Sustainability at Performance Venues

At Performance Venues, we’re committed to making our work as sustainable as possible – supporting the University of Sheffield’s ambition to deliver a net zero campus and create a more inclusive, connected and resilient university.

We’re already making great progress across our venues, aligning with the University’s Sustainability Strategy and Campus Decarbonisation Plan. Here’s a look at some of the things we’ve been doing – with plenty more to come!

Cutting Down on Single-Use Plastics

We’ve taken a fresh look at single-use plastics in our bars and backstage areas and are actively phasing them out wherever we can. So far, we’ve:

• Removed plastic cups from all water coolers
• Switched to single-use-free artist hospitality
• Begun trialling new reusable schemes at selected seated events

Going Digital with Programmes and Tickets

We’ve already moved almost all of our ticketing online, reducing paper waste across our events. And from autumn, we’re saying goodbye to printed event programmes too. Instead, audiences will be able to access content through NFC tags at each venue – making it quicker, cleaner and easier to find out what’s on.

We’re also supporting promoters and visiting companies to reduce their own use of printed materials – helping them transition to engaging digital alternatives that cut waste without cutting impact.

Sustainable Creative Practice

We’re embedding sustainability into our creative processes – especially when working with student ensembles, theatre companies and interns. This includes:

• Using the University’s music library to reduce unnecessary printing
• Reusing and repurposing props, sets and costumes
• Encouraging more sustainable decisions in production planning

Creative Reuse & Community Support

We’re finding ways to extend the life of useful items – and support our local community at the same time. Recent initiatives include:

• Donating unclaimed lost property to the Students’ Union Swapshop
• Passing on unused drapes and masking to the Foundry
• Giving leftover stationery from exams to Broomhall Homework Club
• Sharing surplus artist rider food with the SU’s Community Fridge
• Reusing existing furniture from elsewhere on the University to furnish our artists dressing rooms in the Octagon

Greening Our Outdoor Spaces and Supporting Biodiversity

We’re improving the Octagon’s bar terrace with new planting to boost biodiversity and create a greener, more welcoming space for audiences and staff. This is part of a wider university effort to enhance nature on campus, protect and restore green spaces, and embed nature-based solutions into the way we design and manage our estate. By supporting biodiversity, we’re also helping to build a campus that is more resilient to climate change and more engaging for people and wildlife.

Efficient Buildings and Resource Use

We’re upgrading our buildings to use less energy and water – supporting the University’s target to cut operational carbon emissions by 90% by 2035.

So far, we’ve:

• Replaced fluorescent working lights in the Octagon and Drama Studio with energy-efficient LEDs – delivering a 20% energy saving in the Octagon
• Installed water-saving controls on urinals and cisterns in the Octagon Centre
• Introduced localised control of the Octagon’s heating and cooling system – giving us greater flexibility to manage indoor environments efficiently

These improvements help us reduce emissions, save resources and improve comfort for our audiences, performers and staff.

Managing our sustainability activities

We’ve set up a dedicated Sustainability Committee to lead our sustainability work and make sure environmental thinking is embedded in everything we do. We’re aligning our activities with the University’s broader sustainability goals and working towards achieving the Theatre Green Book standards across our performance spaces.