The Sustainable Fringe Awards recognise innovative ideas that seek to tackle issues of climate change or environmental sustainability at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in design, content or execution.

Artists and venues are invited to submit new, novel, creative or ambitious ideas for increasing the sustainability of their work, and nominate themselves to be a ‘Green Pick’ of this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Sustainable Fringe Awards 2019

Ideas can tackle ways of reducing environmental impact (e.g. changing resource use or minimising carbon emissions), creating pro-environmental behaviour among participants, organisers or audiences, or changing our wider society’s perspective of climate change.

• Hosted by Creative Carbon Scotland (the national charity for environmental sustainability in culture) in collaboration with Staging Change (a new network of theatre makers committed to greening the industry) the winning artist/company and winning venue will be awarded £100 to help implement their green idea and will be featured on the Creative Carbon Scotland website.
• Ideas should relate to productions or practices taking place at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but do not need to be implemented during the 2019 Festival or already be in progress at the point of submission : this award rewards the idea.
• Shortlisted ideas will be announced during the Start your Sustainable Fringe day (5^th August), with the winners announced at the Sustainability at the Fringe Reception as part of the Fringe Central Events Programme.
• Ideas submissions for this award will open in July 2019, and close on Friday 2 August 2019, and will be in the form of an online form. Ideas should be described in a maximum of 300 words.

‘Green Picks’ of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019

For the first time, Staging Change will be curating a list of ‘Green Picks’ across the Festival: show creatively engaging with topics of climate change and environmental sustainability within their artistic content. To be considered for inclusion as a ‘Green Pick’, shows must opt-in below. More information will be available on the Staging Change website in due course. 

Submit your show here:

Venues and Companies Invited to Apply to Sustainable Fringe Awards 2019 on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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At this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Creative Carbon Scotland, Staging Change and the University of Edinburgh’s Social Responsibility and Sustainability Department will be collaborating to produce a day of workshops, talks and activities to help Fringe-goers have a more #SustainableFringe.

Join us in the Respite Room in Fringe Central (Venue 2) on Monday 5 August 2019 for a day celebrating green arts at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Hear from a range of exciting speakers, pick up tips on how to reduce your impact as Fringe-goers, and meet others who are passionate about green action!

10.30 – 12.00 – Staging Change Sustainable Design Workshop

The day will begin with a design workshop from Staging Change, a network of performers and makers who work together to green up the theatre and entertainment industry. The workshop will start with an overview about sustainable design in performance, from set, to lighting to marketing. We will then collaborate in groups to prototype solutions to improve sustainability in the theatre and entertainment industry. The groups will then share their ideas and we’ll finish the session with an informal debrief.

13.00 – 15.00 – Festival Sustainability: A Practical Skills Workshop

Next up, we have a workshop led by University of Edinburgh’s Social Responsibility and Sustainability Department. This two-part workshop will include a presentation on sustainability in the Festival and the importance of reuse to reduce environmental impact. We will hear from experts in the field of material reuse, focused on props and costuming. After this we will have an open workshop for sewing and repair skills, either for general skill building or with an opportunity to bring your own items which you are hoping to fix!

16.00 – 17.00 – Staging Change: Creating a Green Movement

As storytellers, we have a unique capacity to explore key issues with audiences on and off the stage. Join Staging Change’s discussion with a variety of performers and makers at our discussion on sustainability in the theatre and entertainment industry. Whether you’re the greenest theatre machine or new to the game, everyone is welcome!

18.00 – 19.00 – Sustainability at the Fringe: Reception

The final event of the evening is hosted by Creative Carbon Scotland. Environmental sustainability at the Fringe is increasingly prominent, with artists, companies and venues demonstrating how it can be done. Whether you are a long-time green innovator, or new to tackling the climate crisis through culture, we invite you to celebrate sustainability in all shapes and forms at the festival! With expertise from leading arts and sustainability organisations, and refreshments on hand, come and meet others passionate about sustainability in the arts.

For more ideas on how to have a #SustainableFringe head to www.stagingchange.com, www.edin.ac/festival or browse Creative Carbon Scotland’s resources section.

