This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh have been given a Silver Award by the Green Tourism Business Scheme, a programme that aims to develop and recognise exemplary sustainability initiatives within the hospitality sector. The award marks the success of the programmes and strategies implemented by the Assembly Rooms’ ‘Green Team’ to increase environmental awareness and positive action within this historic venue. A number of initiatives have been administered by the Assembly Rooms’ team, including a highly successful recycling programme (with effective custom signage), the introduction of bioplastics into biodegradable plastic cups and ongoing coordination with ethical suppliers.

The Assembly Rooms is a Green Arts Initiative member and has worked jointly with Creative Carbon Scotland on carbon monitoring projects within the City of Edinburgh Council Culture and Sport division. As a regular Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue, the Assembly Rooms sets a high standard for green operations during the busy summer festival period. Through their genuine commitment, the venue continues to showcase the finest international acts while pioneering techniques for approaching sustainability effectively at various levels of engagement.

To read more about the Assembly Rooms’ Silver Green Tourism Award achievement, please visit the Assembly Rooms’ website.

Image courtesy Assembly Rooms

The post Assembly Rooms Attains Silver Award in Green Tourism Business Scheme 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 Green Arts Initiative is changing: growing from a simple branding and accreditation scheme, to a more useful and interactive community of practice for those artists and organisations working to reduce the environmental impact of the Scottish arts sector.

Our primary step was to find out more about our GAI members: who they are, where and how they work, and what they want from the redevelopment. From these results, we’ll be working to create more opportunities for the GAI to be useful to its members; in terms of working on their sustainability activities; learning from each other; and showcasing their sustainability to audience and partners.

Here are some of our key results:

More about our members

The survey revealed a lot of information about our members, allowing us to tailor the advice we provide, the events we hold and the way we communicate. We’re also able to place some focus on those who are more individual in their aims and challenges, and make sure that we’re providing information useful to all our different members.

Here are some snapshots of our community membership:

• 68% of members are focused on carbon reduction, whilst 30% are focussing on changing their organisations from within – such as through engaging more staff members.
• 53% of members are the only green champion in their organisation – but the remaining 47% vary, from having one other supporting member, to a fully engaged staff team.
• 80% of GAI members have previously used the tools provided by CCS (including Claimexpenses.com and GAP).

More about the resources they want

We asked our members specifically about they kinds of information they want, and how they want to access them. We’ve been working to make this a reality:

• Use technology more actively and innovatively to maintain easy access to up-to-date resources
  • We’re working to redesign and streamline our website to make it easier to identify the resources that are relevant to you. We’re also working to extend the platforms across which these resources are hosted on: already we’ve created a video tutorial for our Claimexpenses.com travel tool, and we have more planned.
• Involve external experts in specific aspects of sustainability
  • Since the conclusion of the survey, we’ve already commissioned expert consulting advice with regards to sustainable travel planning for new capital (building) projects. As we continue to identify the knowledge gaps of the community, we’ll seek further support to make sure the GAI is an access point for quality information.

More about their needs

We asked our members about what they think the core values of the GAI should be, and what kinds of activities would help them achieve their environmental sustainability aims. Our top results are prompting us to consider different ways to meet these needs:

• Enhance the sustainability competencies of arts organisations
  • Creative Carbon Scotland is working hard to grow the range and accessibility of the resources and tools we provide to help guide those addressing their environmental impact. Over time, we plan to host informative training events on key sustainability topics to grow organisational competency.
• Identify, use and share relevant knowledge
  • Our members are experts in their own field, each having faced specific sustainability questions and issues. But many of these issues are familiar across the arts sector, across regional boundaries, and across art form. We’re investigating the different ways to share these stories – through case studies and research reports, to best communicate how to overcome the common problems.
• Provide a central gathering of arts and sustainability expertise in Scotland
  • On 6th October 2015, we’re hosting our first annual conference for GAI members and those Scottish arts organisations reporting on their environmental efforts. Held in Glasgow at the Pearce Institute, the conference will be a great opportunity to hear about the challenges and successes of fellow GAI members, and glean ideas to adapt for other organisations.

