At AND, we are committed to best sustainable policy and practice. We declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency and pledge to work towards reducing our emissions to Net Zero by 2025.
We are actively working to re-imagine and model ways that we can adapt to sustainable practices internally as well as with the creatives and individuals we work with internationally. We will continue to do what is possible to enable dialogue and expression about the effects of the emergency and the changes that are needed to support the growth of the planet.
We have developed a comprehensive Environmental and Sustainability Action Plan and are calculating our carbon footprint in order to gain a better understanding of our impact on the environment. We will continue to measure and control our impact.
Some of the key actions already in place or under development include:
- Knowledge sharing through initiatives such Manchester Arts Sustainability Team (MAST)
- Carbon Literacy training
- Accommodating to the needs of individual lifestyles e.g. flexible working times to encourage cycling to work
- A plan to plant trees in order to offset carbon emissions from necessary international travel
- Annual monitoring of environmental impacts using the carbon foot-print tool developed by Julie’s Bicycles. This includes travel, electricity & water usage and waste & recycling systems
- Sourcing locally and sustainably where possible, contributing to a circular economy – reducing waste and investing in the continual use of resources
- AND are collaborating with Arts Catalyst and Fast Familiar to explore environmental sustainability in relation to making work that uses digital technology through our collaborative project The Networked Condition. Collectively considering the environmental impact of the significant increase in content generation for online platforms.
- As part of the Networked Condition we’ve launched a Digital Carbon Calculating Tool, a free-to-use resource supports artists and arts producers to calculate the impact of past and planned projects.
As a National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England, we are required to report on our environmental activity through tools and resources provided by Julie’s Bicycles, a charity supporting the creative community in their sustainability endeavours. Additionally, we are participating in the Julie’s Bicycle Accelerator Programme, a collaboration between two cohorts of arts organisations and Julie’s Bicycles, to advance their sustainable practice and share insights with their peers and the wider sector. The programme will be looking at everything from touring models and audience engagement to design and supply chains, income generation and governance.
By using platforms, networks and tools available, we attempt to demonstrate and advocate for best practice within the creative community. We will continually review and refresh our practices as we aim to reach the collective goal; achieving Net Zero by 2025. We will support and encourage our staff, artists, partners, volunteers and everyone we work with toward creating a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.
If you are interested in learning more about climate change, Julie’s Bicycle provide a useful collection of resources.
We are also part of GMAST, and we are committed to working collectively to deliver regional climate targets.
Image: From the workshop Night of the Living Deadwood led by microbiologists Dr Rod Dillon and Dr Jackie Parry. Photo by Lucy Barker