Cat & Mouse Theatre — Environmental Policy

Date adopted: June 2026
Policy owner: Company Directors
Next review: June 2027

1. Our commitment

Cat & Mouse Theatre creates immersive, walkabout, and workshop-based performances that bring people together in unexpected ways. We recognise that everything we do — from the shows we make to how we travel between them — has an impact on the environment. We also know that the communities we perform for, particularly young people, will live with the consequences of the climate emergency.

We are committed to reducing that impact. This policy sets out how we will embed environmental responsibility into our operations and productions, in a way that is practical, proportionate, and honest about where we are on the journey.

Our work is guided by the Theatre Green Book — the shared standard for sustainable theatre across the UK — and we aim to meet its Basic standard across our productions and operations. We also align with Arts Council England’s Environmental Responsibility Investment Principle and support Bristol’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030.

We don’t claim to have all the answers, but we commit to learning, improving, and being transparent about our progress.

2. What we will do

Travel and transport

Travel is our largest environmental impact — touring shows to festivals, events, and venues across the UK, as well as moving sets, props, and performers.

We will:

  • Plan tour schedules to minimise mileage where possible, grouping bookings by region
  • Prioritise public transport for company travel and encourage freelancers to do the same
  • Choose train over car or air for longer journeys wherever practical
  • When driving is unavoidable, maximise vehicle sharing and explore electric or low-emission hire options
  • Include sustainable travel information in audience-facing communications (public transport links, cycle parking) where venues allow
  • Track business mileage annually as part of our carbon monitoring

Materials, sets, props, and costumes

Immersive and walkabout theatre relies on striking visuals — but we can create impact without creating waste.

We will:

  • Design sets, props, and costumes with reuse in mind: at least 50% of materials will have a previous life and at least 65% will be reused, repurposed, or recycled at the end of a production (Theatre Green Book Basic standard)
  • Source second-hand, borrowed, or reclaimed materials before buying new
  • Avoid single-use materials and polystyrene wherever possible
  • Use water-based or recycled paints and low-toxicity adhesives
  • Maintain an inventory of reusable props, costumes, and set elements across productions
  • Where we have surplus materials we can’t store, offer them to other companies, makers, or community groups (and draw on networks like Theatre Alibi’s Sustainability Hub for south-west England)

Energy and our studio

We have a small office/studio space. While our energy footprint is modest, we will:

  • Switch to a renewable energy tariff where we control the energy supply
  • Minimise energy use: switch off equipment when not in use, use LED lighting, and avoid unnecessary heating or cooling
  • Engage with our office provider about their environmental practices and building energy efficiency
  • Apply the same principles when hiring rehearsal or performance venues: ask about their energy sourcing and sustainability commitments

Waste

We will:

  • Minimise waste at every stage: planning, production, performance, and strike
  • Recycle all recyclable materials and maintain clear recycling systems in our studio
  • Avoid single-use plastics in our operations and at events where we have control
  • Use digital-first communications (paperless contracts, invoicing, marketing) and avoid unnecessary printing
  • When print materials are essential, use recycled paper and environmentally responsible printers

Programming and storytelling

Some of our work already touches on environmental themes. We believe theatre has a unique power to shift how people see the world. We will:

  • Continue to explore opportunities to address climate, nature, and sustainability through our performances and workshops — not as a requirement for every show, but as a conscious part of our creative conversation
  • Where relevant, engage participants and audiences in thinking about their relationship with the natural world

Working with others

We work with freelance performers, makers, and creatives, and we want sustainability to be a shared endeavour, not a top-down mandate.

We will:

  • Share this policy with all freelancers and collaborators at the start of each project
  • Include a brief sustainability conversation in production planning — what can we do differently this time?
  • Ask venue and event partners about their environmental policies and practical provisions (recycling, energy, travel access)
  • Prefer local suppliers and environmentally responsible businesses where comparable in quality and cost
  • Engage our office provider on shared environmental goals

3. Monitoring and reporting

Good intentions need measurement. We will:

  • Use Julie’s Bicycle Creative Climate Tools (free for arts organisations) to calculate our annual carbon footprint, starting with Scope 1 and 2 emissions (energy, owned vehicles if applicable) and building toward Scope 3 (business travel, freight, waste, and procurement) as our capacity grows
  • Set an annual environmental target (e.g. reduce business mileage by X%, achieve Green Book Basic on all productions) and review it each year
  • Publish a short annual summary of our carbon data and progress on our website
  • Review and update this policy annually, or sooner if legislation or funding requirements change

4. Who is responsible

Overall responsibility for this policy sits with the Company Directors. They will:

  • Keep the policy current and lead the annual review
  • Track carbon data and progress against targets
  • Champion sustainability in production planning and day-to-day decisions
  • Stay connected with sector initiatives (Theatre Green Book, Julie’s Bicycle, Bristol cultural networks)

Every member of the core team and every freelancer we work with shares responsibility for making this policy real — through the choices they make, the materials they use, and how they travel.

5. Our networks and resources

We draw on the following organisations and frameworks:

This policy is published on our website and available to all collaborators, funders, and audiences.