This month, Jenny Porter, our Shift Liverpool Organiser and Director of Metal Liverpool sat down (virtually) in conversation with Pip Tuffin, Community Engagement Manager at SAIL, to talk about climate action, environmental sustainability, what we’ve learnt through our networks, and our hopes and fears for the future of this space, and ultimately, the world around us.
Shift Liverpool is the sustainability network for the Liverpool City Region’s cultural sector and SAIL supports the creative and cultural sector to take real, practical steps towards environmental sustainability.
Before we kick things off, tell us a bit about you for those who might not know. Who is SAIL?
SAIL supports the creative and cultural sector to take real, practical steps towards environmental sustainability. That can look like everything from frontline training and workshops to strategic consultancy, sector-wide collaboration, and resource sharing. Since 2018, we’ve worked with organisations of all sizes to reduce emissions, cut waste, and embed more circular ways of working, while also building a network that connects hundreds of organisations across Yorkshire and beyond.
And me, I’m Pip, the Community Engagement Manager at SAIL. I manage our Resource Hub in Shipley, where we save creative resources from going to waste, and re-distributed them back to the sector for free or low-cost. Alongside that, I take care of how we share what we do, creating our monthly SAIL newsletter, running our social media, designing visuals, and organising events that bring our network together.
A lot of my work is about connecting people, whether that’s to resources, ideas, or each other, which feels especially important in a sector where collaboration can make a real difference.
Lovely, thanks Pip. SAIL has delivered Carbon Literacy Training for the team at Metal a few times and it’s always such a meaningful moment for us and something we refer to a lot. When do you know better, you do better, right? Anyway, let’s dive straight in…
What does ‘sustainability in the arts’ mean for SAIL? Has that definition evolved over time?
For SAIL, sustainability in the arts means thinking about the sector as a whole system, it’s environmental, social, and economic, and it’s really about building resilience in the face of ongoing climate and wider societal challenges, while still being able to create and thrive.
Our understanding of this has evolved over time. A key part of our work is still building knowledge and awareness across the sector, through things like carbon literacy training, workshops, and practical learning. That foundation remains really important, because it gives people the language and confidence to engage with sustainability in a meaningful way.
Alongside that, Action is also a key focus for us, and something we see as increasingly important across the wider sector. It’s about making sure that knowledge doesn’t just sit in theory, but is supported by the systems, resources, and opportunities needed to turn it into real change in practice. For us, that means thinking about how we can reduce barriers, and make sustainable choices more accessible and achievable.
Interesting, we’re always encouraged by the amount of activity our Shift members report on each month, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes and there’s a lot of energy there to support one another. There’s definitely a shared feeling between the sustainability networks that together we are stronger and sharing best practice and the sustainable choices we are making is bringing about small changes that are adding up to make big differences across our sector.
What are the biggest wins you’re seeing now for climate action in the creative sector and what are your hopes?
One of the biggest wins I’m seeing right now is the level of collaboration happening across the sector. There’s a real sense of momentum, with organisations, networks and individuals coming together to share ideas, resources, and practical solutions.
Circularity is a really exciting area of progress right now. Across the country, more organisations are exploring reuse. We’ve got ReStage mapping reuse hubs nationwide and building a network that helps hubs share best practice. That kind of joined-up thinking has the potential to transform how the sector uses materials.
We’re also seeing strong leadership through industry standards and roadmaps. Albert’s Spark: Clean Temporary Power by 2030 is a brilliant example of setting a clear pathway towards cleaner solutions and it’s encouraging to see targets being backed up with practical steps on how we reach them.
The Theatre Green Book is another brilliant collaboration across the sector, with theatres all around the world coming together to agree on a common set of standards to create work in a sustainable way.
I know it’s been amazing to see the circularity networks popping up around the UK, we have our own circular arts network starting to emerge in Liverpool and we’re seeing the benefits already. This emerged out of artists working together during the Independents Biennial last year, and at Shift meetings we’ve had talks from the Liverpool Tool Library and the Circular Arts Networks (CAN) up in Glasgow. We’re also big fans the Theatre Green Book, it really feels like this has kickstarted a lot of activity across the sector. Actually, we’re working Design Museum and UP Projects at the moment to create a New Green Book, specifically for creative people and organisations working in exhibition making and artistic production. Watch this space.
What do you think are the biggest challenges for climate action in the creative sector and do you have any fears?
One of the biggest challenges for climate action is the wider political landscape. We’re seeing sustainability become deprioritised in some spaces, alongside pushback and shifts in language that can sometimes make progress feel less urgent and create uncertainty for organisations trying to plan long term or invest in sustainable choices. At the same time, I think there is still real resilience within the sector, and we’ll continue to push forwards regardless!
