Theatre and Public Art can be really wasteful. Lots of artworks get scrapped once their initial run has ended. However, The Forum won’t be a single-use build. It will remain a part of Zest’s national touring repertoire for the years to come - extending its life well beyond its initial tour. When the time comes for The Forum to stop touring it will remain in our store ready for the materials to be reused for future set builds.

Timber
20% of the wood used to build The Forum has been reused from old stage sets. Zest had saved the timber from our productions of Gatecrash and Youthquake in the hope we could reuse them for a future set build. However, the wood from these previous structures wasn’t strong enough to support the safety needs of a public artwork like The Forum. Therefore, the remaining 80% of the timber used in The Forum is new wood sourced from a local supplier.

Metalwork
All metals are brand new and have been ordered to meet the specific structural requirements of this project. Some of the elements are actually Lockers which can be taken back to their original use once The Forum comes to an end. All metals used in this installation can be recycled (if they aren’t reused in a future set build).

Paints and Plastics
Due to the outdoor nature of this project, we need to use paints that can protect The Forum in all weather. For durability, weatherproofing, and cleanability, some smaller items have been printed on ASLAN, a new type of vinyl made from 30% recycled Polyester. It also features a water-based adhesive and is PVC free - leaving a smaller carbon footprint.

With the support of Julie’s Bicycle, we are tracking the full scope of our Carbon Footprint, not just for this project but for our whole organisation. This includes our travel, hotel stays, materials, office energy use, digital activity, and anything else we discover has an impact. We’ll use this data to help us reduce our emissions next year whilst planting trees to offset our impact.

We need electricity to run The Forum in Public Spaces. Rather than bring a petrol generator that’ll create even more emissions, we are touring with an electric power bank. We’ll offset the carbon emissions created by recharging the power bank by planting trees in the East Midlands.

Our staff will wear a t-shirt, jumper, and anorak combination that will feature The Forum branding.

These items have been sourced from a sustainable supplier who stocks clothing made from recycled or organic materials. All print will be in water-based or vegan inks.

The ribbons used by the public inside The Forum are made from Tencel - a material made from wood pulp. Tencel is better for the environment than other similar fabrics, but not as sustainable as top-tier fabrics like organic linen or recycled cotton. However, in production, Tencel requires less energy and water than conventional cotton. As a plant-derived fibre, Tencel is also biodegradable. Tencel requires a lot less dye than cotton. It is also pure white when produced, so no bleaching is necessary. We chose this fabric for The Forum as it dries quickly when rained on, reducing the chance of the ribbons going mouldy and therefore having to be replaced regularly - thus reducing waste.

Spolier! The cards inside the Joy Dispenser are all printed on paper made from recycled t-shirts.

Another Spoiler! The mechanism that releases the cards is actually a Blackjack Card Dealers Shoe. Unfortunately, this is made from acrylic. But the set design really protects this product, meaning it can be given away or sold for its original purpose once The Forum ends.

Storage boxes
We need to pack equipment into boxes when touring in our van. All boxes are made from wood or recycled plastic.

Cleaning Products
When The Forum needs cleaning, we use re-usable cleaning cloths and chemical-free, anti-bacterial spray.

Zest tracks the emissions created from our mileage and hotel stays and then offsets this through the wild flowering of protected meadows.