GREEN TOURING

A group of sixteen diverse people - arts workers - are posed closely together, smiling and looking directly at the camera. They stand in front of a rustic wooden panel wall. Most are wearing name tags.

The Green Circle

Arts on Tour and Theatre Green Book Australia (TGBA) have partnered to deliver The Green Circle, an initiative to support leading theatre and dance organisations to adopt environmentally sustainable practices, facilitated by TGBA’s Grace Nye-Butler.

In 2025, the initiative provided a support and knowledge framework to a Circle of companies including Sydney Dance Company, Bell Shakespeare, Griffin Theatre Company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre, Performing Lines and Monkey Baa. The goal of participants was to achieve ‘Baseline Standard’ of the internationally recognised and newly developed Theatre Green Book Australia Second Edition framework across their productions, operations, and buildings.

In 2026, The Green Circle is opening up as a broader initiative, inviting companies and makers to participate and contribute to a growing, collaborative sustainability community. Meeting quarterly, sessions will have a rotating host, and will provide a space to share learnings, resources, and challenges and wins! Our first meeting for 2026 will be held on Wednesday 15 April, 2:30-3:30pm (AEDT). Register via the button below to receive the link.

Join The Green Circle 2026!

If you’re interested in joining The Green Circle in 2026, we’re also running the TGBA Online Series ahead of the first meeting to give participants a foundation in the TGBA. This free, four-part series will take place each Thursday, 2-3pm from 5-26 March. Learn more here.

Four people stand on a wooden stage, smiling, with one person holding a certificate. A lectern with the words "ARTS ON TOUR" is on the left; a backdrop with logos of "ARTS ON TOUR" and "The Green Circle" is on the right.

Grace Nye-Butler (TGBA), John Colvin and Cat Studley (Bangarra Dance Theatre), and Antonia Seymour (Arts on Tour). Photo by Phil Erbacher.

WHAT IS THE GREEN CIRCLE?
The Green Circle is a practitioner-led network that brings together arts organisations to share ideas, tools, and experiences related to environmental sustainability. It provides a supportive, non-competitive environment where organisations can learn from one another, test approaches, and build confidence in applying sustainability principles across their work. The initiative is structured to support practical action, collective problem-solving, and sector-wide capacity building, with sustainability framed as an ongoing process rather than a fixed endpoint. 

“By providing a collaborative platform and a clear framework, the program equips organisations with the tools, knowledge, and motivation to implement eco-literate theatre making. Together, these companies are setting a benchmark for sustainable practice in the performing arts sector and demonstrating that systemic change is both possible and achievable.”
- Grace Nye-Butler,
Theatre Green Book Australia -

WHAT IS THE THEATRE GREEN BOOK AUSTRALIA?
The Theatre Green Book Australia is a nationally adapted framework that provides clear, evidence-informed guidance for reducing environmental impact in the performing arts. It is organised around three core chapters:

  • Sustainable Productions: guidance for reducing material use, energy consumption, and waste across the full production lifecycle.
  • Sustainable Buildings: tools for assessing and improving the environmental performance of theatre and arts infrastructure.
  • Sustainable Operations: approaches for embedding sustainability into governance, procurement, transport, and organisational culture.

“Our involvement in The Green Circle has been invaluable. Connecting with other theatre companies has expanded our insights into what’s achievable and shown us that the roadblocks we once saw to reaching baseline goals are, in fact, possible to overcome.”
- Bell Shakespeare’s Company Manager,
Danielle Ironside -

WHAT HAS THE GREEN CIRCLE ACHIEVED SO FAR?
During its first run in 2025, The Green Circle supported the original cohort of theatre and dance organisations to reach Baseline standard of the TGBA, which includes:

  • Reach two thirds of Baseline KPIs across Productions, Operations and Buildings
  • 50% of everything used in the production reused/recycled/sustainable sourced
  • 65% of everything on stage after the production reused/stored/diverted from landfill
  • Establish a Green Team
  • Communicate Green goals to internal & external stakeholders

AOT and TGBA surveyed participants and created a progress report with their findings so far from the initiative, which you can read here. Participants reported increased confidence, clearer pathways for action, and stronger cross organisational connections.

WHAT'S THE AIM FOR 2026?
The aim for The Green Circle in 2026 is to build a shared structure to motivate action and create accountability among the companies and makers. We hope to catalyse inquiry and ensure that sustainable approaches become integrated within the creative and operational life of each company/practice.

Importantly, the Theatre Green Book Australia Second Edition allows practices to be tailored to the unique needs, capacities, and business models of each organisation and practice, as we recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

GREEN CIRCLE EVENT 2025
To mark the end of the initiative, the companies came together for a Green Circle Event at Bangarra Dance Theatre on Tuesday 4 November. This Event celebrated the successes of the Green Circle companies, launched Theatre Green Book Australia Second Edition (by Grace Nye-Butler and Chris Mercer), and outlined initiatives and strategies identified by Green Circle members to support the adoption of environmentally informed practices across the performing arts sector.

Four people, two men and two women, pose for a photo with their arms around each other's shoulders, smiling at the camera, wearing name tags, and standing in front of a wood paneled wall.

Photos by Phil Erbacher

Two women speaking at a podium with "ARTS ON TOUR" displayed, one in a green top gesturing with her hands.
A woman with long black hair, wearing a floral-patterned shirt, speaking at a podium with "Arts on Tour" branding in an old wooden building, and a screen in the background displaying "Aunty Lola Ryan: Welcome to Country".
Five people standing on a wooden floor, holding a certificate and small gifts, in front of a teal banner with white text in a wood-paneled room. One woman in a red shirt and jeans holds a framed certificate. A podium with "ARTS TOUR" printed on an orange
Three people laughing together in a wooden-paneled room: a man in a blue blazer, a woman in a black and white patterned dress holding a paper, and a woman in a green top with a necklace.
A group of diverse people networking in a rustic wooden interior, at an event, with a table bearing pastries in the foreground.
Two men and three women standing together, posing with an award, in an old wood-paneled building for an Arts on Tour event. A podium with "ARTS ON TOUR" is visible in the foreground. In the background a sign for "The Green Circle".
Five people sit on wooden stools on a rustic wooden floor, participating in a panel discussion titled "The Green Circle". The person on the right is speaking into a microphone, and the others sit listening.
A panel discussion with four people seated on high wooden stools, facing an audience seated on chairs in a large open space with wooden floors and expansive windows.
A smiling man in a blue blazer and a woman in a pink top, both wearing name tags that say "Theatre Green Book Australia", posing together in front of a rustic wooden wall.
Four people standing together and smiling in front of a screen displaying the words "Arts on Tour" and "The Green Circle". They are dressed in smart casual attire. The background has wooden and red walls.
A woman with long blonde hair and a floral shirt speaks into a microphone at a podium displaying the words "ARTS ON TOUR" during a presentation, with a man in a navy blazer to her left and a woman in a tan top standing to her right.
Three people seated and speaking at a panel discussion; a woman holding a microphone and speaking, another woman smiling, and a man to her right listening. They are all wearing name tags.

KEY INFO

The Green Circle is a joint initiative of Arts on Tour and Theatre Green Book Australia (TGBA) supporting leading performing arts organisations to adopt environmentally sustainable practices.

In 2026, we are opening our doors!
Meeting quarterly, online
Meeting 1: Wed 15 April, 2:30-3:30pm
Register via the button below:

Join The Green Circle 2026!

Learn more about TGBA below:

Theatre Green Book Australia

Read AOT and TGBA's progress report with their findings so far from the initiative:

Green Circle Report 2025
( 86.3 KB .pdf file )