We believe that theatre has the power to change hearts and minds on the subjects that matter to us most. It can be used to make people think in different ways about important issues; the environment is certainly one of them.

At Northern Broadsides, we are always thinking of ways to reduce our impact. Our Environmental Policy and Action Plan is our internal guide for how we can achieve a greener future, and our Eco Squad (made up of staff, Art Squad and board members) meet regularly to work towards that goal.

We are tracking the impact of our tours and day-to-day operations through the Creative Climate Tools; a set of unique carbon calculators developed by Julie’s Bicycle specifically for the cultural sector.

As well as our internal strategies, we’re also keen to shape public conversation and inspire personal action through storytelling and creativity. Recently, As You Like It (2022) celebrated the transformative power of love and the natural world, as Shakespeare’s iconic characters journeyed through the forest to re-discover themselves and their connection to nature.

Our latest project, Iron People, puts the natural world front and centre, as we look at the environmental messages in Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man and The Iron Woman through community workshops in performance, illustration, puppetry and creative writing. We are working with SAIL (Sustainability Arts in Leeds) on the planning, monitoring and evaluation of the project. 

Of course, we know that making theatre can have a negative impact on the environment. Running lighting and sound, touring sets and costumes around the country… even printing programmes! It all adds up, and it all impacts our planet. Our commitments are our way of making sure we’re doing all we can do to minimise our impact. 

We aren’t quite experts (and we’re certainly not perfect), but everything we are learning is helping us to change how we make shows and deliver projects.

We would love to keep the conversation going; if you would like to find out more about our sustainability efforts, drop us an email on:
info@northern-broadsides.co.uk