Theatre transport news - New set, prop and costume exchange site
Haulage companies could soon find a new source of work in theatre transport for recycled sets, following the creation of a new website designed to facilitate the exchange of sets within the theatre industry.
Using the tried and tested model of Freecycle as its starting point, the website, Set-exchange.co.uk, allows companies to post details of their unwanted items, props and costumes so that others can then adopt them for free.
However, despite being able to take items free of charge, those inheriting used sets will still have to arrange theatre transport for pick-up and delivery.
The man behind the idea explains its genesis, "The idea came from me working with some of the small companies as well as the big companies and seeing waste in one and scrimping and saving from the other, so it came out of trying to share resources."
Despite the website still being only in its infancy, a number of illustrious names have already joined up, including London theatres the Royal Court, the Lyric Hammersmith and the Arcola, as well as Glyndebourne.
During a time of theatre funding cuts, many smaller productions will benefit from reducing the cost of building sets, although they will still need to arrange for appropriate theatre transport.
