Grace Theatre Company - Sustainability Mission Statement
written by the Sustainability in the Performing Arts Class
The Grace Theatre Company’s students, faculty, and contractors are committed to moving towards a sustainable future for the performing arts. We recognize the impact that theatre can have on both our community and the environment. We prioritize mindful production practices, waste reduction, and energy efficiency. We strive to minimize our carbon footprint while continuing to create inspiring performances. We will use creative problem-solving to seek innovative ways to integrate sustainability into all our work, from set and costume construction to theatre technology to audience engagement, without compromising our artistic integrity and production quality. Through this approach to the arts, the Grace Theater Company upholds the importance of environmental responsibility, and we hope to ensure that theatre remains a vibrant, sustainable art.
GASP! Where did all the water go? What’s your water footprint?
by Emma '26, Rostam '26, and William '26
- The water footprint is a measure of humanity’s appropriation of fresh water in volumes of water consumed and/or polluted. - Water Footprint Network
- For instance, most 95% of our water footprint is "hidden" in the food we eat—whereas a pound of lettuce contains a 15-gallon production cost, a pound of beef contains some 2,500 gallons, and chocolate still more.
- While our planet is completely covered with water, a mere 0.5% of the water is clean and drinkable.
- In America alone, the average person uses some 100 gallons of water on a daily basis, and dripping home faucets alone waste up to nearly 1 trillion gallons a year.
- Out of the world's estimated 7 billion people, 6 billion have access to mobile phones. Far fewer — only 4.5 billion people — have access to working toilets. Of the 2.5 billion who don't have proper sanitation, 1.1 billion defecate in the open, according to the study.
- The United Nations established World Toilet Day in 2001 to raise awareness about the global sanitation crisis.
Movements in Sustainability
By Isabelle '25
Over the past decade, there have been many sustainable movements in the arts. In addition to Coldplay’s widely publicized Music of the Spheres tour, which featured kinetic floors, solar-powered stages, and tree-planting initiatives, several other artists and organizations have launched impactful sustainability efforts in the performing arts. Another example includes Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever world tour, where she partnered with Reverb, an environmental nonprofit, to reduce emissions, ban plastic straws, and offer climate-focused “eco-villages” at concert venues. In the theater world, Broadway Green Alliance has worked since 2008 to reduce waste and promote recycling across New York productions, influencing costume reuse, digital script distribution, and energy-efficient lighting. At the GTC, we try and promote a sustainable way of life in the arts and beyond through costume recycling and repurposing as well as sustainable paint, lighting, and prop usage. We hope that the future of fine and performing arts will be greener and more supportive of a healthy climate.