Thanks once again to all those who completed the survey. For those who missed it, we are always eager to hear any thoughts or ideas on how you want the GAI community of practice to work. Please let us know! You can get in touch with Catriona by emailing catriona.patterson@creativecarbonscotland.com.

For the mean time, keep an eye on the Green Arts Initiative project page and our social media accounts (#GAI) to stay up-to-date with our members. And don’t forget to save the date for our GAI and carbon reporting conference on October 6th: 50 Shades of Green. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

If you’re interested in joining the Green Arts Initiative, have a look on the Green Arts Initiative project page to find out more, and to join the community.

Image: David Smith of The Filmhouse/Edinburgh International Film Festival – Winner of our GAI Member Survey prize draw!

The post GAI Member Survey: The Results 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

Creative Carbon Scotland presents our 10 sustainable top picks for the week ahead. We have scoured through the programme of each and every festival to find the best and brightest acts engaging with art and sustainability. From shows to exhibitions, talks and discussions to events, I hope you enjoy our list of the sustainability crème de la crème on show in Edinburgh this week.

1. Workers’ Rights in the 21st Century – do we need them?

Festival of Politics

Although they have been synonymous with industrialization for more than a hundred years, detractors believe unions are outmoded institutions whose role has been pre-empted in the 21st century by labour laws, better human resource management and an increasingly educated and mobile workforce.  Yet many believe we still need a fairness and voice in the workplace. Join Chair Deputy Presiding Officer, Elaine Smith MSP as she discusses these issues with Ann Henderson, Assistant Secretary, Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC); Professor Mike Gonzalez, formerly head of Latin American studies at University of Glasgow and member of Solidarity – Scotland’s Socialist Movement; and Colin Borland, Federation of Small Businesses.

A special Festival discount will apply if tickets are bought for both this panel and the film screening Made in Dagenham.

2. Lungs

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

‘I could fly to New York and back every day for seven years and still not leave a carbon footprint as big as if I have a child. Ten thousand tonnes of CO2. That’s the weight of the Eiffel Tower. I’d be giving birth to the Eiffel Tower.’ In a time of global anxiety, erratic weather and political unrest, a couple want a child but are running out of time. What will be the first to destruct – the planet or their relationship? ‘The most beautiful, shattering play of the year’ ***** (Sunday Express).

Shortlisted for the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award

3.  Current Location

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Three women stand on a cliff-edge overlooking their village; a village which is soon to disappear. ‘Sometimes we need to do things like this; we need to step away from our daily lives, and look at them from a distance.’ Set in the intimacy of a choir rehearsal room, an all-female cast presents this immersive piece of theatre with live music by Ben Osborn, which explores how rumour and the fears associated with climate change disrupts families, friends and communities. ‘Quietly gripping and thoroughly unsettling, this piece climbs inside you, like the best examples of sci-fi’ (ExeuntMagazine.com).

Shortlisted for the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award

4.  We May Have To Choose

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Winner: 2015 Adelaide Fringe Weekly Award – Best Theatre. A monologue of sorts, a list of 621 declarations about the universe. A darkly humorous solo show that asks: in a dying world, what is it to speak one’s mind? “a refreshingly experimental performance… surprisingly funny… provocative…an introspective experience” (Buzzcuts.org.au). Australian performer Emma Hall creates a funny, withering, and moving piece about the fallibility of thought in our quest to solve the riddles of our world. I think therefore I am…often wrong. **** ‘smart, fun and distinctly different’ (TheatreGuide.com.au). **** (RipItUp.com.au).

Shortlisted for the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award

5. Holoturian

Edinburgh Art Festival

For the Edinburgh Art Festival, Guzik has constructed a beautiful capsule, the Holoturian, designed to send a living plant and a string instrument into the depths of the sea. Imagined in extraordinary drawings, this ship has instrumentation, which expresses life, space, harmony and brightness as primary messages, and is dedicated to sperm whales and other deep ocean creatures.

6. Embrace Your Creativity and Improve Your Life

Edinburgh International Book Festival

BBC arts editor Will Gompertz has interviewed plenty of creative people. In Think Like an Artist he focuses not just on their output, but the creativity with which they approach their work. He argues that there’s a link between creativity and entrepreneurialism, and using artists like Picasso and Warhol as examples, he says we can improve our own lives by learning some of their skills.

