SiPA's Craig Bennett reported that "over 70 representatives of all corners of live production had come together over the last year to uncover 10 shared goals, formed from stories from across our industry".
The initiative encompasses issues around equality, well-being, education and development, waste, procurement, renewable energy, transparent reporting of environmental and social impacts, fair pay and resilient industry economics.
Leading the ratification of the goals by industry figureheads, Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) CEO Matthew Griffiths said: "We need to move quickly to finding resolution to sustainability: the way we're living alongside one another and the way we're treating the planet. This is something we have to do now. If we don't, the next generation are going to have a major problem on their hands. The current generation has had little incentive to act - we need to change that. It's all of our problem - now we all have to be part of the solution."
In an impassioned endorsement of the SiPA goals, which she described as "a call to arms", multi award-winning international lighting designer Paule Constable said: "It's an opportunity for us to define the terms under which we make our work. Don't be the outsider... make people who think these issues are not a concern of the outsiders. We need CEOs, artistic and executive directors to believe in the SiPA goals as much as anyone on the shop floor. Change has to be believed in from above."
Claire Appleby of The Theatres Trust, a supporter of the creation of the SiPA goals, added: "Through working together, as an alliance, we're stronger. We can bring about change. SiPA is a movement with momentum and with it we can achieve a green economy and a fairer future."
Tom Harper of Unusual Rigging and one of the founding members of SiPA, urged the industry to note that "The word economics is derived from the Greek 'house management'. How do we want to manage our home, our planet better?"
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama's Nick Moran said: "The ideas behind this come from a whole range of people involved in live production. It really is important that we all buy into this, for the sustainability, in the broadest sense, of everything we do."
SiPA's Craig Bennett stressed the importance of balancing the social and economic dimensions of sustainability as well as the environmental by asking, "What are the social consequences of change, what are the economic costs and what are the benefits? How do our decisions affect the entire supply chain? Who is working in that chain and under what conditions? Who can get hurt in the process? Do we really understand the impact of our choices?"
PLASA's Matthew Griffiths added: "We need practical, innovative solutions. And we shouldn't be scared about saying that, within innovation, not only do we have solutions, we have profitable solutions. There's a fiscal reason to innovate sustainable solutions as well as the very clear human one."
In describing the initiative, Craig Bennett said,"SiPA provides both inspiration and a hub. SiPA is about all of us doing it for everyone. We are extremely fortunate to have organisations out there with specific and focused remits that are working really hard on many of these issues already. We do not need to re-invent the wheel, we need to help it turn more efficiently by working together."
Juliet Hayes, risk and sustainability manager at the Ambassador Theatre Group, stated, "With SiPA entering the picture, it's a very good opportunity to join these very strong, like-minded people together - all passionate about the goals SiPA has put forward. We need collective expertise in response to
