ACE-ansøgninger og Theatre Green Book i Hongkong

Over the next two months arts organisations in England are going to be applying for regular funding through to 2033. Theatre Green Book is here to help you keep climate action at the heart of your plans as you prepare your applications.

Theatre Green Book is free to use but it's not free to run. For details of our suggested donations for theatres and other organisations using Theatre Green Book, and to find out how you can support our work as an individual, go to theatregreenbook.com/support.

ACE National Portfolio Investment Programme

Lots of subscribers who work in England will have been making their way through the newly published applicant guidelines for Arts Council England's National Portfolio. Organisations have from 20 October - 15 December to complete their applications for regular, annual funding between 2028 and 2033.

Reflecting the recommendations of last year's Hodge Review, the process is less proscriptive with fewer specific criteria to be met. As we said at the time, that doesn't mean we should lose the focus we've had, individually and as a sector, on driving towards environmental sustainability.

As part of ACE's Strategic Framework that will inform its funding decisions, the Sector Resilience Overview includes a section on environmental responsibility and climate resilience. It notes the progress the sector has made, but also that "climate impacts are no longer future risks; they are actively reshaping cultural delivery, attendance, and both operational and artistic choices." It highlights the need for practical advice and support, information sharing and collective action, and capturing data and evidence about our progress and challenges that remain.

There is also the option within National Portfolio funding for larger organisations to have a programme of capital investment which can be used, for example, for buildings and equipment renewal to more sustainable standards.

If you want action on climate change at the heart of your plans for the future, Theatre Green Book is here to help. You can:

• Be an active member of the Theatre Green Book community, using our resources and training to keep up-to-date on best practice
• Measure progress using our self-certification Standards, and aim for higher levels across your building, operations and productions
• Book a 1-to-1 consultation for advice about embedding Theatre Green Book practice in your organisation. Email admin@theategreenbook.com

National Portfolio 2028-33 Applicant Hub

Theatre Green Book Hong Kong

The two-day Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Conference 2026 took place this week, co-presented by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and the Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Centre.

The event brought together 46 speakers and moderators from 42 organisations across 17 cities — cultural leaders, academics, and practitioners — to drive practical solutions for sustainable development across arts, culture, and community building.

The event saw the launch of Theatre Green Book (Hong Kong), the first adaptation of Theatre Green Book for cultural organisations in the Greater Hong Kong Bay area. As well as being a free resource for the Hong Kong sector, it is being embedded into teaching and learning at HKAPA to inform the next generation of performing arts practitioners.

Download Theatre Green Book (Hong Kong)

News and events

The participants in the latest round of the International Touring and Environmental Responsibility have been announced. This programme supports organisations from England, Scotland, Denmark and Norway to develop new, environmentally responsible, inclusive, and equitable approaches to international collaboration. This edition connects professionals from the performing arts and music sectors across two parallel tracks: a Pathfinder programme for those just starting to develop their sustainable touring strategies, and a Changemaker programme for pioneers already making fundamental shifts in how art is shared globally.

Almost 300 arts organisations, museums and libraries responded to Arts Council England's survey on the impact of extreme heat on cultural organisations following the hottest summer on record. There was a strong finding that organisations feel ill-prepared for future heatwaves.

Coming up…

There are three sessions left in our monthly series of Buildings Webinars, and they focus on practical aspects of capital building projects, with first-hand advice and case studies from experts in their fields. Buildings Standards is the topic for today's webinar (Fri 16 October), followed by Building Materials on Fri 6 November and concluding with a session on Theatre Fit Out on Fri 20 November. The webinars run from 1-2pm, and you can register or watch recordings of earlier sessions here.

Collectif 17H25 present a deep dive into their ground-breaking modular theatre design system MOD200 with a webinar on Tue 27 October 2.30-4pm. Register for free here.

If you're in New South Wales, Australia (or can navigate the time difference to join online) NIDA Talks Green is an afternoon of inspiring conversation with industry professionals and researchers exploring the evolution of sustainable practice in the performing arts on Fri 30 October. Register here.

Theatre Green Book holds regular, free introductory webinars that help you get started using Theatre Green Book and its key tools. The next Theatre Green Book Introduction webinar is Wed 11 November 1-2pm, and the next Production Calculator webinar is Wed 2 December 12-1pm.

For any past events you may have missed you can see our archive here.

See all upcoming events

Stories and inspiration

Case study from Theatre Royal Wakefield, who achieved intermediate standard for its youth music production The Band.

Spanish-speaking readers (or anyone using an online translator) can read about how Madrid's arts education institutions collaborated to produce an opera to Theatre Green Book standards, and other Spanish case studies here.

Congratulations to Colchester's Mercury Theatre, winner of the Excellence in Sustainability prize at the UK Theatre Awards 2026.

Congratulations also to everyone behind the development of BEAM in Hertford, last year's winner of the sustainability award at the UKTAs and this year shortlisted for the Stirling Prize as one of the six best new buildings in the UK with the jury citing it as "a model of how cultural hubs can act as standard-bearers for the climate challenge."

Thank you

Thank you for being part of the Theatre Green Book community. If you have events, stories or questions you'd like to share via this newsletter, do get in touch: admin@theatregreenbook.com

The Theatre Green Book team

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