We recognise that becoming truly sustainable requires innovation and transformation of conventional practices. At Birmingham Hippodrome, we seek new initiatives which push our sustainability boundaries to exciting new projects.
Sustainability Champions
The Sustainability Champions working group was formed in July 2024 to further sustainability efforts across the entire theatre. Formed of representatives from every department, the Champions guide and inform key policies and strategies regarding Birmingham Hippodrome’s long-term environmental plans using their specialised knowledge. All Sustainability Champions are Carbon Literacy Trained and attend extra industry sustainability events as part of their role. The Sustainability Champions also function as our Green Committee for our Theatre Green Book certification efforts.
ISO Certification
Birmingham Hippodrome was the first theatre in the UK to be certificated to ISO 14001, the international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system. Implementing an effective Environmental Management System (a requirement of achieving ISO 14001:2015) demonstrates that Birmingham Hippodrome is amongst those companies that care enough to reduce their environmental footprint.
Theatre Green Book
Birmingham Hippodrome has now exceeded Theatre Green Book (TGB) Preliminary certification, recognising our efforts so far and showing our commitment to further meaningful change in the future. The Theatre Green Book provides information about how to operate a theatre building and put on shows sustainably which will inform our Five Year Plan capital project and the work of our New Musicals team. A representative from Birmingham Hippodrome sits on the TGB Steering Committee, which guides the future development of the organisation’s frameworks, as well as the Touring Committee, where theatre companies and freelancers across the UK come together to innovate for more sustainable touring.
We were delighted to be invited to attend the first Theatre Green Book Conference in London, where we heard about how the Green Book is being applied internationally and how we can accelerate our own environmental work in the future.
Sustainable Arts West Midlands (SAWM)
We are proud to be a member of Sustainable Arts West Midlands, a regional sustainability forum bringing together arts organisations across theatre, visual art, museums, and more to share ideas and resources. From 2025 onwards, we have helped the MAC to coordinate the group in order to increase its visibility and effectiveness.