Creating a sustainable theatre
April is Earth Month, a time for environmental issues to take ‘centre stage’, so we spoke to Stephen Brennan, Creative Learning Producer and member of our Environment Strategy Group, about what our ‘Green Team’ has been doing to improve sustainability across our venues.
Written by Stephen Brennan
As if by magic
I took my two children to the theatre recently. I confess it wasn’t to one of the Leeds Heritage Theatres’ venues, but to the West End to watch Frozen. If you haven’t seen the show, there’s a moment towards the end of Act One where the main character undergoes a split-second costume change mid-song. It’s a brilliantly realised effect that understandably gets a huge round of applause. During the interval, a friend who was also watching, and knew I worked in theatre, asked me: “So, how did they do that?”
And I gave the only answer that it’s appropriate to give, especially when excited six-year-olds are buzzing around: “Magic!”
Except I didn’t. That would have been unhelpful and slightly patronising. But a part of me wanted to. Because in live performance you shouldn’t see how it’s done. When you settle down in your seat for two hours, backstage is a crew working hard with set, props, lighting, and sound to build an experience that leaves you amazed. And when it’s done well, you’ll be so lost in the show that you won’t notice.
You might be wondering where I’m going with this. We are in a climate crisis. Theatres have a part to play in the fight against climate change, but we’re also aware that audiences come to our venues to relax and have a good night out. In the results of the 2023 Act Green Audience survey, 81% of respondents think cultural organisations have a part to play in tackling the climate crisis, but many also felt that, whilst theatres should do their part, people don’t want to be preached at. This is something Leeds Heritage Theatres is particularly mindful of; we have to make changes to the way we do things, but it has to be done in a way that doesn’t alienate our audiences.
In other words, if we do it right, you won’t notice.
A full audience at Leeds Grand Theatre. Credit Bryony Jameson.
Looking to the future
There are certain things you may have picked up on. For example, we have invested resources into our digital infrastructure to reduce the need to print tickets. Similarly, the drink receptacles in our bars are now made from reusable plastics. The majority of our food and drinks products are sourced within a 25-mile radius of Leeds City Centre, and we have strong partnerships with local suppliers. You may also have noticed that we have replaced our bins in public areas with separate bins for recycling and other waste (it’s worth flagging that, as a company, we have been recycling for a long time, but the bins are designed to make this clearer to customers.)
Inside Kirkstall Brewery, one of our local partners and suppliers. Credit Aaron Cawood.
There are also significant changes that have gone on within our buildings that you would not have seen. The toilets within our buildings now contain devices called Hippo Bags which are specifically used to reduce water usage. We’ve implemented a ‘Switch Off’ campaign in all our venues, and are in the process of replacing all our lights – for performance and front-of-house – with LED bulbs that dramatically reduce energy usage. Lastly, we now have a staff ‘Green Team’ that work across our venues and partner with local and national organisations, including the UK Theatre Green Steering Group, where we share good practices in implementing the Theatre Green Book, and Sustainable Arts in Leeds (SAIL) who do a fantastic job linking up arts organisations in the region to help us take an industry-wide approach to meeting the climate challenge.
Arts organisations got together at The Varieties for a SAIL events in 2023 to learn more about sustainability in Leeds.
None of this is easy. Our three venues have a combined age of over 400 years and weren’t designed for the modern upgrades needed to meet net-zero targets. Likewise, cost is a massive factor. And, crucially, our sustainability goals must be matched with making sure you, our audience members, have the best experience possible when you visit us.
The word ‘heritage’ in our name so often conjures up images of looking backward, but, to us, it’s just as important that we secure the heritage of our venues for future generations. As an organisation, Leeds Heritage Theatres has achieved a lot in a very short time, and we will continue to work to further our sustainable practice within our venues. Some of the changes we make will be small, and some may be massive. But if we do them right, hopefully, you won’t even notice.
Leeds Grand Theatre Buildings Fund
As a Grade II listed building, we want to preserve Leeds Grand Theatre for future generations, making it more accessible, sustainable, and comfortable; everything we do will enhance your experience as a customer. All donations will be fully invested in ongoing projects, including improved access facilities, changing our lighting to LED, and investing in a new Flying system.
