Hull Truck Theatre
Sustainability takes centre stage as Hull Truck Theatre strives for net zero
Theatre has the power to inspire change.
It is provocative, influential and challenges perceptions and behaviours.
In an age when audiences are more conscious than ever before of the impacts of climate change, theatre can act as a force for good.
Hull Truck Theatre has created and delivered unforgettable productions for more than half a century.
Oh Yes! Net Zero recently sat down with Sarah Barton, Head of Production at Hull Truck Theatre, to discuss how the theatre is driving positive environmental change and inspiring audiences to play their part.
Sustainability at the core of funding decisions
“We can’t be 100 per cent perfect all the time, but what we can do is look at the things within our control, that we can impact, and start there.”
Sarah Barton
Production Manager, Hull Truck Theatre.
While the productions Hull Truck Theatre delivers are unique, the challenges the organisation faces when it comes to sustainability are not.
Like many businesses, the theatre is reliant on funding from institutions such as Arts Council England and Hull City Council. That funding is critical to putting on the performances which have enthralled audiences for decades.
To secure the funding, Hull Truck Theatre is accountable in a variety of ways. One of those, is sustainability.
The theatre reports its carbon emissions to Julie’s Bicycle – a pioneering not-for-profit which is mobilising arts and culture to take action against climate change.
Hull Truck Theatre has also signed up to the Theatre Green Book, a standard agreed by leading voices and bodies across the arts and cultural sectors, to deliver environmentally sustainable theatre.
“We are so fortunate at Hull Truck Theatre that we are in a position to inspire change,” Sarah said.
“Being based in Hull, we have seen the impact of climate change first-hand with increasing temperatures and severe flooding events. We have just as much responsibility to tackle those impacts as any other organisation in the region.”
Video Case Study
We sat down with Sarah Barton, Production Manager at Hull Truck, to find out how the theatre has embraced sustainability through its people, productions and operations.
Delivering unforgettable theatre for more than five decades.
The Theatre Green Book has three key focuses – production, buildings and operations. It covers a broad range of subjects, from the materials and props used in theatre, to the energy efficiency of buildings and how audiences are inspired to think more sustainably.
One target within the Green Book is for theatre companies to hit is for 50 per cent of materials used on stage to be recyclable or reusable.
So, how has Hull Truck Theatre responded to the challenge?
Reimagining theatre for a greener future
Arts Council England has four key investment principles. One of those is environmental responsibility.
Theatre companies must therefore reimagine how they create and deliver productions.
For us at Hull Truck Theatre, this also aligns with the Hull City Council community plan’s ambition to respond to the climate and nature emergency.
To support with this mission, the Theatre Green Book provides guidance on ways to reduce the environmental impact of productions.
‘Working towards a sustainable world aligns with our values’
In September 2023, Hull Truck Theatre announced ‘Pop Music’ would be its first production to follow the Theatre Green Book.
“Typically, we have created something in our imaginations which is bespoke, and then we create the props and the scenery we need specifically for that production,” Sarah said.
“With Pop Music, we approached things differently. We looked a lot more closely at how we sourced materials, and the suppliers we work with.”
Set at a wedding, biodegradable confetti was sourced and composted at the end of the production. A chandelier was made from glassware that was acquired second-hand from a lady selling them online after her own wedding.
Pop Music finished earlier in the evening than typical performances, to encourage more people to use public transport to travel to and from the theatre.
Pop Music featured a chandelier made from pre-loved glassware.
Throughout the year, Hull Truck Theatre has implemented other environmental initiatives. For its Christmas production in 2024, as part of Hull Truck Theatre’s partnership with Oh Yes! Net Zero member Hull Trains, the theatre provided visitors with a discount on ice creams at the theatre when displaying their train ticket.
“Working towards a sustainable world aligns with our values,” Sarah said.
“We can’t be 100 percent perfect all the time, but what we can do is look at the things within our control, that we can impact, and start there.”
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Sustainability doesn’t have to cost the earth … but it will help it!
Hull Truck Theatre has had an internal cross-departmental Green Action Group for several years and this group is steering the theatre’s route towards net zero.
On the roof of the theatre are 80 solar panels, which at peak generation can power most of the building’s lighting.
Heating and cooling is controlled by a Building Management System and a bore hole to maximise efficiency, with replacement of lighting to LED’s further reducing the environmental impact of the building.
All drinkware, cutlery and food boxes are plant-based and compostable, and Hull Truck Theatre works closely with its catering partner Shoot the Bull to offer plant-based meals at its bar.
“People look at sustainability and think it will cost more, but that’s not always the case,” Sarah said.
“We’re looking at the next three to five years and the rising cost of energy. If we can use less energy and be more efficient, that will have a financial benefit for us.”
Joining the Oh Yes! community
Hull Truck Theatre is one of more than 170 active Oh Yes! Net Zero members.
Having completed a Carbon Clinic workshop, Hull Truck Theatre now has a carbon reduction plan in place as it strives to reach net zero by 2045, in line with Hull City Council’s net zero target.
Sarah said: “It’s easy to think you need to innovate a new way of working, but there is so much that can be learned from what others are doing.
“Oh Yes! Net Zero creates a community of people that makes it a little bit easier to set those climate goals and reach them.”
With sustainability and awe-inspiring theatre working hand in hand, Hull Truck Theatre is playing its part in creating a greener future for arts and culture.
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