Stand Up for Your Planet 
If you are planning one big night out during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe then make it “Stand Up for Your Planet”, Green Arts member Assembly’s one-off comedy extravaganza on Monday 19th August, raising awareness for one of the most pressing issues of our time – protecting our planet. Proceeds from this comedy spectacular will go to Creative Carbon Scotland to help us unlock the role of the arts to defuse the climate crisis and helping artists and arts organisations go greener. Find out more and book your ticket. 

The post Start your own Sustainable Fringe! – Sustainability Day at Fringe Central appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Each year Creative Carbon Scotland put a call out through Creative Scotland for a Scottish-based artist or maker to create a unique and sustainable award piece for the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice award. Here we find out a little more about the design process from our commissioned maker.

The commission based opportunity requests makers to experiment with the environmental, social and economic aspects of their work and reflect the inspirations and objectives of the award. This year the commission was awarded to Chris Wallace, a Glasgow-based crafter.

The ‘Green Man’

Chris used the image of the ‘Green Man’, a widely known ancient motif, as the main design element of his award. This commonly uses a face surrounded by leaves, composed of leaves or with leaves surging from the mouth and eyes. This image is commonly associated with natural rebirth and the cycle of natural growth.

Chris said of the image:

“I feel that the image’s link to the idea of recurrence makes it suitable for use in the Sustainable Practice Award. This is because recurrent or circular models of economics offer an alternative to prevalent linear models that currently serve our economy. A circular flow of materials that can be recovered and reused is a clear challenge to the narrow path that leads from manufacturing to disposability. The image acts as a reminder of our undeniable reliance on nature and its example of renewal.”

The core image was structured from reclaimed copper electrical wire which was sourced from a metal reclaiming business in East Kilbride. The wire was then made into the elements of the design and soldered together back in Chris’ studio at the Briggait, Glasgow, home to a host of Green Arts Initiative members. Once the image was complete it was fixed onto roof slate which Chris sourced from the cottage he stayed at in the Cairngorms. To finish the design, the lettering was soldered on once the award’s judges decided on a winner and partner logos were attached to the completed award piece by tin can.

This year’s award was won by Outland Theatre’s production, Towers of Eden, who loved the unique design concept of their award, and here at Creative Carbon Scotland, we were thrilled by Chris’ unique, detailed and thoughtful interpretation and implementation of the design.

You can see more of Chris’ work on his website: http://www.chriswallacework.co.uk/

The Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award is a collaboration between its founder, the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA), and Creative Carbon Scotland, working in partnership with the List magazine and PR Print & Design.

Each year the award is given to a production that exhibits high quality artistic integrity and engages the company and audiences with the issues of sustainability in all of its forms. It celebrates different approaches to sustainable practice both in content and in the production of shows, and rewards those that take responsibility for their social, environmental and economic impacts and think creatively about how the arts can help grow a sustainable world.

For any further questions please contact catriona.patterson@creativecarbonscotland.com or call the Creative Carbon Scotland office on 0131 529 7909.

The post Maker Chris Wallace on crafting the Fringe Sustainable Practice Award appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

About Creative Carbon Scotland:

Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

This post comes from Coral Mallow: the artist we commissioned this summer to craft the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award. Here’s what she has to say about her process.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe! It is an exciting time to be in the city with it’s candy wrapper costume of theatre posters and the possibility of art literally and figuratively around every corner and close. For an entire month!

With such an extensive celebration however comes much waste in promotion, tourism, and production needs. Rather than approach this issue negatively Creative Carbon Scotland chose to create an award to congratulate those productions that had a combination of low environmental impact and innovative production speaking to sustainability problems and solutions.

Hence we come to the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award. This is a collaboration between Creative Carbon Scotland and the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts. To further keep with the theme of this award they decided to put out a call to hire a local Artist/Maker to create the award. This is where I come in.

My name is Coral Mallow and I’m here to tell you about the making and thought process behind the creation of the 2016 award.

When I applied for the commission I was already thinking of some things that I would have to keep in mind. The performance that won might not be local as we get troupes and performers from all over the world. As anyone who has flown lately knows weight restrictions on luggage get stricter all the time, so creating something lighter as an award would probably be preferable. As such, the performer that won might not be in Edinburgh at the time of the award giving so it would make it easier to transport or mail as well.

I also looked into the award created last year by maker Sarah Diver so also knew I would have to add logos and text. This meant I had to consider a way to accurately and clearly present that information. It also meant that it had to be separate of the body of the piece because the maker would only find out about the winner a week before the ceremony. All of this information was key to my proposal.

