MEASUREMENT TOOLS

The information and resources on this page are here to help guide non-profit, regional, and academic theatre companies in assessing their sustainable impact. Modules include: Benchmarking & Certification; Measuring Environmental, Social and Financial Impact.

This section is a collaboration of the Sustainable Production Toolkit and BGA

Considerations for Civil Society in Developing Technical Mechanisms for Mitigation:

“In the context of the international climate negotiations (COP), it is easy as civil society organizations to focus on tackling climate change from the perspective of “mitigation and adaptation” and its more technical aspects...Navigating this technical language allows us to understand, communicate, influence and generate proposals for action...Amid all this, however, it is crucial to recognize that each technical proposal, each mitigation mechanism, each adaptation measure has an impact. Reveals a stance. In a world and system marked by historical power relations, it will necessarily benefit some and not others. It is necessary to recognize, explain and question this by introducing our own terms to the conversation: a language of clear political stances, understanding in politics, such as life, the scope of power relations and justice.” 

Source: 350.org - Facing climate change through justice and intersectionality

a holistic approach

A holistic approach to benchmarking and measuring impact considers the three aspects of sustainability in tandem with your organization’s unique mission, vision and values.

Social

Ensure an antiracist, equitable, and inclusive community where all members can contribute, working in a healthy environment for fair and liveable wages and hours.

• Environmental

  Protect our communities and the planet from degradation, through responsible and regenerative operating, design, and production practices. Build a responsible relationship to land and natural resources.

  Economic 

  Budgeting and season planning that supports sustained operations, livelihoods and equitable wages for staff and guest artists.

benchmarking: environmental

Scope 1, 2, 3 Emissions

Scopes 1-3 help calculate the carbon footprint of an organization. Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions, Scope 2 and 3 are indirect emissions such as audience travel.

Questions related to environmental considerations can be found throughout the SPT Benchmarking Tool.

benchmarking: Social

Social sustainability embeds equity and justice into an organization. It is an investment in well-being of the staff, artists, community and organization.

Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing (ejnet.org)

Questions to Consider:

• Is your organization actively and consistently embedding anti-racism into your value system, culture, and work practices?

• How is burnout being addressed within my organization? 

• Do your organization's facilities meet accessibility guidelines?

• What committees do you have?

• Do you have a short to long-term plan to ensure designers, faculty and staff have commensurate resources and equal support? 

benchmarking: financial sustainability

Consider how to invest in artists, well-being and programming in a way that is equitable, transparent and community-centered.

‘Let’s Get to Work,’ Mark Kelly Says - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Questions to Consider:

• Do you have a wage parity action plan?

• At what rate does your organization compensate outside artists, relative to a comparable union scale for your level of production?

• At what rate does your organization compensate part-time labor, relative to the living wage for your area?

• Are your budgets fairly consistent from year to year, or do they fluctuate depending on outside sources of funding?

• Do you have a budget line for design builds and/or alterations?

• Do you have a budget line item for design assistants and/or build positions for each production that suits the size, scale, and style of the production?

benchmarking: budgeting

One approach to reducing the carbon footprint of scenery is to minimize the use of new materials.  The budget is the best place to start.

• Set a goal, e.g. no more than 50% new materials

• Put a dollar value on stock items

• Break your materials budget into three columns tracking stock, used, and new materials separately

• Reallocate funds from materials toward labor and transport needed to source used materials

• Save money on disposal - no more dumpsters!

Sample Scenic Design Budget for Peer Gynt from Barnard College Department of TheatrE

Examples of Benchmarking and Certification Tools

measurement tools Authors & process

From September - December 2020, a group of thought-leaders from across the country joined together as part of a Leadership Task Force to develop sustainability modules. This Task Force and the subsequent modules were the result of a collaboration between the Broadway Green Alliance and the Sustainable Production Toolkit (Mike Banta, Lauren Gaston, Sandra Goldmark, and Edward T. Morris).

This document was written by and for the regional, non-profit, and academic theatre community and, as such, provides many recommendations specific to those forms. However, the recommendations are applicable to theatre makers and artists in any location. We suggest readers seek out local, comparable alternatives and reach out to the Broadway Green Alliance for assistance or to share suggestions.

We welcome your feedback, recommendations, and thoughts. Please email questions and suggestions to the BGA.

Task Force Members:

Mike Banta, Sarah Bartlo Chaplin, Devon Berkshire, Molly Braverman, Kimberly Butler-Gilkeson, Zinarta Judea Cruse, Charlie Deull, Krissy Dove, Ian Garrett, Lauren Gaston, Napoleon Gladney, Sandra Goldmark, Branden Huldeen, Katie Liberman, Lauren Mandras, Davis McCallum, Edward T. Morris, Dominic Taylor, Donya Washington, Sarah Williams