Opera is undeniably a great instance of European cultural history and the only cultural heritage that has united audiences across Europe while maintaining its linguistic diversity. Being born in the tradition of allegorical celebrations and the European courts’ Baroque extravaganza, environmental sustainability was not among the priority of a performing art genre that sometimes happened to build an entire theatre for a single performance. Opera houses around the globe have been transforming into modern and technological machineries ever since, combining beauty, efficiency and tradition. Today they are taking the next step to become increasingly sustainable for the environment and even to convey to the public the awareness needed to live well and save our planet.

Butterfly: Boosting environmental awareness in opera creation aims to create a new attitude towards sustainability in theatre and opera houses by exploring new green practices related to opera production and circulation. To do so, the project will go through the entire process of opera co-creation and co-production of a sustainable opera – from the opera commission to the public attendance and the sharing of the sustainable practices experimented, with a particular focus on engaging young audiences throughout the whole process.