Recent record temperatures have created serious challenges for many cultural venues and for the people who work and perform in them. Some buildings have struggled to remain open, while performers, front-of-house teams and technical staff have had to cope with conditions for which many older venues were simply not designed, writes Nicholas Keyworth, former artistic director of an arts venue.
Equity has warned that extreme heat is now a workplace safety issue for the entertainment industry. But the problem goes beyond emergency heatwave planning. If Britain’s theatres, concert halls and arts centres are to remain open, accessible and sustainable, they need to become far more resilient to extremes of temperature.
Five years ago, the Oxford Playhouse started a project to make this Grade II* listed building more energy efficient. This included installing new air curtains, door seals and secondary window glazing. The ageing air conditioning systems were upgraded and lights changed to cooler and more energy efficient LEDs.
But retrofitting our cultural buildings in this way is incredibly expensive. In these days of tight budgets, the listed status of many cultural buildings can restrict what is possible still further.
The Playhouse spent around £35,000 on this project, but this represents a saving of around £13,710 per year on energy bills. Considered as a long-term investment, it has been worthwhile.
Our cultural buildings are a huge national asset. Not only do they provide employment and attract national and international visitors, they also act as vibrant community hubs.
But this asset is in urgent need of investment, and the climate emergency has made that need more pressing. The drive to decarbonise is clear in Arts Council England and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre’s recent report, The Path to Net Zero, and is increasingly shared by funders and the public. We also now have ample evidence of the benefits of such projects. This means that there is a real opportunity for cultural organisations to lead the way and become genuine trailblazers.
As ever, the problem is finance. Fundraising for upgraded air-conditioning, insulation or heat-management systems will rarely be as attractive as raising money for a new Steinway piano or a visible capital project. Add in expert consultation, planning requirements and the complexities of working with heritage buildings, and it is easy to see why retrofit projects are often postponed.
Yet the economics are becoming harder to ignore. Recent case studies suggest that well-planned retrofit schemes can deliver measurable energy and carbon reductions. Drawing on seven case studies, the report found a simple average return on investment of 10.7%. For cultural organisations facing rising energy costs, this changes the conversation. Retrofitting is not simply an environmental responsibility; it can also be a route to long-term financial resilience.
The challenge now is to connect cultural leaders, funders and impact-driven investors around practical, fundable projects. The Path to Net Zero is part of a wider effort to reduce the sector’s environmental impact while making cultural organisations more economically resilient and strengthening their social impact.
Extreme heat has made the issue impossible to ignore. If we want our theatres, concert halls and arts centres to remain open, welcoming and safe, we need to invest in them now. Keeping our cool may prove to be one of the cultural sector’s most urgent climate challenges.
Arts Council England and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre: *The Path to Net Zero: Exploring Funding Options for Retrofitting Cultural Buildings