Manchester Collective is a new kind of arts organisation, built for a fresh and diverse musical world. We create intimate and intense human experiences, inspired by the music that we love, for everyone. We are passionate about people and the planet, and we recognise our responsibility to put forward-thinking environmental sustainability at the heart of what we do. By fully embedding sustainability into the heart of our organisation, we hope to support and inspire our audiences, communities, partners, stakeholders and fellow arts organisations to take action and play their part in creating a better world for everyone.

We commit to:

• Embedding sustainability principles into all Manchester Collective activities

• Establishing a baseline for our operational activities at Manchester Collective HQ

• Reducing the environmental footprint of our concert tours

• Researching how to reduce the environmental footprint of broadcasts and recordings

• Complying with all environmental legislation

• Reviewing our sustainability policies and Environmental Action Plan annually

• Providing information on our sustainability activities on our website

Organisational culture

• Manchester Collective’s Environmental Sustainability Subcommittee will oversee the delivery of sustainability policies and the Environmental Action Plan and report progress quarterly to the Board of Trustees.

• We will ensure that everyone involved in the Collective – staff, board and freelance creative, artistic and production staff – play a part in the Environmental Action Plan to ensure its success.

Artistic advocacy

• Climate-related themes will be integrated into artistic content and programme development.

• We will raise awareness of environmental sustainability with our musicians.

Buildings and operations

• We will take action to understand our baseline energy use, waste & recycling and water use at the Collective’s HQ and reduce our carbon footprint.

• By reviewing our procurement specifications, we will ensure future purchases are more sustainable.

Touring and performances

• Sustainability and its measurement will be incorporated into production briefs.

• We will review the touring programme to understand how our carbon footprint can be reduced each year.

Travel: staff, artists and audiences

• We will raise awareness of our policy on sustainable travel to all artists and staff that work with the Collective.

• Audiences will be encouraged to travel to concerts sustainably by the Collective adopting measures that promote the uptake of low carbon travel options.

• A decision matrix for international touring will ensure sustainability is considered and travel is justified.

Digital

• A project to understand the environmental footprint of broadcasting, recording and the production of vinyl and CDs will be initiated.

• We will share sector-leading practice relating to our audiences, artistic programme and performances on our website and other platforms.

Green Touring Policy

There are inevitable impacts of touring and producing live shows, with each country and continent holding their own opportunities and challenges. In seeking to reduce the environmental footprint of our tours, we commit to:

• Actively assessing the sustainability of our UK, European and International touring alongside strategic, commercial, and artistic considerations

• Collaborating with venues, agents and other partners to improve the long-term sustainability of our tours. This policy is promoted to all our musicians and freelance staff, as well as all individuals that MC engages

• Providing venues with a Green Rider, which outlines requests that make our on-stage and back-stage activities, as well as the audience’s experience, more sustainable including:

  • Any catering to be primarily plant-based

  • Avoiding all single-use plastics

  • Providing access to water refilling facilities

  • Minimising waste and maximising the use of clearly labelled recycling facilities

  • Saving electricity backstage by only turning on lights, air conditioning, heating, fridges, etc. shortly before the artists arrive and turning them off promptly when not needed. Where possible, performance equipment should be switched off when not in use

  • Reuse and reclamation of any left-over usable materials post event. Printed materials should be kept to a minimum and QR codes favoured to access online concert information

• Using public transport, low-carbon modes of travel and considering slower journeys to reduce our carbon emissions. We will ask venues to provide audience members with information about sustainable modes of transport to the concert

• Booking hotel accommodation as close to the venue as possible to minimise transport to and from the performance

• Using this policy in conjunction with our Sustainable Procurement Policy

• Reviewing our Green Touring Policy annually

Sustainable Procurement Policy

In seeking goods and services that help us to operate more sustainably, cost-effectively and lower our carbon footprint, we commit to:

• Ensuring our people involved in sustainable procurement receive appropriate guidance

• Seeking suppliers and supply chains that are committed to operating sustainably and can demonstrate their sustainability credentials

• Sharing our sustainable procurement policy with all potential suppliers

• Increasing the use of sustainable materials and office consumables

• Using energy efficient equipment

• Minimising the amount of waste created by our activities. We will re-purpose and recycle materials wherever possible and otherwise ensure they are disposed of responsibly

• Using products with recycled content where appropriate

• Refusing to procure products made of single-use plastic

• Reducing the environmental footprint of our concert tours, including the consideration of equipment, marketing materials and food and beverage choices

• Reviewing our Sustainable Procurement Policy annually