1. Daedalus Theatre Company recognises the global ecological crisis and seeks to make environmental sustainability intrinsic to its creative practices and its business model.
2. We acknowledge the work of Julie’s Bicycle in leading the way for sustainability in the theatre industry; this policy, the first version of which was created in 2015, is based on their guidance. We are also registered with Theatre Green Book (TGB) and are currently at Preliminary stage. We are also a signatory to the Ecostage Pledge, committing ourselves to placing ecological thinking at the heart of our creative practice.
3. We are committed to reducing the negative environmental impacts of our activities, in particular those relating to:
3.1 Energy, food and water use. Food is often a major part of our activities. We realise that many venues require the use of single-use plastic for purposes of health and safety, but will seek to reduce our consumption, while maintaining the highest possible standards of hygiene. Where possible we will use reusable containers. We will seek to maximize recycling and the composting of food waste. When possible we will choose sustainable products and suppliers.
3.2 The use of materials and energy in the construction of sets, costumes and props. We will prioritise the use of recycled and repurposed materials, and store, sell or donate reusable items whenever possible.
3.3. Travel, for example when touring a production. We will minimize the use of vans and cars, and use public transport as much as possible. To this end, where possible we offer subsidies for Tower Hamlets residents participating in our events. When use of public transport is not possible, we will encourage car-sharing. Using vans to transport set is sometimes unavoidable, but we will seek to minimise this.
3.4 Our communication materials. For us this is mainly paper and inks, and we will avoid unnecessary printing. It also includes the transport for printed materials and use of energy for storage, downloading, streaming and/or online reading for digital communications, which we will seek to minimise.
3.5 The goods and services we choose for our admin. This includes stationery, computing and electronic equipment, and the business services we use: notably website, data and email server hosting and banking. We are not heavy users but will monitor our usage. We will also always attempt to work with suppliers who have a good sustainable practice.
4. Practical steps we have taken:
4.1 The creation of this Environmental Policy
4.2 The creation of a Green Committee, with oversight over this policy, sustainability assessment processes and any other relevant business.
4.3 The appointment of a sustainability lead for the delivery of productions and where relevant operations (Paul Burgess) and a sustainability lead for the board (Catrin John).
4.4 A timeline based on Theatre Green Book Stages (see below).
4.5 A data plan (see below).
5. Areas of focus The Theatre Green Book divides the sector into Production, Operations and Buildings but these apply to use in different ways.
5.1 Production. This is our main area of operation, where we can make the most impact, and it will be the main focus of our efforts. It also supports and is supported by the storytelling of our artistic agenda.
5.2 Buildings. This is not something we currently monitor. We have no physical premises; the company is registered at a private address. We occasionally work from a studio at Bow Arts, which our artistic director rents for his freelance work. If we were to acquire any premises, this policy would be revised to reflect the significant challenges of making a building and its contents, including furniture and equipment, sustainable, along with the associated cleaning and maintenance requirements.
5.3 Operations. This is something we monitor, but on a smaller scale than companies that are more public-facing. Our operations are primarily focused on fundraising, company administration, and project management. ‘Front of house’ activities are handled by the venues we work with.
6. We are committed to the principle of understanding, measuring, improving and communicating our environmental performance, and engaging management in monitoring this process and upholding its principles. We have set targets for this (see below).
7. Being green is also about understanding our role in the wider ecosystem: we are committed to the principle of working with our colleagues in arts and entertainment to find new ways to cooperate on sustainability, to explore how it relates to other aspects of good practice, and to try and improve the industry as a whole. It is our policy to reach out where possible in order to make new connections and help build a more sustainable arts practice in the UK.
8. We also believe that this is an issue that needs to be kept on the agenda, so we will endeavour to regularly reference this policy in our communications with audiences, participants and colleagues. It is also automatically included in all board meeting agendas.
9. Timeline. The aim is to reach Theatre Green Book ‘Advanced’ level in line with London’s 2030 Net Zero target.
- 2025 – Achieve TGB Preliminary level for the company. Start using a carbon calculator informally, for internal use.
- 2026 – Achieve TGB Basic level for the company and on all productions. Start using a carbon calculator formally.
- 2028 – Achieve TGB Intermediate level for the company and on all productions
- 2030 – Achieve TGB Advanced level for the company and on all productions
10 Data Collection Each team member (eg stage manager) or external contractor (e.g. set builder) will be asked to gather raw data on the materials and items they source. This comprises the nature of the material or item, the quantity, the source and its post-show destination. If EPCs or other data sheets are available, this should be collated too. Everything should be passed on to the sustainability lead, who will complete the TGB and carbon calculation spreadsheets as required. The aim is to make data collection part of our contracts (target date to be agreed).
Oversight. This policy and the actions it requires will be reviewed annually by the Green Committee. Operational data will also be reviewed then. Production data will be reviewed on a project-by-project basis, led by the sustainability lead. The Green Committee and sustainability lead will both report to the board.