Sustainability at GRUE

From towering creatures to delicate fairy houses, everything inside Grue was crafted entirely from recycled and repurposed materials. Not a single new box was purchased for the installation. Instead, the creative team sourced materials from local businesses, including offcuts from Hull-based paper factory G.F. Smith and cardboard boxes from Screwfix, breathing new life into materials destined for the recycling bin. 

“If you looked closely while exploring Grue, you would have spotted bits of writing, barcodes, and recycling logos on the walls and creatures,” explained Rach Drew, ARCADE’s producer. “Everything had a life before becoming part of Grue.”

And it wasn’t just about where the materials came from, it was also about where they went next. As Grue came to an end, the team made sure materials went back into the community. Twine used to decorate the installation was passed on to a local allotment society in Bingley, where it was repurposed to hold up plants. Wood and other useful materials went to local collaborators, and the cardboard itself was Recycled again, ready its third, fourth, or even fifth new life. 

While Grue was visually stunning, one of its most magical aspects was the way it brought people together. The installation was co-created with volunteers, schools, scouts, and community groups from Bradford, working alongside ARCADE’s team of artists and makers. 

Some of the larger creatures, like the giant cat and Tollen, a tall, furry creature, had appeared in previous versions of Grue in Scarborough, but much of what appeared in Bradford was made by local hands. A magnificent dragon, created entirely by Bradford volunteers and school groups, became a central figure in the story, alongside fairy houses and other handmade wonders. 

At its core, Grue was about inspiring climate hope. At a time when conversations about the environment can feel overwhelming, Grue offered an alternative, an imaginative and joyful space that encouraged people to think differently about waste and creativity. 

“We know people get tired and scared of talking about the environment, it can feel like nothing you do makes a difference,” Rach reflected. “But Grue was about showing people what could be done, that a cardboard box could become a dragon, a fairy house, or a piece of magic. It was about sparking new ways of thinking and creating.” 

In fact, the magic of Grue lived on long after people left the installation. Families shared stories of how, inspired by what they had seen, they turned cardboard boxes from Christmas presents into robots, animals, and other creations at home. 

As part of Bradford 2025, UK City of Culture, Grue set an inspiring example of how cultural events can be sustainable in more ways than one. It embodied the three pillars of sustainability:

• Environmental: through the reuse and recycling of materials.
• Social: by involving local people and fostering community creativity.
• Economic: by showing how low-cost, repurposed materials can create high-impact art.

Though Grue has now been packed away, its impact continues. Some of the creatures and installations may reappear in future events, perhaps with new twists and updates, and the memories of building and exploring this magical world will stay with those who took part.

Grue offered a glimpse of what’s possible when art, community, and sustainability come together, proving that even the simplest materials can be transformed into something extraordinary.