Kitija Balcare to lead workshop on sustainable practices in the performing arts

The European Climate Pact, in cooperation with the Latvian National Theatre, is continuing the work launched last year to promote sustainable practices in the performing arts. One of the workshops in the event series will be led by Kitija Balcare, a researcher at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia.

In September and October 2025, a series of events was organised featuring three creative workshops in which performing arts students, professionals and representatives of cultural organisations, guided by experts, gained knowledge of circular economy principles and their application in creative practice. The series also led to the establishment of an informal network of professionals united by an interest in ecotheatre and the integration of environmentally sustainable practices into artistic creation, with the long-term aim of developing common sustainability guidelines.

This year, the event series “Sustainable Creative Practice in the Performing Arts” will take place on 5, 6, 7 and 8 October, from 12:30 to 15:30, in close cooperation with the Latvian Academy of Culture.

The series will open with visual dramaturg Reinis Dzudzilo, who will reflect on his artistic practice, with a particular focus on last season’s zero-waste production Ugunī at the Latvian National Theatre. The theoretical workshop will be led by Kitija Balcare (PhD, researcher at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia and European Climate Pact Ambassador), who will provide an introduction to the origins and diverse strands of ecotheatre, various artistic strategies, and approaches to creating ecoscenography.

The practical session will be led by visual artist Pamela Butāne, who will explore together with participants how limited resources can stimulate creativity, how existing materials can be given a new life in a different context, and how nature can serve as a source of inspiration. The reflection session and consolidation of the knowledge gained will be led by Maija Pavlova (producer at Ģertrūdes ielas teātris), who, together with her colleagues from the Greenstage project — Zane Gāle and Rihards Gāle (European Climate Pact Ambassador) — will help participants integrate sustainable practices into their everyday creative work.

All workshops will take place at the Latvian Academy of Culture, Miera iela 58A.

The event series is open to anyone interested and participation is free of charge. Participants are invited to register by emailing European Climate Pact Ambassador Rihards Gāle at rihards.gale@teatris.lv.

The event series is organised by the European Climate Pact in cooperation with the Latvian National Theatre and the Latvian Academy of Culture.