The annual Charity Awards ceremony, sponsored by the Charities Aid Foundation and The Times newspaper, is the most high-profile event in the charity world calendar. Now in its ninth year, the awards recognise excellence in the management of charities, acknowledging the outstanding work and achievements of all charities, big or small, from across the UK and the tireless commitment of the people behind them. The charities, which submit their own entries, are each shortlisted for specific initiatives which have improved the delivery of their charitable objectives and which demonstrate an outstanding example of innovation and best practice from which other charities can learn.
The Charity Award judges recognised Arcola Theatre for its Arcola Energy project, an initiative aimed at making the Arcola Theatre the world's first carbon neutral theatre with the installation of state-of-the-art energy saving technologies throughout the building and the creation of the Arcola Energy Incubator. This will be a centre for new energy technology where artistic, entrepreneurial and technological creativity is brought together to develop initiatives to tackle climate change. If it wins its category the charity will then be in the running to pick up the Overall award for excellence in charity management - a prestigious award given to the best of the category winners, won last year by Storybook Dads.
For more on the Arcola Theatre and its campaign to become the first sustainable arts venue, look out for the forthcoming June issue of Lighting&Sound International magazine.
(Lee Baldock)
