Implementation of the Principles of Sustainable Development in the Practice of Polish Theaters 

The aim of the paper is to present how Polish theatres implement the principles of sustainable development in practice in their day-to-day operations. The background for the considerations involves the evolution of the approach to sustainable development observed from the perspective of international documents discussing this concept. The author’s own empirical research consisted of the preliminary survey of the information available on the websites and social media of selected Polish theatres and the questionnaire sent to the theatres in the first half of 2021. The research has made it possible to distinguish four main types of activities undertaken in this respect by the theatres: 1) the content of performances and other artistic endeavours; 2) the day-to-day functioning of the institution; 3) the theatre building and its surroundings, and 4) co-creation and participation in broader initiatives for sustainable development. The questionnaire results indicate that the dynamics of activities in this domain has nothing to do with the size of the urban area in which a given theatre operates, but it is more associated with the fact that the theatres align themselves with the environmental policy of their local governments, and with the possibility of obtaining funds for such initiatives. Furthermore, and perhaps above all, it depends on the theatre’s strategy determining how it operates in the local milieu. Building upgrades involve savings and help theatres build an image of an environmentally-friendly organisation. 

The aim of the paper is to present how Polish theatres implement the principles of sustainable development in practice in their day-to-day operations. The background for the considerations involves the evolution of the approach to sustainable development observed from the perspective of international documents discussing this concept. The author’s own empirical research consisted of the preliminary survey of the information available on the websites and social media of selected Polish theatres and the questionnaire sent to the theatres in the first half of 2021. The research has made it possible to distinguish four main types of activities undertaken in this respect by the theatres: 1) the content of performances and other artistic endeavours; 2) the day-to-day functioning of the institution; 3) the theatre building and its surroundings, and 4) co-creation and participation in broader initiatives for sustainable development. The questionnaire results indicate that the dynamics of activities in this domain has nothing to do with the size of the urban area in which a given theatre operates, but it is more associated with the fact that the theatres align themselves with the environmental policy of their local governments, and with the possibility of obtaining funds for such initiatives. Furthermore, and perhaps above all, it depends on the theatre’s strategy determining how it operates in the local milieu. Building upgrades involve savings and help theatres build an image of an environmentally-friendly organisation.