Breaking Barriers is committed to reducing our carbon footprint, minimising our environmental impact, improving our understanding of how to work sustainably in the cultural sector, and sharing our learning through projects with all of our stakeholders.
We’re a member of the Theatre Green Book and have recently made a commitment to dedicate time + resources to:
- a) Agree an Action Plan that explores how we create and deliver sustainable productions
- b) Create a Comms plan that allows us to share our targets + achievements, as well as any learning and useful resources or methodologies
Some ways that we work with the environment:
Showcase: We deliver work on the land, giving a voice to the moors (e.g. Elevation) and shining a spotlight on the incredible sustainable work happening on Holcombe Moor to lower flood risk
Partnerships: We work with existing organisations and groups of volunteers who support us to develop an understanding of how we can collectively care for the land (e.g. The National Trust on Holcombe Moor)
Recruit locally: We employ local teams (e.g. recruitment of a Young Company in Salford, Rochdale and Liverpool + a Film Assistant in Oldham)
Educate: Dedicate time to education about best environmantal practices (e.g. attend Carbon Literacy Training and the Culture Shift Symposium.
Encourage Active Travel: Partner with TfGM on projects to encourage local and active travel (e.g on our Community Walks in Rochdale we were able to offer bus/tram tickets, and on our community project in Bury we can do the same)
Re-Use: We re-use equipment, and loan it out to other creatives to ensure that technology is being re-used instead of purchased new on each project. e.g. our headphones have now been used on 10 separate productions
Consider touring models: It’s more sustainable to re-mount or tour a production and so our models are looking at ways that we can actively do this. e.g. Crossing the Line has been touring for 6 years, Blind Side has been touring for 4 years, Stories We Tell is a model that can be delivered in different towns/cities, Elevation has been remounted numerous times… etc
Evaluate: We have set benchmark targets to evaluate our progress on each project, and monitor these on a project-by-project basis.
Collect data: We collect data on how our audiences travel to events, and gather postcodes to understand how far they have travelled.
Richard Street Studios: Our studio is a space for local artists to make and create work. It is heated by a heatpump and lit by LED lights. We have recently completed a complimentary water testing through Ground Works, supported by United Utilities. We are making plans to grow produce in our little yarden.
