How do we secure the future of arts buildings?

One answer is clear: by making them sustainable.

At Phoenix Art Space, our Towards a Sustainable Future programme is all about ensuring our building continues to serve our artists and creatives, our communities and our 16K annual visitors for decades to come. We turn 30 this-year-into-next, and we want to be here in another 30.

To do that, it means tackling everything from retrofit to resilience, and this week we focused on one vital slice of that journey: energy.

Together with our Executive Director Lucy Day, I visited Shoreham Port to see their impressive solar and green energy initiatives in action. Huge thanks to Anthony Bennett for such an insightful and generous tour – it was inspiring to see local sustainable energy leadership up close.

We also had the chance to talk with Abigail Dombey of Net Zero Associates Ltd, whose expertise has already helped us unlock a part of our energy puzzle.

Extended thanks too to Sussex Energy Forum for creating that platform for these connections to be made.

This is just one step in a much wider collective effort – with many people already contributing ideas, advice, and energy of their own. Phoenix’s ambition is to become a beacon of sustainable practice in the cultural sector, an exemplar project for Brighton & Hove and beyond.

We’re excited to keep sharing the journey, and to show how the arts can lead the way towards a more sustainable city and sector.