7. The Wild Man of Orford

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Orford, the Suffolk coast, 1167. A fisherman hauls up a mysterious catch: a scaly, glistening creature from the depths of the sea. Man or monster? Is the wild man barbaric or simply free of the constraints of society? A tale from English folklore, The Wild Man of Orford is a story of freedom, of kindness, and of the strange wild song of the sea. Beautiful and improbable, Rust and Stardust’s production features an exciting combination of handmade puppets, live theatre and music, and projected animations. Part of the Sea of Stories season at Sweet Venues.

Shortlisted for the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award

8. Ndebele Funeral

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Winner! FringeNYC Overall Excellence Award Best Play, Critics’ Pick Time Out New York. From a successful run off-Broadway in New York and South Africa’s National Arts Festival. Hilariously heartbreaking, Ndebele Funeral pulls audiences into the music, dirt, and dreams of modern South Africa by examining the aspirations and loss of three characters whose lives intersect in a Soweto shack. Smoke and Mirrors Collaborative’s powerfully physical production delves bravely into modern poverty, health care and violence featuring original music and gumboot dancing from the mines of Jo’burg.

Shortlisted for the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award

9. Scarfed for Life

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

‘The play, Scarfed for Life, is a loud, lively piece about sectarianism in Glasgow … a mix of broad, mouthy comedy and serious agitprop’ (Joyce McMillan, Scotsman). A modern parable set against the backdrop of the first Old Firm clash of the season. Funny, hard-hitting and thought provoking, Scarfed for Life tells the story of two teenage friends caught in the crossfire of polite suburban prejudice and garden equipment. This play draws on what sectarianism and prejudice actually means to young Glaswegians, and how it affects them and their peers. Supported by the Scottish Government.

Shortlisted for the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award

10.  Fraxi Queen of the Forest

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Home provider, light giver, and oxygen producer, Fraxi the Ash tree is a guardian (and BFF!) to all woodland creatures. When tragedy strikes and Fraxi is infected with the ash-dieback virus, her childhood friend Woody must choose how to save the forest. A triumph of whimsical physical theatre for young audiences written by Scotland New Playwrights award winner, Jack Dickson.

Shortlisted for the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award

[Top image courtesy of Lonely Planet]

The post #GreenFests Top 10 Things to See in Edinburgh This Week 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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Unwanted props, usable furniture, gorgeous costumes, venue and set construction materials – we want them all! 

On the final days of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Creative Carbon Scotland is co-hosting the Fringe Swap Shop (previously known as the Fringe Reuse and Recycle Days). We are inviting companies and individuals participating in the festival to bring good quality props, costumes and set materials to be reused by other productions or members of the local community.

Participants can also bring their excess print materials, including posters and flyers, to be recycled.

Dropping off of items is limited to companies and individuals participating in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe only. The collecting and reusing of items from the Swap Shop is open to anyone; those looking to pick up donated items can drop in at any point over the three days!

The Swap Shops will take place on the 30th and 31st August, and the 1st September, 11am – 6pm.

Contact participants@edfringe.com for more details of what they can accept or speak to Fringe Central staff.

A report detailing kinds of materials donated in 2014 was produced by Creative Carbon Scotland.

For more information on sustainability at the Edinburgh Fringe please have a look at The Fringe Guide to Sustainability.

If you’re interested in recycling production materials outside of the August Edinburgh Festival Fringe, there are lots of other reuse and recycling opportunities for the artistic community. Please see our webpage on the Swap Shop for more information.

Whether you are a Fringe first-timer or an experienced veteran, there are lots of opportunities to make the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe your greenest yet. Here are just some of the ways to reduce the environmental impact of your Fringe involvement.

Every year, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe hosts hundreds of temporary venues, visiting companies from around the world and thousands of productions, all over the course of a single month. However, even in this fleetingly temporary festival setting, there are many ways of reducing the environmental impact of your show.

