Storyhouse Futures

Storyhouse Futures explores our influence on the world around us and inspires us to make a positive impact by adopting a more sustainable way of living.

In November, there will be two weeks of events, shows, films and activities at Storyhouse dedicated to sustainability.

Beyond the festival, whenever you see the Storyhouse Futures stamp on a show, story, event, film or project throughout the year, it signals that it’s part of our ongoing commitment to a more sustainable future.

Inspire. Influence. Impact.

Storyhouse is committed to minimising our own carbon footprint.

We also recognise our responsibility to raise awareness of the climate crisis and support our local community to explore their own impact on their environments.

Sustainability at Storyhouse

Solar Panels: we have installed solar panels across Storyhouse’s full flat roof, resulting in an annual CO2 saving of over 48,000kg. Over four months of 2025’s sunny summer, we have already saved enough CO2 to power 20 homes for a year – or the equivalent of 350 trees!
LED Lights: all bulbs and fittings at Storyhouse, once they reach the end of their life, are replaced with LEDs. We are aiming for 100% LED by 2028.
Energy and water use: we have invested in operational changes to reduce usage of electricity, water and gas.We have already reduced our annual gas usage by 40%.
Waste: zero waste from Storyhouse goes to landfill.
No single-use plastics: we do not use single-use plastic cutlery, polystyrene, cups, sauce sachets or straws.
Bees: we have three thriving bee colonies, to create pollinators and benefit the local eco-system. You can buy Storyhouse honey in The Kitchen!
Theatre Green Book: we’re adopting methodologies from this industry-wide theatre initiative to track and measure sustainability progress across our theatre work.
Working with Schools: our creative sessions in schools will have a sustainability focus, with a new Forest School initiative in development too.
Vintage and repair markets: Storyhouse will host and support market events at Storyhouse and in Chester that the use and second life of repaired and pre-loved items.
Working together: we are working with partner organisations to support sustainability, including being part of Chester Zoo’s Sustainable Palm Oil City campaign.
Raising Awareness: we will provide stages and screens for relevant films, performances, shows and events that align with our sustainability aims, both as part of Storyhouse Futures festival in November and throughout the year. This includes People, Planet, Pictures, an impactful series of films, shown throughout 2025, explores the pressing issues affecting people and our planet.
Creative materials: we’ve developed a new policy to centralise stock to reduce waste and encourage reuse of materials.
Encouraging sustainable travel: we are exploring ways to support sustainable travel to Storyhouse for audiences