At M6 Theatre, we are committed to championing environmental sustainability and responding meaningfully to the climate emergency.
We recognise the challenges we face as a small touring theatre company, including the environmental costs of travel and the realities of working within limited budgets and capacity.
Despite these constraints, we are working hard to:
- Understand and minimise our impact by continually reviewing and evaluating our practices.
- Monitor and report on our activities to ensure accountability.
- Reduce our carbon footprint through realistic actions.
- Embed sustainability into our artistic and organisational decisions.
Advocating for environmental responsibility
We believe that story telling is our greatest tool – one with the power to shift hearts and minds. Through our unique position working with children and young people, artists and partners, we aim to influence, educate and advocate for environmental responsibility. We will do this through a mix of powerful theatre, interventions, education resources and the way we work.
Our Commitments in Action
- Embedding a love for nature in our art: Nurturing a love and respect for the natural world is a theme that runs through our entire artistic programme.
- Creative climate education: Touring The Storm, our climate emergency resource, to primary schools as a workshop that inspires positive action.
- Governance with purpose: Establishing a Green Team at board level to ensure sustainability is embedded in decision-making.
- Circular creativity: Reusing sets, props, and costumes by storing and retouring productions, or repurposing them for Youth Theatre. Working towards Theatre Green Book preliminary accreditation.
- Carbon literacy for all: Training staff, freelancers, and trustees to understand and act on their environmental impact.
We believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through collective action and collaborating across the cultural sector.
We are dedicated to working together with our funders, partners and peers to address the climate emergency. Through our 3‑year Environmental Responsibility Plan with Arts Council England, we are embedding sustainable practices across our work and championing collective action.
We actively engage with national and regional initiatives including Julie’s Bicycle, Theatre Green Book, Culture Declares and the Greater Manchester Arts Sustainability Team. Locally, we proudly support Rochdale Borough Council and Greater Manchester’s shared commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2038.
Most importantly, we are committed to listening to children and young people — the audiences and participants who will live with the long term impacts of climate change.
We value their voices, their ideas, and their concerns, and we will act on what they tell us. By supporting them to advocate for themselves, we aim to empower the next generation to shape a sustainable future.
To see our Environmental Policy & Action Plan, click here.
We are always looking for opportunities to share best practices with other organisations.
Please contact [email protected] to discuss further.
For more information on our creative climate workshops, visit The Storm.
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How you can get involved in climate action in Rochdale Borough
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Network for cultural and creative organisations in GM
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