Part of the New Theatre Market (NTM) Project

Applications are open until all places are filled, and no later than June 10, 2026.

The New Theatre Market platform, organised by Sarajevo War Theatre – SARTR (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in partnership with Heartefact Foundation (Serbia), Ulysses Theatre (Croatia), Para Film and Theatre (Norway), Binario Vivo (Italy), and Realstage (Bosnia and Herzegovina), announces the Open Call for Green Lab, a capacity-development programme for public theatres interested in developing more sustainable, environmentally responsible and strategically planned models of theatre production and institutional operation.

Green Lab is designed for public theatre institutions that are ready to work on concrete sustainability goals, carbon-footprint awareness, greener production practices and long-term institutional transformation. The programme supports selected theatres through expert-led training, practical tools, institutional self-analysis, peer exchange and the development of individual Sustainability Action Plans.

The first edition of Green Lab will include an online training process in late June 2026, followed by an intensive 3-day workshop in Brijuni National Park, Croatia, from July 7 to 11, 2026, including travel days. Ulysses Theatre has its artistic and residency base on Brijuni, one of the most distinctive natural and cultural environments in the region. The programme will offer participants the opportunity to work in a setting where artistic practice, landscape, heritage and international exchange meet in a direct and inspiring way.

The expert partner of Green Lab is Metabolic Institute, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Metabolic Institute is a non-profit organisation working at the intersection of research and real-world experimentation to accelerate the urban transition and advance the bioeconomy. Through systems thinking, applied research, open-access tools and data-driven resources, Metabolic supports cities, regions and institutions in developing more sustainable, circular and resilient systems. Within Green Lab, Metabolic Institute will lead the carbon-footprint and sustainability training, provide tools and templates, facilitate the Brijuni workshop, and support participating theatres in developing individual Sustainability Action Plans.

About the Programme

Green Lab is not designed as a one-time seminar, inspirational workshop or short professional residency. It is a structured capacity-development process for public theatres that are ready to examine how their buildings, production models, technical systems, procurement habits, mobility patterns and internal procedures can become more sustainable.

The programme is centred on capacity building, practical application and long-term action ownership. Metabolic Institute will work alongside participating theatres to equip them with the tools, knowledge and confidence to better understand their environmental impact and translate insights into realistic, context-specific actions.

The programme is based on a supported self-assessment model. Metabolic Institute will provide the frameworks, methodology, templates and expert guidance, while participating theatres will be responsible for collecting their own institutional data, engaging actively in the process and developing their own action plans. Depending on the specific context of each theatre, this may include areas such as energy use, production materials, waste, set design, storage, touring, mobility, procurement, internal protocols, building management and long-term strategic planning.

Programme Structure and Timeline

The Green Lab process will include the following stages:

• Mid-June 2026: Kick-off meeting and baseline expectations conversation

• Late June 2026: Online carbon-footprint training session and template distribution

• July 7–11, 2026: 3-day workshop in Brijuni, Croatia, including travel days

• Early October 2026: Action Plan Helpdesk

During the online training, participating theatres will be introduced to the basic principles of carbon-footprint analysis and receive templates and guidance for preparing their own data and institutional insights. The Brijuni workshop will be a learning-by-doing process. Participating theatres will share initial insights, learn the basics of hotspot recognition and intervention design, and begin developing their Sustainability Action Plans through a guided roadmap development exercise. After the Brijuni workshop, each participating theatre will continue working on its Sustainability Action Plan, with targeted helpdesk support provided by Metabolic Institute before finalisation.

Why Apply?

Sustainability is becoming one of the key questions for cultural institutions across Europe. For public theatres, this question is especially complex: theatres operate buildings, produce scenography, use technical equipment, store and transport materials, organise tours, host audiences, manage staff and collaborate with different public systems.

Many theatres are already aware that they need to change the way they work, but often lack the time, methodology, expert support and internal structure needed to translate this awareness into concrete institutional action. Green Lab offers selected theatres a practical framework for that transition.

