In delivering our Summer 2023 exhibition Beyond Concrete, we challenged ourselves to think and act carefully about sustainability. This pledge encouraged us to look at our work in new ways and resulted in some amazing achievements.
Responsible Sourcing:
- 80% of materials used were locally sourced, reducing transportation emissions and supporting local businesses
Circular Material Life Cycle:
- 87% of materials were rented, repurposed, or have a planned sustainable afterlife, including recycling
CO2 Emission Avoidance:
- Our innovative planning and virtual collaboration – in the form of remote consultation with artists and the employment of local artists to fulfil project visions – resulted in the avoidance of 3 tonnes of CO2 emissions
Sustainability Audit:
- In addition to these exhibition-focused efforts, last year we began work on a longer-term investment in this area by conducting a Sustainability Audit of The Bentway’s operations, commissioning, and production policies.
- Completed in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA), this audit provided a cohesive picture of The Bentway’s impact areas and best practices such as venue analysis, energy efficiency, positive social impact and more. The audit is a vital early step in assessing where we are and creating benchmarks and goals for where we need to go.
Supporting emerging research practice:
- Our sustainability audit was also supported by our 2023 Public Space Fellows, Celeste Meledath and Ella Hough, who worked with The Bentway over six months to explore the intersection of sustainability and public space design, focusing on how to apply more ecological approaches to The Bentway’s work.
- Read about Celeste Meledeth’s research on the ‘Microclimates Of Winter Public Spaces’
- Explore Ella Hough’s project, The Benchway: Salvaged Materials in Public Space