Increasing numbers of arts organisations are engaging with sustainability issues, but we’ve made it the most prominent and fundamental part of our work here at the Arcola Theatre. We don’t treat it as an operation – it’s a fundamental part of our organisation.

Our sustainability programme kicked off in 2007. It came from my engineering background – my PhD was on clean power stations. I spent 10 years working on renewable energy, but got frustrated. People come up with good ideas, but the pace of change is slow because people don’t change their lifestyle. In the arts, we can touch people and drive change much more quickly.

The theatre is leaving Arcola Street (pictured above), where we have been since our foundation in 2000, because our landlord is kicking us out. However, our new building [the former Colourworks factory on Ashwin Street] is slightly more beautiful and in a better location, putting us in the creative corner of Dalston Junction [pictured below], which is a lovely place to be, and closer to transport links. From an environmental perspective that’s a good thing, as fewer people will drive and take taxis. Although it’s a challenge for our development team, it’s ultimately a positive step forward, as we couldn’t do any serious building intervention with our old theatre to make it more environmentally friendly.

So how can you make transferring your entire operation from one building to another sustainable? Do the minimum amount of building work, keeping embodied carbon emissions low. Recycle all you can – we’re stripping out everything and reusing it in the new space. We’re also looking at putting in waterless, composting toilets and low-energy lighting. It’s all fairly out there – we’re pushing the boundaries a bit.

We’ve managed to cut our carbon emissions by about 20 to 30% since 2008. The key message is that you don’t need to go and buy loads of solar panels – how many lightbulbs could you save money on simply by changing them? Sustainability is a lifestyle and about making positive creative choices, not saying, “You can’t do that”.

At the Arcola, we want to build a centre for creativity and culture, blending high calibre work with youth and community arts programmes that train the next generation in both their craft and in building a sustainable lifestyle. In the new space, we’re creating the Energy Incubator, a curated hub of technology, product development and design companies, which will marry innovation and the arts together.

We also do Green Sundays: fun, social public open days themed around different sustainability areas. We’re also kicking off a sustainability in schools programme, where we run workshops looking at how to make new technology like wind turbines, fuel and hydrogen cells. That’s part of what we do – we want to teach people about theatre, but we also want to teach them about sustainability.

The most practical thing you can do as an individual is simply to minimise the impact of what you’re doing. Before you start worrying about whether you have enough money to buy the latest solar panel, think about whether you really need the light on. Don’t run around trying to find eco-paint, reuse some instead. Make a lifestyle choice for your future and challenge people’s ideas.

Ben Todd was talking to Miriam Zendle.