Opera patrons urged to go green
THE Green Carpet will be laid out for patrons attending the opera on Tuesday, October 30 as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unites with the Festival to highlight how even small personal changes can have a positive impact on the environment.
The ‘Go Green’ initiative invites opera-goers to wear an item of green in their attire on that night – a green bow tie, piece of jewellery, pocket square, green shoes or green nail varnish – signifying a commitment to making small changes in their lives to help the environment.
Opera-goers will enter on a green carpet at the front entrance of the National Opera House, which will also be bathed in green light.
Since the Festival and the EPA introduced the Green Carpet Night event three years ago it has received an enthusiastic response from audiences and volunteers.
Welcoming the greening of the opera, Laura Burke, Director General of the EPA said: ‘We have, by any measure, experienced an extraordinary 12 months where our environment, our climate, has reminded us of the fragile nature of our infrastructure, our economy and food production systems, and by extension our wellbeing. A year where nature reminded us who is in charge. A year which has focused us on what we need to do to stop aggravating the situation and to adapt.’
‘By promoting the importance of the environment at Wexford Festival Opera we hope to inspire people to take some small steps to protect and improve it, be this in your home, your workplace or in your community. We all own the environment and have a responsibility for its care and protection. Even small changes make a difference.’
The EPA’s headquarters is based at Johnstown Castle and the agency has been part of the local community for the last 25 years. It has worked with Wexford Festival Opera for many years through various EPA-led initiatives to raise awareness on a variety of environmental issues such as how we can all make choices about how we heat our homes; how we consume water and how we manage our wastes.
‘The greening the National Opera House on one of main performance nights of this year’s Festival, symbolically underlines Wexford Opera’s support of the EPA’s great work in fostering best environmental awareness and good practice,’ said Chief Executive David McLouglin.
‘A year on from Hurricane Ophelia, which directly impacted on so many people and caused considerable disruption to last year’s Festival, this environmental and climate-change awareness initiative is even more timely and relevant.’
‘We thank and applaud the EPA, the Festival’s long established community and environmental partner, as well as our patrons and performers for their enthusiastic involvement in this novel initiative, which reinforces their individual commitment to making changes which result in positive environmental impacts.’
The EPA’s LiveGreen web pages provide advice, awareness and education about living sustainably at home and in your community.