At Norwich Theatre, we are committed to supporting our environment and inspiring other to do the same. We are working together as three stages to reduce our carbon footprint and are implementing dedicated strategies to help strengthen our creative green future.

We work closely with Julie’s Bicycle (an environmental charity supporting the creative community) to reduce our impact on Norwich through promoting in-house recycling, reducing energy usage with touring productions, offer suggestions of low-pollution and low-carbon travel choices to staff and audience members, as well as holding regular internal maintenance sessions to ensure we are as green as we can be!

What changes have we made?

All front-of-house spotlights have been changed from 50W bulbs to 4W LED lights. We have also installed movement sensors for the lights in all front-of-house toilets so they only come on when people are in the room.

The taps in the toilets are all push button so they are never left running and the flushes are all dual flush, with an Eco Flush sticker to encourage water saving.

We separate all our waste and an average of 98% is recycled. This includes having food waste bins for staff and mixed recycling inside the auditorium.

We use rechargeable batteries in our radio mics and encourage touring productions to collect and donate their old batteries to the Hamlet Centre so they can use them to their full potential. Some of the big productions can use up to 75 batteries a show and they will only use them once!

We source much of our food and drink locally.

We have signed up to a 100% renewable energy tariff.

We have replaced our old 1972 boilers with new more energy efficient ones.

Our ice cream tubs are made from paper and hold a wooden spoon, completely plastic free.

Our straws  are 100% compostable.

We have push-button taps and dual-flush toilets to reduce water.

Awards

Theatre Royal

Won the Improvement Award at the 2019 Creative Green Awards for our efforts to reduce our impact on the environment over the last ten years.

Theatre Royal was also awarded a 5 Star Creative Green Certification from Julies Bicycle for the 9th year running in recognition of its commitment to managing its carbon and improving its environmental impacts.

Creative Green certification is developed by Julie’s Bicycle for music, theatre and the wider creative industries. By achieving Creative Green certification, Norwich Theatre is joining the UK creative industry’s response to climate change and environmental sustainability.

Our key strengths from the award included:

• Our exceptional commitment to sustainability within management and staff
• Measuring our environmental impact beyond the Creative Green scope
• Achieving brilliant results in the reduction of our carbon emissions
• Our excellent engagement measures with staff and audiences