That’s one of the challenges we’re seeing as well. We’ve been encouraged by the commitment in Liverpool to embed sustainability within the major events, and a commitment to encourage collaboration between culture and sustainability teams at the council.
How do you think funding and policy could better support sustainability in the arts?
Funding and policy could better support sustainability in the arts by really recognising that meaningful change takes time. At the moment, there’s an expectation that organisations can deliver outcomes quite quickly, but in reality, lasting change needs to build over a longer period and be properly supported along the way. The support needs to include not just capital funding for things like equipment, building improvements, and greener infrastructure, but also funding for people’s time so there’s more capacity to actually put in place new ways of working. Without that breathing space, it’s much harder for change to stick.
Right? Change takes time in every space and sector, but particularly when capacity is stretched and the infrastructure is lacking. We see the issue here with alignment too. In an ideal world, all funding criteria would shift to include environmental impact reporting or carbon reduction plans. If these were standard requirements, the sector would have to take a much more considered and intentional approach. It would have to be something we all prioritised. If this was visible too, with data transparency, it would likely lead to improvements.
Speaking of systemic change, the discourse around climate action and sustainability can be inaccessible. Bringing this discourse together with the arts and cultural sector is no easy task. How do you think we can combat this? How do we let people know that climate action is for them?
I think shifting the narrative away from climate action being something exclusive, and instead recognising that everyone has something to bring. People across the arts already have such a range of skills, like storytelling, design, problem-solving, which all are directly relevant to climate action. If we can make that connection clearer, it really helps people see that climate action isn’t something they need to opt into as experts, but something they’re already part of in different ways. It’s about recognising the skills you already have and asking how they can be applied to climate action in practice.
Absolutely. Climate action can often feel really technical. We should move towards highlighting the ways it’s embedded into people’s every day. When it shows up locally, it stops feeling like such a separate and distant issue. It starts feeling relevant and tangible. People don’t really need more facts and data collection, they need more relevance, more stories, more connection. Not everyone is going to read policy reports or go to climate conferences, and we can’t really blame them. Everyone has different access and entry points, so it’s important that we accommodate this and try and factor in all voices.
Do you feel hopeful? What keeps you going working in this space?
Always! I find it really inspiring being surrounded by so many people working so hard in this space. At our Resource Hub in Shipley, we have people coming in every day to donate items or re-home materials. What keeps me hopeful is seeing the imagination and creativity of everyone who chooses to visit. In a way, every person who walks through the door is choosing to engage with a different, better system.
That’s so beautiful Pip! We’re definitely feeling inspired at Shift too, by all our members, and by other people doing similar things, like you all at SAIL!
This year Earth Day is on 22 April 2026. What does Earth Day mean to you?
Every day is earth day for SAIL!
Correct answer!
Are there any climate action and sustainability tools or resources you think are important for people and/or organisations to have on their radar?
Here are a couple resources for specific areas which are really great:
- Energy – Power Saving Solution. Instagrids. Skoon Marketplace
- Travel and Transport – You Smart Thing. Sustrans National Cycle Network.
- Programme and Communications – Julies Bicycle. Theatre Green Book. From Imagination to Action. CRISS
- Materials and Waste – Galleries Climate Coalition Materials Guide. Resource Hub. A Good Thing.
Further Reading
- No Climate Action Without Us Toolkit
- Climate Outreach – Report on climate messaging in cultural activities
- Carbon Literacy Training
Amazing, thank you. We’ll check those out too and here’s one from us.
One last question. We’ve found that some people seem to think that their small actions won’t make a difference. What’s one practical step someone could take right now to become more sustainable?
A really practical first step is simply to pause before you throw something away or buy something new, and ask, could I reuse this, repair it, or find a new home for it instead of the bin or skip? It’s a small shift in habit, but it really adds up, and often people are surprised by what they can find or rehome!
We love that. Such great tips and something people can easily work into their everyday. Everyone doing something, even if it’s something small, is always better than everyone doing nothing.
It’s been so great chatting with you Pip. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, your inspiration, your wins, hopes and fears. Keep on!
About Shift Liverpool
Shift Liverpool is the sustainability network for the Liverpool City Region’s cultural sector. As a network we want to collaboratively address the climate emergency and the Liverpool City Region’s ambitious 2040 zero-carbon target. Together we can share knowledge, resources, and create new initiatives to benefit the whole sector.
About SAIL
SAIL supports the creative and cultural sector to take real, practical steps towards environmental sustainability. That can look like everything from frontline training and workshops to strategic consultancy, sector-wide collaboration, and resource sharing. Since 2018, we’ve worked with organisations of all sizes to reduce emissions, cut waste, and embed more circular ways of working, while also building a network that connects hundreds of organisations across Yorkshire and beyond.
