As an opera company with a global outlook, we believe it is our responsibility to put environmental thinking and action at the heart of what we do.
Tackling the climate emergency is a joint effort. By engaging employees, musicians, audiences, communities, and supporters in the environmental process, we can help to reduce our environmental impact and carbon footprint, and inspire wider change towards a more sustainable future.
Operations – Reduce the environmental impact of our operations and buildings by continually monitoring our performance, reducing utility usage wherever possible and sustainably procuring goods and services
Productions – Establish a more sustainable production and touring model, and explore options to address environmental themes in our productions
Travel – Support and promote more sustainable travel options to our staff and audiences
Community – Embed environmental themes and engagement into our education and community programmes
Partnerships – Develop environmental collaboration with our partners and with individual supporters
Backstage at Leeds Grand Theatre during rehearsals for Pagliacci © Tom Arber
We’re proud to have won ‘Best Newcomer’ at Julie’s Bicycle Creative Green Awards 2019.
Nominated in our category alongside many other fantastic arts organisations, we were very excited to build on our Creative Green certification and have our environmental efforts recognised.
The Creative Green programme offers a broad range of services that help organisations scope, understand, prioritise and advocate environmentally sustainable practices, with the awards offering a moment for the sector to showcase their leadership in climate action.
Jamie Saye accepting 'Best Newcomer' on behalf of Opera North at Julie's Bicycle Creative Green Awards 2019
One of our key objectives is proactively establishing an environmentally sustainable production and touring model. Following the trial of a fully recycled set for the 2018 production, Not Such Quiet Girls, performed in the Howard Assembly Room, we have identified the new production of Handel’s Alcina as the next milestone – one of three Opera North mainstage productions to be performed in February and March 2021 in Leeds and taken on tour to Newcastle, Nottingham and Salford Quays.
Our aim is to build on this in the following year with a full season of three sustainable productions.
Alcina’s set will be fully recycled and nothing that appears on stage (set, props, costumes) will be newly purchased. The majority of the set will be sourced from existing productions currently stored at Opera North’s scenic warehouse in Kirkstall, and all other items will be bought from second-hand sources from within the Yorkshire and Humber region. The process of making the set, props and costume will also be considered. This is not just to include the direct environmental impact of the production itself, but the wider associated impact of Opera North and its supply chain.
