SYDNEY—The Sydney Theatre Company (STC), which is under the artistic direction of Cate Blanchett and her husband, Andrew Upton, has won two prizes at the Australian ‘Green Globe Awards 2010’.
The annual Awards, now in their eleventh year were developed by the New South Wales State Government to acknowledge outstanding achievements in sustainability and leadership in tackling climate change.
The STC’s ‘Greening the Wharf ‘campaign won ‘The Premier’s Award for Sustainability’, the top award for the best overall nominee; and the ‘Community Sustainability’ Award for the best non-profit organisation motivating the community to achieve sustainability goals.
Co Artistic Director Andrew Upton said the awards were an acknowledgment of the shared vision he and Ms Blanchett held to transform the Company’s heritage-listed, The Wharf, into an “international example of 21st century best environmental practice.”
Their vision, he said, would not have been achieved without the combined help of philanthropy, corporate support and government funding.
“Its success shows how much traction there is between the arts and environmental awareness and we’re thrilled to receive this acknowledgment,” he said in a statement.
The STC has a number of initiatives in the works as part of the Greening the Wharf campaign, including an innovative scheme to provide 100 per cent of the non-potable water for The Wharf’s Pier 4/5, which is part of the inner city Sydney harbour foreshore.
According to the plan, rainwater will be caught and stored using an innovative pipe system suspended beneath the pier’s structure.
Greening the Wharf will also see Pier 4/5 become home to the second largest capacity roof-top solar energy system in Australia. The system features new, advanced Pluto solar cell technology developed by the University of NSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy. Graduate of that school, Dr Zhengrong Shi is now the founder and CEO of Suntech Power, the world’s leading producer of solar panels and it is the Shi Family Foundation which has sponsored the solar roof.
The solar power system, is due for completion in September this year and when coupled with the Company’s other energy-efficiency initiatives, will provide up to 70% of STC’s electricity needs, their website states.
Judges for the Green Globe Awards said that the STC provided “a practical demonstration of what can be achieved with commitment, analysis and careful planning” not only for audiences but also the wider community.
Andrew Upton, and award winning actress, Cate Blanchett, have been at the helm of The Sydney Theatre Company (STC) since they took over as directors in 2009. Since then they have brought to local audiences a wide range of local and international talent including William Hurt who is presently performing in the STC’s production of Long Days Journey into Night which is also directed by Andrew Upton.
Later in the year Philip Seymour Hoffman will also take over as guest director for the STC’s production of Sam Shepard’s classic True West.
The annual Awards, now in their eleventh year were developed by the New South Wales State Government to acknowledge outstanding achievements in sustainability and leadership in tackling climate change.
The STC’s ‘Greening the Wharf ‘campaign won ‘The Premier’s Award for Sustainability’, the top award for the best overall nominee; and the ‘Community Sustainability’ Award for the best non-profit organisation motivating the community to achieve sustainability goals.
Co Artistic Director Andrew Upton said the awards were an acknowledgment of the shared vision he and Ms Blanchett held to transform the Company’s heritage-listed, The Wharf, into an “international example of 21st century best environmental practice.”
Their vision, he said, would not have been achieved without the combined help of philanthropy, corporate support and government funding.
“Its success shows how much traction there is between the arts and environmental awareness and we’re thrilled to receive this acknowledgment,” he said in a statement.
The STC has a number of initiatives in the works as part of the Greening the Wharf campaign, including an innovative scheme to provide 100 per cent of the non-potable water for The Wharf’s Pier 4/5, which is part of the inner city Sydney harbour foreshore.
According to the plan, rainwater will be caught and stored using an innovative pipe system suspended beneath the pier’s structure.
Greening the Wharf will also see Pier 4/5 become home to the second largest capacity roof-top solar energy system in Australia. The system features new, advanced Pluto solar cell technology developed by the University of NSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy. Graduate of that school, Dr Zhengrong Shi is now the founder and CEO of Suntech Power, the world’s leading producer of solar panels and it is the Shi Family Foundation which has sponsored the solar roof.
The solar power system, is due for completion in September this year and when coupled with the Company’s other energy-efficiency initiatives, will provide up to 70% of STC’s electricity needs, their website states.
Judges for the Green Globe Awards said that the STC provided “a practical demonstration of what can be achieved with commitment, analysis and careful planning” not only for audiences but also the wider community.
Andrew Upton, and award winning actress, Cate Blanchett, have been at the helm of The Sydney Theatre Company (STC) since they took over as directors in 2009. Since then they have brought to local audiences a wide range of local and international talent including William Hurt who is presently performing in the STC’s production of Long Days Journey into Night which is also directed by Andrew Upton.
Later in the year Philip Seymour Hoffman will also take over as guest director for the STC’s production of Sam Shepard’s classic True West.