Listed below are just some of the initiatives which you can join to operate in a more sustainable way this August:

Advice for Participants and Companies

The Fringe Guide to Sustainability

Produced by the Participant Services team at the Fringe Society, this guide offers accessible advice and practical steps for production companies to make their shows more sustainable. It provides a list of first steps and creative ideas for action, case studies of past sustainable productions and useful resources for sustainable operations, communication and monitoring.

Click here to download the 2015 official Fringe Guide to Sustainability.

The Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award

Run by Creative Carbon Scotland and the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts, this yearly award celebrates the most sustainable shows appearing at the Fringe. Shortlisted productions are named in The List magazine, and the winner receives a special feature in the CPSA quarterly as well as recognition in a ceremony at Fringe Central.

For more information and to apply, click here. The deadline for 2015 applications is July 24th.

The Fringe Swap Shop

Formerly known as the Fringe Re-use and Recycle Days, the Swap Shop is back for 2015, welcoming companies and individuals participating in the festival to bring good quality props, costumes and set materials to be reused by other productions or members of the local community. The event has grown year on year and is now a popular fixture in the Fringe calendar. This year’s Swap Shop will take place from Sunday 30th August to Tuesday 1st September 2015, 11am – 6pm – details of which can be found on our Events page.

Participants can contact Fringe Central or participants@edfringe.com to find out more about what can be donated.

Top Tips

• Ask your Fringe venue about their environmental policy, and whether they have energy monitoring systems and recycling options
• Advertise the most environmentally-friendly way to get to your venue – Edinburgh has excellent public transport and cycling networks – and most city centre locations can easily be reached on foot. Websites likewww.walkit.com and www.edinburgh.cyclestreets.net can be used to find new routes and avoid the manic festival traffic.
• Reduce and re-use your materials by investing in responsibly sourced set items that can be used repeatedly, and commit to efficient waste disposal methods (like the Fringe Swap Shop)
• Always use recycled and/or recyclable paper. The price difference is often negligible while the environmental benefits are huge. See here to learn more about your paper options.

Advice for Venues

The Green Arts Initiative

Run by Creative Carbon Scotland and Festivals Edinburgh, the GAI is a simple accreditation scheme designed to provide advice, support and tools for venues, companies and organizations to become greener and communicate their efforts to audiences and the public.

In 2014, nearly 70 organizations across the UK were signed up to the GAI, taking proactive steps to reduce their environmental impact across waste, travel and energy areas.

This year, we are offering a free staff induction service for GAI members. The CCS team is available to give a 5 minute sustainability talk to festival volunteers and seasonal staff members to help raise awareness of the small actions that can make a big difference! Please contactCatriona.patterson@creativecarbonscotland.com to arrange for one of our staff to come out and meet your team.

We are also offering supplemental branding for those GAI members participating in Scotland’s various summer festivals to assist in making your green achievements that much more visible. ContactCatriona.patterson@creativecarbonscotland.com to arrange for an additional GAI sticker delivery and social media coverage.

To sign up to the GAI, and to find out which organisations are already members, click here

Case Study Examples

We’ve been putting together case studies of good practice in the arts and cultural industries, constantly adding more to highlight the best efforts of the festivals! Click here to find real-world examples of everything from environmentally-friendly touring and publicity, to sustainable catering and audience engagement.

Top Tips

• Address the four main areas of environmental impact: energy, water, waste and travel
• Develop your own environmental policy, set your own targets and create action plans for minimizing your impact
• Be inventive with your publicity method – paper flyer use can be reduced easily with more efficient targeting of material, a good social network campaign or the use of ink stamps and poster QR codes.
• Encourage staff members, volunteers and audiences to use the greenest transportation options available. Edinburgh has excellent public transport and cycling networks – and most city centre locations can easily be reached on foot. Websites like www.walkit.com and www.edinburgh.cyclestreets.net can be used to find efficient routes.
• Run a simple staff induction addressing environmentally-responsible behaviours and locations of recycling facilities (or, if you are a GAI member, invite us to do this for you!)

Keep up to date with sustainability news and opportunities throughout the Fringe, and Scotland’s other various summer festivals, by following Creative Carbon Scotland on Facebook, Twitter and our festival-specific #GreenFests blog.