To mark the launch of Climate Week 2012 (12-18 Mar), mac birmingham will be screening the critically acclaimed climate change documentary/drama/animation The Age of Stupid starring the late Pete Postlethwaite on Sun 11 Mar.
With the help of Invigour mac birmingham recently started generating its own electricity from solar panels which were installed at the end of 2011 in a significant move towards reducing the building’s carbon footprint. The energy generated will be used at mac birmingham, as well as supplying green energy to the National Grid.
The arts centre’s extensive refurbishment, which was completed May 2010, has provided numerous opportunities to become a lot more energy efficient. The building has been fitted with double glazing and greater insulation which minimises energy wastage, and the installation of a more efficient building management system allows greater control over aspects such as heating, and in turn reduces energy consumption. The building is fitted with light sensors and low-level lighting throughout, both in staff areas and many of the public spaces, avoiding unnecessary electricity usage.
Sets and equipment used in productions and exhibitions at the centre are re-used or recycled as much as possible or passed on to other arts organisations. Much of the framework which was custom-made to house artworks in last summer’s visual arts project anticurate, such as display cases, has been used in several projects around the building since; while the books used in the centre’s Christmas production The Lost Happy Endings were sourced from unwanted stock at Birmingham Central Library. Used cooking oil from the Bridges Café Bar is recycled to produce biofuels and industrial oils and the recycling of day-to-day products is encouraged around the building for staff and visitors, with mixed recycling bins in staff areas and public spaces.
mac birmingham’s catering team uses produce from local suppliers as much as possible in order to keep food miles to a minimum, and looks closely at the environmental impact policies which are in place for suppliers from further afield as a key part of the selection process. Fair Trade and ethically sound products are also used wherever possible.
The centre has been working with Centro on a scheme to encourage more people who work on or near Pershore Road to use public transport, cycle or walk to work. The new year saw new bicycle stands built for staff members to use, which was part funded by Centro as part of the national Travelwise scheme. Members of staff also run a swap shop – where they can exchange anything, from DVDs to clothes, encouraging “freecycling” to avoid wasting usable items.
Dorothy Wilson MBE, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of mac birmingham said, “We’re very proud of our many efforts to improve sustainability, and have a firm commitment to making this an ongoing concern. The refurbishment has given us the opportunity to embrace much more energy efficient features and, as with the solar panels, we’re constantly looking for new ideas to help reduce our environmental impact. Climate Week is a vitally important opportunity to celebrate the work by organisations such as ourselves and we’re glad to be supporting it with this special screening.”
The Age of Stupid will be shown at mac birmingham on Sun 11 Mar at 2pm. Tickets can be booked through www.macarts.co.uk or on 0121 446 3232.