Becoming a Sustaining Organisation: The Case of Greening the Wharf at Sydney Theatre Company and Its Impacts

Abstract

Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is arguably Australia’s best-known theatre company, achieving a stronger global presence under the co-artistic direction of Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton in the period 2008–2012. But it was not the artistic achievements that dominated the public discourse in their first term. An environmental sustainability project known as Greening the Wharf (GTW) was a hallmark of their tenure. This case study explores the organisational change that STC went through during the GTW project and assesses its impact on the long term sustainability of STC’s processes and practices, arguing that they have become a sustaining organisation (Benn, Dunphy and Griffiths, Organisational change for corporate sustainability, Routledge, 2014). In 2014 an in-depth case study was conducted to explore the project. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff who were involved in the implementation of the GTW and with other staff not directly involved in the project. In addition, company reports, press articles, the company website, project archive site and internal company documents were also examined. This case shows what is possible in terms of creating sustainable public infrastructure even in a heritage listed building and is an exemplar of a very successful organisational change for ecological sustainability, underpinned by a strong commitment to human sustainability (Benn, Dunphy and Griffiths, Organisational change for corporate sustainability, Routledge, 2014).