The not-at-all worryingly militant Planeteers

I am always deeply conflicted - mainly because I realise that I am mired in hypocrisy. A favourite internal conflict of mine is between a vague belief in protecting the environment (yep, I am a liberal) and the inevitable dichotomy between my intentions and actions (any carbon footprint reduction I manage comes out of poverty, not conviction).

It was a few years back that I threw a temper tantrum at the Fringe because of the various plays that were lecturing me on ecology, without acknowledging the performance's own material profligacy. There have always been exceptions, either through the sincerity of the artists' intention (I seem to remember that Peter McMaster did a solo show about the environment and other matters using a paucity of set and props at Arches Live) or the process of the product (The NTS has one about Polar Bears that cycled the players and set between venues). But I think that the example of Al Gore is too prevalent: much talk, no personal action.

I am also conflicted about using press releases. But here's one that does all of the work for me. It is about an aspect of theatre that intrigues me (scenography) and is often ignored. It has an environmental concern, but possibly feeds into my general anxiety about 'words, not action.' Then again, it is worth putting this out there, with the caveat that I am up to my churnographic (Type A Critisism) tricks.

Begins here....

The Sustainability Programme for World Stage Design 2013 in Cardiff, Wales is this year's CSPA Convergence

Theatre is a process of reinvention, making and remaking. How do we consider the resources that go into bringing something to the stage? What is our responsibility to materials and energy? How do we create efficient spaces that house performance? How do we talk about this, both as artists and in our art? These questions are the focus for the Sustainability Programme at World Stage Design 2013. Join designers, architects, researchers and others who are focused on the intersection of sustainability and performance as we explore the future of our field as it relates to one of most vital issues of today.

The world’s best set, costume, props, sound and lighting designers will be in Cardiff next week for the first UK-hosted edition of a week long international festival showcasing and sharing what their creative skills add to the public’s enjoyment of the performing arts.

World Stage Design 2013 is happening in Cardiff from Thursday 5 to Sunday 15 September, hosted by the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD) and using venues throughout the college as well as spaces in and around Cardiff city centre.

Project leader Sean Crowley, RWCMD’s Director of Drama, says: “This exciting event only takes place every four years and global competition to host it is fierce. So, it is a real coup, that Cardiff’s bid to bring World Stage Design to the UK – and Europe - for the first time has succeeded. It means that for ten day glorious days in September, Wales will be the stage design captital of the world – the place where everyone interested in performance will want to be, whether they are industry professionals, emerging artists, students or are simply keen to know more about how stage shows are created.”

He adds: “An extra benefit is that as well as bringing in leading designers from many different countries to share their work, skills and experiences, through exhibitions, workshops and talks, we will also be putting on a vibrant programme of live performances at the RWCMD and all around the city, including in a brand new space, designed especially for this event and built by a team of volunteers from sustainable materials.”

A fully-functioning theatre made entirely from locally-sourced re-usable or recyclable materials will go up in the grounds of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD) in Cardiff this September as part of the first UK-hosted edition of World Stage Design.

Unveiling the plans in Cardiff Ian Evans, WSD2013’s technical director and a senior lecturer at RWCMD, said: “The design brief was a tough one. We asked for a venue that was eco-conscious, could seat up to 150 people, host a variety of events and be self-built, all for an outlay of less than £20,000. Yet the response has been magnificent, many using highly original approaches and suggesting a wide variety of materials, including hay bales, cardboard boxes and packing crates. The entry from Brad and Tim was everyone’s favourite, though, because as well as meeting the technical brief, it is going to look and feel very interesting – an innovative blueprint that can be copied for other settings.”

Tim Lai and Brad Steinmetz are calling their structure the Willow Theatre because its exterior features dangling fronds of fabric which shelter and sway like the branches of a weeping willow tree.

The building’s strength will come from hired and returnable industrial scaffolding while the decorative fronds and interior walls will be made from UK-produced horticultural fleece, a re-usable material which can also be recycled to make more of the same fabric. Internal fittings, including the floor and wooden seating will also be re-usable, recyclable and/or re claimed and the roof will be retractable to take advantage of natural light and ventilation.

On hearing of the Willow Theatre’s selection, Brad Steinmetz said he was ‘proud and honoured’ at the decision yet also ‘astonished’ as the WSD2013 project was the first on which he and Tim Lai had collaborated. “Although I knew his work, Tim and I had never met before. But I was very interested in working with people outside of my field so I contacted Tim out of the blue and he was very gracious and open to the idea of working together.”

He added that the design ideas grew out of his past experiences of using horticultural fleece in his set work for low-budget theatre production. “Although I was first drawn to the material as a cheap alternative to large theatrical fabrics, I soon learned that its unique lightness and translucency could be used to great effect.”

The drawings produced by the two men will be on display in the space throughout WSD2013, alongside other shortlisted entries. The arts and sustainability programme will also include performances by Julies Bicycle, Arcola Theatre and Puppet State Theatre and a series of seminars, talks and workshops curated by Ian Garrett, assistant professor of Ecological Design for Performance at York University, Canada.

Other WSD2013 attractions will include a free exhibition of set, costume, props, lighting and sound work by 100 performance designers; hands-on creativity events, over 30 performances including dance, physical theatre, interactive performances and site specific works, and a wide range of master-classes, talks and workshops.

WSD2013 is being hosted by the RWCMD and is supported by the Welsh Government, OISTAT (the International Organisation for Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians), the Ministry of Culture Taiwan and the Society of British Theatre Designers.

World Stage Design takes place every four years. The first was held in Toronto and the 2009 host city was Seoul. Cardiff won the right to be the event’s 2013 host against competition from several other cities, including Beijing. Its success makes it the first European/UK WSD host. Alongside the programme of specialist and public events, WSD also makes bronze, silver and gold awards to the best entries to its design competitions. This year, one of the competitions is to design a temporary theatre space using sustainable materials with the winning design being built in the courtyard of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama’s Anthony Hopkins Centre for use during the festival.