Cornerhouse

 

Cornerhouse 2012/2013

Cornerhouse is Manchester’s international centre for contemporary visual arts and independent film and was opened in 1985 housing three floors of galleries, three cinema screens, a bar, café and bookshop. Patrons such Danny Boyle, Damien Hirst and Helen Mirren are among the organisation’s supporters and Cornerhouse welcome over 500,000 visitors each year.

Cornerhouse is now a recipient of a Gold Environmental Business Pledge award and has a sustainability action plan in place. Environmental action is communicated via …

• The Cornerhouse website where their carbon footprint is also disclosed (http://www.cornerhouse.org/our-environmental-policy). 
• Digitally promoting awareness through a staff podcast on environmental issues and the web page which includes a film detailing the extension of their recycling procedures to front of house areas.
• Internally through the Sustainability meeting which is held 5 times per year and notice boards in each staff area.
• Introduced through a Staff Environmental Sustainability Induction. It is important that environmental sustainability is embedded into all aspects of the Cornerhouse functions. This document has been designed to sit alongside the current induction and aims to provide information regarding sustainability and the environment at Cornerhouse.

Cornerhouse monitors electricity, gas and water usage on a monthly basis and has taken steps over the past two years to reduce consumption of all utilities. Next steps planned are to record energy usage overnight to find out what could be turned off to reduce electricity use further. The BMS has been reviewed to make sure systems aren’t coming on too early or switching off too late. 

Bio cleaning products introduced have not hindered the standard of cleaning by the cleaning department and will continue to be used.

The Visual Arts Department is working on recycling or reusing installation materials and will in future by ensuring that any wood used is being sourced sustainably & is at least FSC certified.  

The Marketing & Communications Department is constantly reviewing ways of raising environmental awareness by reviewing the print and digital programme.

From February 2013 Cornerhouse became a zero to landfill organisation by separating most recyclable waste for collection and ensuring our general waste is sorted into recycling and recovery by our contractor which prevents disposal of waste to landfill.

Both Travel plans and Procurement policies have been drawn up and will be introduced fully during 2013.

 

As an example of initiatives to engage audiences and visitors to their building and cafe, Cornerhouse comissioned this short film, "The Life of a Paper Cup" to encourage recycling:

Cornerhouse is a member of the Manchester Arts Sustainability Team (MAST), a partnership facilitaed by Julie's Bicycle.

MAST grew out of a desire to promote and share good environmental practice, and the recognition that good practice can be significantly enabled by working collaboratively. Read more >