While I work in many different mediums I chose to weave this award using a technique called twill inlay. Twill inlay allows you to create a design in a weaving by adding additional yarn to a pattern by hand. Here is a youtube link to a weaver who demonstrates the technique also using four shaft floor loom. I have a background in theatre as both performer and playwright so I looked to the history of theatre to inform my material choices. I chose to use rescued and reclaimed linen and wool yarns to create the body or the award which could then be displayed either flat or hung on the wall. The text pieces would be added and attached by hand using embroidery.

To capture the text in clarity I chose to use the services of a local women owned company in Leith called BeFabBeCreative. Using digital printing may not sound sustainable, but when you take into consideration the lack of solvents, the small business commitment to recycling, and the locality allowing me to collect via walking or bus it is an excellent option! They created the digital prints on a cotton fabric that mirrored the pattern I would be using in the weaving. The proprietors Solii and Zoe were very excited and helpful in getting the cloth printed, prepared, and to me in time for me to complete the piece for the award ceremony. The three pictures above are three of the digital designs created in photoshop that were printed and used.

Textile waste is a huge problem with a significant portion of our landfills being clothing, carpets, household soft goods such as sheets and towels and more all contribute to a growing issue around sustainability. There is a tendency towards mass disposal of materials and props during large festivals. Depending on how far some acts have traveled, and what they wish to bring home, Edinburgh can wind up with a significant increase in waste.

Artists and theater makers have long been known for their resourcefulness in reusing what society discards. Whether for canvases, costuming, or various assemblages as can be found in sculpture and jewelry, “waste not want not” is the working motto of many a practitioner. By creating a soft textile piece I speak not just to the history of the Arts, but to the Arts long commitment to recycling, upcycling, and industrious innovation.

Congratulations to VOU Fiji Dance for winning the award for their production “Are We Stronger Than Winston?”! It was a delight and an honor to create this award and I hope it brings you as much joy in the having as I had in the creating of it.

The post Maker Coral Mallow on creating the Fringe Sustainable Practice Award piece appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

The 2016 EFSPA was announced by the Center of Sustainable Practice In the Arts and Creative Carbon Scotland at a ceremony at the Festival Theatre on Friday August 26th.

The award, celebrating sustainable design, content and production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, was given to VOU Fiji Dance for their production Are We Stronger Than Winston?, performed at Greenside @ Nicolson Square.

A representative of the company received the award piece, created by local maker Coral Mallow, and presented by comedian Holly Burn, who hosted the event. Other speakers included Brendan Miles from the List magazine, Ian Garrett from the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts and Phil Brady from PR Print and Design.

Are We Stronger Than Winston?  was created in response to the cyclone Winston, which devastated the South Pacific Islands in February this year. The dance piece depicts the horrors of the natural disaster, as well as the locals’ resilience in dealing with the strongly-felt impacts of climate change. They convinced the judges with this direct approach to the theme of sustainability in its form of human adaptation to a changing environment, as well as their excellent and moving performance. Moreover, they are conscious of their carbon emissions through travel and aimed to offset this by planting trees in their homeland. The company concluded their spring European Tour with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe run, appearing at Greenside @ Nicolson Square from August 5^th to August 13^th. In the company’s words:

‘Fiji is my home, my land… my interconnected relationship of unconditional love and protection. But my land is disappearing. When it is gone, I am gone. But I refuse to die; I will fight! I am reclaiming ownership of my existence – as a people and a land. Fighting to save the land of my birth!’

VOU Fiji Dance emerged as the winner from a highly competitive field. With more applications than ever before, the judges agreed to shortlist 24 productions and choose 7 finalists. This unusually large selection reflected the high quality of the productions as well as their scope across all areas of sustainability. Judges assessed shows based on their artistic quality, their engagement with themes relating to social, economic and environmental sustainability, and their thoughtfulness around decisions relating to sustainable practice.

The full shortlist can be found here.

The other shows making it to the finalist stage were revealed at the ceremony to be (in alphabetical order):

• Bird, Sita Pieraccini in association with Feral

For expressing the fragility of life in a dangerous environment through consistently expressive physical movement, sound and high production values. Engages by provoking questions rather than providing answers.

