The Noise We Make: Ruth Dancer on Why Progress Matters More Than Perfection

“I fear that perfection continues to be the enemy of progress, whereas we know that behaviour change comes from taking incremental nudges that are celebrated.”

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Every sound tells a story.

The Noise We Make is a Hope Solutions series that listens to the people behind the noise: the artists, organisers, and changemakers using creativity as a force for good. Together, we explore what progress sounds like, and how the choices we make today will echo in the future.

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Ruth Dancer understands major events from the inside out.

With over two decades spent delivering some of the world’s most high-profile sporting moments, from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to Wembley Stadium, Formula 1, and the Rugby World Cup, her career has been built at the heart of complex, high-pressure environments where precision, performance, and experience matter.

But in recent years, her focus has shifted.

Now Director at White Griffin, Ruth applies that same operational rigour to one of the most urgent challenges facing the industry: sustainability. Combining deep delivery expertise with technical environmental knowledge, she works with venues, events, and governing bodies to turn ambition into action, helping organisations define their sustainability vision, bring stakeholders with them, and implement meaningful, measurable change.

Her work is particularly influential within the equine and sporting sectors, where she supports federations and supply chains to navigate the transition to more sustainable practices, balancing tradition, commercial realities, and environmental responsibility.

What sets Ruth apart is her ability to bridge two worlds that don’t always speak the same language: the fast-paced, results-driven world of event operations, and the longer-term, systems-focused work of sustainability. She understands not just what needs to change, but how change actually happens within complex organisations.

Because when sustainability is embedded into operations, not added on, it has the power to do more than reduce impact. It can reshape how entire industries think, act, and influence the audiences they reach.

So, let’s explore the noise Ruth Dancer is helping to make…

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The Noise You Make: What kind of impact are you (or your organisation) making through your work right now?

I think the most important thing we are doing this year in particular is making the topic and process of sustainability relatable and achievable. 

We know that one of the biggest barriers to change, is the belief that 'being sustainable' is in some way political, expensive, hard to do etc. Really, sustainability is just about understanding the need for balance, circularity and common sense. Whilst it is important for us as professionals to take a science and data led approach, it is important for everyone we engage with to just understand the basic, human approach of what it means to be sustainable. 

Music, sport and live entertainment is a great way to do this, using language that is familiar and in a setting that is inspiring, light and joyful. So our work is focused on creating huge impact through simplifying what we are asking people to do. 

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The Noise You Hear: What signals, movements, or shifts in the industry are catching your attention?

I am noticing a greater willingness in some camps to embrace and platform the topic, and this is absolutely key. 

For a long time, people and businesses have felt afraid to speak up, but now I can see a confidence coming through and a willingness for people not only to speak about the changes they are making, but to advocate for a happy, sustainable future. And it doesn't feel like a temporary shift, it feels that the movement has gone beyond what many saw as a fashionable thing to say, to something more powerful, more embedded and more longterm. 

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The Noise That Needs to Change: What’s still too loud, too quiet, or missing altogether in the sustainability conversation?

To me there is still too much shouting about perfectionism and whataboutism. 

I truly believe that we will get there if everyone feels empowered and proud to make the changes that are possible for them. This means that for some it will be diet based, others travel, some about consuming differently and so on. 

I still hear too often the need to pick at things that are not being done, rather than embracing and applauding what is being done. I fear that perfection continues to be the enemy of progress, whereas we know that behaviour change comes from taking incremental nudges that are celebrated. We need to stop criticising people for not doing enough and supporting one another for continuing to do something. 

For those that have been brave enough to take the journey one step at a time, they are already so transformed and really modelling sustainable behaviour - if they had given up at the first few steps because they were being criticised for not having everything sewn up straight away, we would never have gotten to see their transformation. 

Give people and organisations a chance to change gradually, and we will all get to where we want to be. 

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The Quiet Work: What behind-the-scenes actions make the biggest difference?

There's a bit of a theme in my answers! I would say supporting one another when we do something positive. 

If someone bothers to put out a separate make shift bin for recycling paper, applaud them for it. If someone shared a car journey with a colleague, recognise that. 

Behind the scenes, the more we notice and applaud the behaviours that need to happen, the more normalised and widespread they will become. Change doesn't just happen, people make change happen, and we need to support one another in that. 

I find that most people know the right choice to make, there is no silver bullet for sustainability, it is just lots of people making different decisions daily. 

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The Next Sound: What’s next for you? What sound would you love the future of live events to make?

Well, I love to see the work that platforms sustainability to the audiences on a large scale. So for me, it is about continuing to support the technical and operational work behind the scenes, as we always have, but now a greater focus for us is about bringing the message front of house. 

This will be a combination of social media posts from our clients, activations from artists, messages appearing on the big screens, inspiring sections in the programmes, activations on site at festivals and events, anything to bring the wonderful story to life of making small changes to create a healthy future. 

The more we both normalise the topic and make it inspiring and accessible in a joyful way, the greater the noise we will all make! 

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Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn 

Find out more about White Griffin on their website or LinkedIn page. 

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