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Environmental sustainability at the One Dance UK Awards
As Spring begins to blossom and Earth Day approaches, we want to shine a light on the Green Award shortlistees from our Awards to help inspire others.
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Magpie Dance receiving the Green Award at the One Dance UK Awards ceremony in 2025. Credit: Point of View photography.
As part of the One Dance UK Awards, each year, we award an individual or organisation with the Green Dance Award, which celebrates any form of work that uses dance as a tool to spotlight and respond to the environment and climate crisis. This could be a specific project or person whose work has helped raise awareness, changed industry behaviours or responded artistically to environmental issues. The work can be in any genre, scale, location or remit within dance.
This year, we wanted to spotlight the three people who made it onto the shortlist for this award, as we believe they offer excellent examples of how to incorporate environmental responsibility into the dance sector. We understand it's hard to know where to start, as climate change can seem like such an overwhelming challenge to face, but we hope these examples can inspire you to take small steps that can make a big difference. You will also find links to additional resources below that are useful if you're interested in learning more about this topic.
As part of our own work to reduce the environmental impact at the Awards, we use recycled acrylic for the awards trophies, reuse materials and signage each year, travel by train and have switched to providing only vegan food, using local suppliers wherever possible. Additionally, our table decor this year was upcycled by another dance organisation who used the materials to make costumes for a future performance.
The Green Award Shortlist 2025
Lîla Dance
Lîla Dance’s Fault Lines was developed entirely as a sustainable production that explores the environmental damage we’ve inflicted on our planet. The show was made to tour via public transport with only 2 digital projectors that create a digital world and recycled and reused costumes. Partner charity UK Harvest provided food for the company that would otherwise be destined for landfill and creatives cooked together to save fuel and create community. Lîla are embodying an alternative approach to sustainable dance making and presenting.
Magpie Dance
https://www.magpiedance.org.uk/
Magpie Dance’s project, Our Land, explores climate crisis and environmental issues. Through over 500 activities across the year – including weekly sessions, community workshops, visits to theatres and environmental organisations, and performances – participants and audiences learnt about the climate crisis, and how they can contribute on a practical level. Over 1,000 people were involved as participants, and over 20,000 have encountered the project through live and digital performances.
RJC Dance & Mango Arts
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ml6by69t6btyh6ek0zocv/
rjc_dance_-mango-arts-carnival_2024-Green-Dance-Awards-4k.
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Working in partnership since 2009 RJC Dance and Mango Arts have addressed the need for more sustainability within the costume/performing arts/carnival/street theatre sectors. ‘Natro-Beat Carnival Troupe’ 2023 designed with fully biodegradable costumes worn by RJC Dance Youth Provision at Leeds West Indian Carnival. Winning ‘Best Overall Troupe’ and further raising awareness for more sustainable approaches to large scale events. In 2024 our Carnival troupe ‘AZUL’... themed ‘Think Green - Save Blue’ addressed the climate crisis and the need to protect oceans and water sources. Focused on single use plastic, recycled industrial and clothing waste into beautiful, flowing and dynamic Carnival costumes.
MORE RESOURCES
Theatre Green Book Toolkit: Green Contract Riders
This toolkit contains a template Green Rider for the venues you visit on tour.
Theatre Green Book Guidance for Dance
Whilst the Theatre Green Book Productions guidance can easily be applied to dance shows, there are some dance-specific things to consider.
Julie's Bicycle Resources
Explore Julie's Bicycle's resource hub for practical tools and support on how to take climate action now and to get up to speed on policy.
One Dance UK in Conversation with Andrew Ashton, New Adventures
Andrew Ashton, Environmental Sustainability Manager at New Adventures, provides insight into environmental sustainability. Drawing on his experiences of sustainable touring the conversation will provide suggestions on ways for us all to be greener.
SAIL
A pioneering not-for-profit that supports the creative and cultural industries to be environmentally sustainable.
ONE Magazine Spring 2024
This edition of ONE Magazine has a special focus on sustainability, including an article from Julie's Bicycle who talks about taking climate action.