• Eden, Less Theatre

For its intentional and considered use of found objects in a way that transforms them into magical characters and for making a strong connection with the environment and waste as exhibited in material choices.

• Generation Zero, Lamphouse Theatre

For its exploration of a future where climate change has restricted our travel and lives, and the emotional impact of such a societal shift. A production where the ramifications of living unsustainably were at the heart of the plot.

• The Story of Mr B, Shake Shake Theatre

For using delightful and inventive upcycled puppetry to explore the human role in nature, and the importance of harmony in the world. It created an approachable context for children to understand the cycles of nature, and our need for it.

• World Without Us, Ontroerend Goed, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Vooruit, Richard Jordan Productions

For a purely executed, uncompromising look at human transience and how that manifests in the unsustainability of our built world.

• Romeo & Juliet, The HandleBards

For their continued excellenve and ambition both concerning artistic vision and sustainable practice of the company itself. Having won the award in 2014 and being shortlisted several times, they received a special commendation for their continued achievements.

Holly Burn introducing the awards

The award for Sustainable Practice at the Fringe was first launched in 2010 Previous recipients include:  The Pantry Shelf , produced by Team M&M at Sweet Grassmarket; Allotment, produced by nutshell productions at the Inverleith Allotments in co-production with Assembly; The Man Who Planted Trees, produced by the Edinburgh’s Puppet State Theatre; How to Occupy an Oil Rig, by Daniel Bye and Company, produced by Northern Stage; The Handlebards: A Comedy of Errors/Macbeth, produced by Peculius at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and Lungs, by Paines Plough at Roundabout at Summerhall.

The Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award is a collaboration between its founder, the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA), and Creative Carbon Scotland (CCS), working together with media partner the List magazine and sponsor PR Print & Design, supported by the Arts & Business Scotland’s New Arts Sponsorship Grants programme.

Ian Garrett and Miranda Wright founded the CSPA in early 2008. The organization provides a network of resources to arts organizations, which enables them to be ecologically and economically sustainable while maintaining artistic excellence. Past and Present partnerships have included the University of Oregon, Ashden Directory, Arcola Theatre, Diverseworks Artspace, Indy Convergence, York University, LA Stage Alliance and others.

Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. CCS believes cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

Image credit Gemma Lawrence for Creative Carbon Scotland and VOU Fiji Dance

The post Winner Announced of the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award 2016! appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

We’re proud to announce that we have partnered with PR Print and Design as our sponsor for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award and the Green Arts Initiative, and have been awarded a New Arts Sponsorship Grant to help grow our work towards a green arts sector!

We’re excited to be partnering with an organisation whose aims also serve the development towards a more sustainable Scotland, through its commitment to carbon neutral printing. This sponsorship will serve to grow the scale and quality of our work across the sector.

The partnership will see PR Print and Design become the first ever sponsor of these initiatives, both encouraging and enabling local, national and international arts organisations to make sustainable printing choices when considering the marketing and promotion of their productions. Funded by the Scottish Government, and administered by Arts and Business Scotland (themselves committed to improving environmental sustainability) the New Arts Sponsorship Grant scheme encourages private sector sponsorship of cultural activities in Scotland by offering matched funding to cultural organisations securing sponsorship from eligible businesses.

Established in 1987, and based in Glasgow, PR Print and Design is passionate about sustainable supply chains, renewable energy and carbon reduction. Generating over 80% of their own energy from 192 solar panels on their building roof, and with a waste recycling rate of over 96%,

The company is committed to enhancing sustainability in their own operations, as much as those of all they work with. For each order, any unavoidable carbon emissions are offset through a certificated carbon neutral partner scheme, with a certificate and official branding supplied to the ordering organisation.

Creative Carbon Scotland first came across PR Print and Design as a customer of their print work, and were impressed by their carbon-neutral production of our annual Green Arts Initiative report. Being able to highlight our environmental commitment through our own sustainable procurement choices is a key part of our operations.

PR Print and Design offers a variety of printing services for arts organisations, including:

• Posters A4 to 60x 40
• Flyers and leaflets
• Postcards
• Programmes
• Tickets
• Exhibition stands and boards

To find out more about sustainable print for the arts sector get in contact with Phil Brady: phil@prprint.net

More information about the New Arts Sponsorship Grants can be found on the Arts & Business Scotland website.

The post PR Print and Design is Supporting Our Green Arts Sector appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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