Stephen Crocker

Without any doubt, it is incumbent upon us all to think more and act faster in terms of addressing the climate crisis.  

When you lead a business you also have a responsibility to inspire change and encourage others more broadly.  However, within any business and in any sector, it is all too easy to get disheartened by the things you cannot control and therefore seemingly cannot immediately change.  

From Norwich Theatre’s perspective, I would love us to be able to promote and endorse reduced car usage – but the vast majority of our audiences can’t get home on public transport after an evening show.

It would be incredible if we could further reduce our energy consumption, on the back of years of consistent efficiencies and reductions – but lighting three stages does take a lot of electricity.  I long for the day when we never print another brochure, flyer or programme – but we’ve further to go yet as a society in terms of digital inclusion. 

I’ve adopted my own version of the Serenity Prayer in terms of this work: it’s about having the courage to change the things that we can right now and the creativity and bravery to constantly try to influence those things that we can’t change yet.  

At Norwich Theatre we are currently looking at our carbon footprint, what changes we could make, and what we need to learn about in our pledge to achieve net zero by 2030.

We have launched The Green Community Enquiry, an online survey which asks audiences across the region about how they think institutions should respond to the climate crisis, what role theatres should have, and how Norwich Theatre can make the most impact.

As a creative organisation, we feel we are able to go a step further beyond the practical in terms of what we can do. Earlier this year we launched our new Creative Matters season, this time focusing on Climate Stories.

The Creative Matters seasons originated from a need to listen, discuss and understand contemporary issues/current affairs through creativity, and have always involved partners, artists, and experts in the topic – we are certainly not the experts in climate science.

What we can offer is the power of creativity and storytelling to discover different perspectives on the climate crisis from a wide range of voices; to use performances, workshops, events and conversations to facilitate a space for people to explore and challenge their thoughts and feelings around a topic. 

The climate conversation is an emotive one for many. We aim to promote positive dialogue, welcoming people who experience these issues first hand, as well as those who are interested to find out more.

Perhaps you might be struggling with eco-anxiety, or be an activist and want your voice heard, or perhaps you simply do not understand what the fuss is about. 

Each month we also publish a podcast platforming the work and thought-leadership of others and with each episode themed around an issue. We hope these kind of initiatives will also support longer-term change in thoughts and actions.  

The most recent episode has just dropped featuring a discussion with choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne, a passionate advocate for sustainability and whose company has led the way in bringing about major change in how the theatre sector works in terms of environmental impact.

He was very clear that all organisations must work to lessen their environmental impact, take responsibility for their actions, and increase sustainability for future generations.

Touring companies and venues have an opportunity to inspire, inform and influence on environmental sustainability and we must always bear in mind that reducing environmental impact will require a collaborative effort. 

At Norwich Theatre we whole-heartedly share in this approach and see every positive intervention in terms of the climate crisis, no matter how small it might seem, as another step on this collective and collaborative endeavour.

Stephen Crocker is chief executive and creative director of Norwich Theatre.