IndyFringe Theatre Partners with Thrive Indianapolis to Champion Sustainable Event Practices

IF Theatre recently announced a new partnership with Thrive Indianapolis and the City’s Office of Sustainability to serve as a case study for the Indianapolis Events Waste Guide. This collaboration marks a major step in the theatre's commitment to sustainability and coincides with plans to designate the 20th Anniversary IndyFringe Festival as an official “green event.”

Together with Thrive Indianapolis, IF Theatre is working to implement a wide range of environmentally conscious upgrades aimed at significantly reducing waste, improving energy efficiency, and fostering long-term community engagement in sustainable event planning.

Key sustainability initiatives currently underway include:

• Introduction of recycling stations at all IndyFringe Festival venues in August, as well as year-round at IF Theatre.

• Replacement of incandescent lighting fixtures with energy-efficient LED alternatives.

• Installation of high-efficiency hand dryers in guest bathrooms to reduce paper waste.

• Implementation of an energy improvement plan, developed in collaboration with AES following a recent energy audit, to reduce energy loss in IF Theatre’s historic building.

This initiative reflects a larger shift in IF Theatre’s philosophy, emphasizing environmental stewardship and community collaboration. As the organization celebrates two decades of artistic innovation, it also looks ahead to becoming a model for sustainable practices in the arts and events industry.

“There’s always more that an organization can be doing,” says executive director Paul Daily, “but it can’t all happen at once, which is why our goals will be continuously evaluated with the help of the city’s Office of Sustainability. Our ultimate hope is that IF Theatre will be at the center of community-wide initiatives to help creatives in Indianapolis become more environmentally friendly. We want to deconstruct the myth that ecological care is at the expense of financial sustainability.”

The move towards sustainable practices comes as part of the theatre’s 20th anniversary campaign, which celebrates the organization’s 20 year history of supporting artists in Indianapolis, and envisioning a bright future for the next 20 years of accessible arts experiences.