Here at Opera Holland Park we believe that artistic institutions should be at the forefront of leading the conversation on environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

As we prepare for our 2023 Season, we are revising and improving the measures we take towards environmental sustainability and embedding them into company-wide operations, creative work and business practice. We still have a lot to learn and we know change won’t happen overnight, but with the help of our friends across the industry, we are assessing and rethinking our practices going forward.

To keep things consistent and to make sure we manage our eco-measures to the best of our ability, we follow the 8-R practice: Reduce, Replace, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Refuse, Reject and Rethink.

Here are just some of the ways we ensure we are working in the most sustainable way possible:

  • In 2021 we rethought and reimagined our theatre site and auditorium, using upcycled reclaimed wood and repurposed shipping containers
  • All our chairs for the 2021 and 2022 Seasons were repurposed chairs previously used in past Opera Holland Park productions or donated by our theatre industry friends across the country
  • Furniture and decorations around the theatre during the 2021 Season were all taken from theatre props and furniture from our storage
  • We regularly share our props and resources with other theatres across London, and reuse the smallest elements of our old sets (such as braces, wheels and hinges) as much as possible
  • Our unusable sets are recycled with Scenery Salvage
  • We have transitioned to e-communication on and off-site and only use e-tickets
  • All our Box Office and Front of House working processes are 100% paperless, as are our production and artistic contracts
  • Our theatre is 100% LED lit 
  • Toilets at the Opera Holland Park theatre only use 0.6L of water on every flush and we use recycled toilet tissue and natural soaps for cleaning 
  • Our hospitality team uses local independent producers and suppliers as much as possible, primarily purchasing products that come from within a 50 mile radius of Opera Holland Park
  • We regularly brief our team on environmental measures and practices, and will continue educating the festival team and our patrons on sustainable practices
  • We actively encourage our patrons and our team to use public transport when travelling to the festival and we are cycle-friendly

In 2023 we commit to the following further action to improve our sustainability practices and reduce waste:

  • Single use plastic bottles, straws and napkins will be banned from being sold or used at our public and members’ bars
  • All single use plastic cups will be banned from use across all our hospitality platforms and backstage
  • We will encourage patrons to bring their own reusable plastic glasses in order to support the crucial changes above and reduce waste
  • Free water refill stations will continue to be made available on site, and we will encourage our patrons to bring their own reusable water bottles
  • We will expand our secure cycle parking on site to encourage our staff and patrons to travel to the park by bike
  • Our finance and administration departments aim to be 100% paperless by the start of the 2023 Season

We have an active Sustainability Working Group who creatively deliver on our Sustainability Guidelines, building on our past achievements and seeking new actions for the future.

To collaborate with us or find out more about our commitment to sustainability, please email us at info@operahollandpark.com.