By participating in Green Lab, theatres will have the opportunity to:

• understand sustainability as an institutional and production question, not only as a general environmental topic;
• learn how to approach carbon-footprint analysis in a way that is relevant to theatre institutions;
• receive templates and tools that support internal data collection and self-assessment;
• work with Metabolic Institute, an Amsterdam-based expert organisation specialised in sustainability, systems thinking and circular economy methodologies;
• identify realistic interventions that can be implemented within their own public-institution context;
• begin developing an individual Sustainability Action Plan with expert guidance;
• connect with other public theatres from the region facing similar structural, financial and operational challenges;
• return to their institution with a clearer roadmap for long-term change.

Green Lab is intended for theatres that do not want sustainability to remain only a value statement, but want to begin turning it into procedures, decisions, measurable goals and institutional practice.

Who Can Apply?

This call is open only to public theatre institutions from: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.

Eligible applicants must be:

• public theatres or public cultural institutions;
• institutions with their own theatre building, venue and technical infrastructure;
• institutions with regular production activity;
• institutions with the internal capacity to implement sustainability-related changes;
• institutions able to nominate two representatives for the full Green Lab programme;
• institutions willing to continue the process after Brijuni through follow-up work with Metabolic Institute.

Independent companies, NGOs, festivals, private organisations, informal groups, project-based collectives and institutions without their own venue or infrastructure are not eligible for this call.

The first edition of Green Lab is intended for four participating theatres.

Who Should Participate?

Each selected theatre must nominate two representatives. Ideally, the representatives should include:

1. the Director, General Manager or Head of Institution;
2. and the Technical Director, Head of Production, Operations Manager, Sustainability Officer or another person directly involved in technical operations, infrastructure, production planning or institutional management.

The programme requires both a decision-making and operational perspective. Green Lab is not intended only for individual professional development. Its goal is to help participating theatres develop institutional plans that can realistically be discussed, adopted and implemented after the programme.

The working language of the Green Lab programme is English. At least one of the two nominated representatives must be able to actively communicate in English and participate in discussions, workshops and follow-up communication with Metabolic Institute.

Participation, Support and Commitments

Selected theatres receive participation in the full Green Lab programme, including online carbon-footprint training by Metabolic Institute, access to relevant tools and templates, guided preparation for the Brijuni workshop, intensive on-site workshop in Brijuni, support in recognising key environmental impact areas and designing interventions, guided work on individual Sustainability Action Plans, and targeted follow-up helpdesk support before action plan finalisation.

Accommodation and meals during the Brijuni workshop are covered. Travel costs are supported through reimbursement according to the participant’s country of departure:

• participants travelling from Croatia and Slovenia receive a travel refund of up to 50 EUR;
• participants travelling from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro receive a travel refund of up to 100 EUR;
• participants travelling from other eligible countries receive a travel refund of up to 150 EUR.

Local transfers to and from Brijuni will be organised and covered by the organisers.

Participation in Green Lab does not end with the Brijuni workshop. Each selected theatre must be ready to continue the process after the on-site programme, including internal data collection, self-driven carbon analysis, additional reflection, possible follow-up communication and further preparation of the theatre’s individual Sustainability Action Plan.

Confirmation Process

This call follows a first come, first served principle. There will be no competitive selection process. The first eligible theatres to apply will be contacted by the organisers to confirm eligibility, clarify practical and financial conditions, and make sure that both sides understand the full scope of the programme.

A theatre will be considered confirmed only after the organisers verify that the institution is eligible, the proposed representatives are appropriate, the theatre understands the online, Brijuni and post-Brijuni commitments, and both representatives can participate in the full programme.

The call remains open until all available places are filled, and no later than June 10, 2026.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the official online application form.

Before starting the form, applicants are encouraged to check the application form and prepare all required information and materials in advance. The form includes detailed descriptions and guidance to help applicants understand what kind of responses are expected in each section.

After submission, eligible applicants will be contacted by email and/or phone by the organisers. The purpose of this conversation is to confirm eligibility, clarify all practical and financial conditions, and make sure that the institution fully understands the programme and its follow-up commitments.

Incomplete applications or applications submitted by institutions that do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be considered.

For any questions regarding the application process, applicants may contact: programmes@sts.ba or adna@sts.ba