In recent years like most performing arts organisations, we have been investigating a lot with the concept of sustainability, especially the question of what tasks we as a production house have in this area – how we can consider sustainability in our activities and approach.
After a number of random steps – such as a clothes exchange event or working towards a paperless office – at the beginning of 2023 the time has come to implement our ambitions in a more structured way. This is how the Dragonfly programme was born.

In setting up the programme, we were greatly influenced by IETM’s research in 2021 titled Rewiring the Network, which sets out five areas where an arts organisation needs to take action and make a difference to its sustainability. In short, and without being exhaustive, we are thinking about the following five areas:

• Artistic sustainability – prioritising artistic processes over production, giving space and time for innovation and transition
• Ecological sustainability – rethinking mobility, considering recyclability in the production process, ecological awareness, energy ethics
• Economic sustainability – exploring and using alternative business models, fair pay, resource sharing, diverse revenue streams
• Human sustainability – work-life balance, lifelong learning, transparency and sharing of responsibilities within the organisation
• Social sustainability – close, long-term partnerships with organisations outside the arts, equitable and inclusive access to culture

We are currently developing a board game in our Erasmus+ partnership project, CoopAnimArt, which provides an opportunity for organisations and working groups to examine their own operations in the above five categories, translate the huge issue of sustainability into their own practice and formulate concrete actions that are relevant and realistic for their organisation, while making a real difference and progress.