Project Butterfly: Boosting environmental awareness in opera creation

This presentation was delivered at the joint meeting between the Special Interest Group of Marketing and Communications (SIG-Marcomms) and SIG-Sustainability.

"Butterfly" is a European project that reimagines opera music with a focus on sustainability. It brought together the Teatro Comunale in Modena (Italy), the Opera Box in Helsinki (Finland), and the Opera Bałtycka in Gdańsk (Poland), along with partners in culture, environment, and technology. The project introduced several eco-friendly practices: rehearsals held entirely online with LoLa (low-latency audiovisual system), sets made from recycled materials, digital scenography, and an app to encourage sustainable mobility for audiences. LoLa, developed by GARR (the Italian research and education network) and the Conservatorio Tartini of Trieste, played a central role by allowing artists to rehearse together from different countries, avoiding over eight tonnes of CO₂ emissions. In this way, Butterfly proved that opera can be produced in a way that is innovative, responsible, and engaging for new generations.

Find out more in the presentation. Watch the video teaser here.