FEDORA

The guidelines and training programmes developed will contribute in the long term to reconciling the tradition of costume art with the requirements of modern sustainability.

Silke Wey | Director Costume Workshops Opera Leipzig

• Project goals

  Environmental protection: Reduction of the ecological footprint through sustainable material procurement and use.

  Social sustainability: Improving working conditions by developing and implementing guidelines for health and safety in the workplace.

  Public awareness: Realisation of a public online event "INTERMEZZO" to present the project results and engage the European costume community.

• Guidelines developed

  As part of the project, sustainability guidelines for costume designers were developed, which form an integral part of the sustainable transformation of Oper Leipzig. These guidelines are based on a comprehensive assessment of our own processes in the costume department during the Sustainable Costumes project and include the following key points:

  Conceptualisation phase:

  In close collaboration with the artistic team, sustainable goals are defined that serve as a guideline for the entire costume project. The focus here is on the reduction and reuse of materials as well as testing their feasibility and longevity.

  Material research:

  Intensive experimentation with new, sustainable materials and natural fabrics is carried out, utilising an internal reference library and database to identify the best ecological options.

  Costume production:

  In costume production, the use of materials from the Leipzig Opera collection is favoured in order to conserve resources. In addition, second-hand and vintage clothing is purchased, while environmentally friendly colours and fabrics with sustainability certificates such as Öko Tex and GOTS are used.

  Work processes:

  The costume department actively supports the selection of sustainable materials and documents the entire process. A transparent and collaborative working atmosphere is encouraged and the costume team is continuously trained and educated in sustainable practices.

• Methodology and procedure

  The project uses qualitative methods such as individual and group interviews and stakeholder mapping to capture the perspectives and needs of those involved. Special attention is paid to the training of costume designers in two workshops:

  Workshop 1:

  In this workshop, department-wide sustainability guidelines are developed and training programmes created, with a focus on optimising work processes and promoting a healthy work-life balance.

  Workshop 2:

  The second workshop focuses on exploring new materials and sustainable manufacturing methods. The participation of a costume director from Iceland encouraged international exchange and inspired the participants.

Oper Leipzig's »Sustainable Costumes« project represents an important step towards a more sustainable future in costume production. By working closely with Icelandic Opera and involving the European costume community, we are setting new standards for environmentally friendly and socially sustainable practices in theatre.

Dirk Becker | Head of Design, Transformation Manager for Sustainable Culture and Stage Designer at Leipzig Opera