Dear Music Theatre: We love you, you’re perfect, but climate change
About the session
This session took place Thursday 10 December 2020, 1-2pm AEDT.
Alongside important discussions on inclusivity in music theatre, discussions about environmental justice and the impact of the consumption of music theatre are also vitally important in moving towards a more socially-just future. The reawakening after Covid-19 provides an opportunity to assess our industry’s ability to keep up with ecological thinking in a rapidly changing world. A critical re-evaluation of a “business-as-usual” model can lead us to truly value all the elements which come together to create a piece of theatre, particularly from a production and design perspective.
From individuals, to an entire company, to interconnectedness between multiple companies, to the materials and practical approaches employed to achieve the vision, and the ongoing legacy of the show in its afterlife; we will consider potential paths forward to a more sustainable and ecologically just shared future between Music Theatre, the people it employs, and the planet.
About the speakers
- Rhiannon Irving
Rhiannon Irving is a Melbourne based costumier who currently works in the Costume Workroom of the Australian Ballet. Through years of experience within many fields of live performance, predominantly in Music Theatre, but also in Opera, Theatre, Outdoor Theatre, and Dance, she witnessed first hand the short-term thinking, waste, and disregard for the ecological impact of current production and design processes. This has lead her to not only transition her own freelance work to more circular, sustainable practices, but also begin to look at ways to work with companies one on one to retain the integrity of their process and vision, whilst also ensuring the post-show legacy and impact within the wider world is a positive one. She is also an independent writer for Aussie Theatre where she interviews and examines people and companies in the Live Entertainment Industry that are making headway in sustainable approaches to their process, and telling stories of ecological significance. - Emily Collett
Emily is a set and costume designer whose practice comprises live performance, film, television and costume research. Recent design credits include Hello, World! (Malthouse Theatre), Control (Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre), Whale (Northcote Town Hall), and A Little Night Music (Watch This). Emily was nominated for a Green Room Award for Dream Home (Northcote Town Hall), has received grants from the Ian Potter Cultural Trust and ArtStart, and has participated in Malthouse Theatre’s Besen Family Artist Program and Melbourne Theatre Companies’ Women in Theatre Program. A PhD candidate and tutor in design at The Victorian College of the Arts, her research focuses on the topic of costume for performance as a cultural marker, specifically in relation to Australian identity. Since working on Whale (2019), Emily’s design approach has become strongly focused on counteracting the negative ecological impact of live performance.
