introduction to the Practical Ecodesign Guide for the Performing Arts

  • DATE: February 9 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT
  • FEE: FREE Members
  • VENUE: PACT Zoom
  • ACCESS: Automated captions
  • OPEN TO: Members & Collegues
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This introductory session presents a practical, action-oriented guide designed to help artists and performing arts organizations reduce their environmental impact while strengthening their social impact without compromising artistic vision, budgets, or timelines.

 

About the session:

 

Created for professionals working in theatre, dance, circus, and related disciplines, the guide offers accessible and immediately applicable strategies for integrating ecodesign and ecoresponsibility across all stages of production. From design and sourcing to materials, energy use, and production processes, the guide supports creative teams in rethinking how work is made, not just what is made.
 
The performing arts play a powerful role in shaping cultural values and public imagination. As our sector navigates ecological transition amid limited resources and time pressures, many of us are asking the same questions:
 
  • How can we adopt ecoresponsible practices in a way that respects artistic intent?
  • What actions create real impact within the realities of production schedules and budgets?
  • How can we become agents of change within our organizations and communities?

 

This session introduces concrete actions you can take right now to reduce your environmental footprint and enhance the social impact of your work. The guide is designed to motivate teams, encourage dialogue between producers and designers, and provide tools that support lasting, practical change.
 
Participants will gain an overview of the guide’s two-part structure:
  • Part One explores pathways toward becoming an ecoresponsible organization, outlining recommended initiatives and methods for implementing ecodesign at key stages of production.
  • Part Two offers clear reference sheets organized by profession and theme, summarizing targeted actions and tools to support implementation in day-to-day practice.
By attending this session, participants will deepen their understanding of ecodesign concepts, explore inspiring examples from the field, and learn how to integrate ecodesign tools into their creative and organizational processes.
 
Creativity is one of our sector’s greatest assets, and this guide positions it as a driving force for building a more sustainable and socially just future.
 
This session is hosted by Marianne Lavoie from Écoscéno and will be presented in English.
 
A link to the guide featured in the session can be found here.
 

Who this session is for:

  • Management teams
  • Production teams
  • Technical teams
  • Communications teams
  • Designers
  • Artists, craftspeople, and cultural workers
  • Students and educators
Whether you are just beginning to explore ecoresponsible practices or looking to strengthen existing initiatives, this session offers practical guidance, shared language, and actionable tools to support meaningful change in the performing arts.
 

About the session leader:

Marianne Lavoie
Marianne is currently completing a master's degree in environmental design, specializing in regenerative approaches, at UQAM. She obtained a bachelor's degree in theater design from Concordia in 2019, during which time she participated in an exchange program at the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires. She now heads Écoscéno's ecodesign division, where she is responsible for creating guides and tools, as well as providing training and support in ecodesign to professionals of the cultural sector and in schools across Quebec. Invited to numerous conferences and round tables on ecodesign and the regenerative approach, her role is to develop and promote a bold vision to accelerate the sector's socio-ecological transition. The regenerative approach is at the heart of her vision, aiming for co-evolution with ecosystems and revitalizing communities. She advocates for solutions rooted in reality in order to bring about systemic change, emphasizing the generation of abundance and long-term positive impacts rather than solely reducing negative impacts.
 
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