CSPA

The Man Who Planted Trees (Seminar) at WSD2013

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mwplatedWed 11 Sept 15.00 – 16.00

The Willow Theatre

The Man Who Planted Trees was awarded the 2012 CSPA Fringe Festival Award for Sustainable Production and the 2007 Eco Prize for Creativity.

The company will share their experience of creating and touring the show, conscious how lightweight set design, reuse and recycling, low-impact lighting design, backstage chat at countless venues – plus the power of a great story – has helped them to be sustainable not only in environmental terms but also as individuals working together over the last 7 years.

Who should attend?

Open to all interested in sustainability.

Price: £6

BUY TICKETS

Key contributors

Puppet State Theatre Company - http://www.puppetstate.com

Join the CSPA in discussing the Future of The Dance World at DanceUSA (un)Conference June 15th

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Conference-Logo-for-Home-PageDance/USA’s vision is to lead the professional dance industry by providing value to a strong, diverse membership base and encouraging the membership to be responsive to current economic, demographic and participation realities. But, with limited time at the Annual Conference, sometimes we are unable to have all the conversations we’d like. So, this year we’re adding something new: a UN-Conference! This special block of time is dedicated to discussing the topics which are important to you, proposed by you, and not offered in other Conference programming. We welcome you and your voice at the professional dance table!

Click here to make and vote on suggestions for topics and/or questions you’d like to see discussed in our mini UN-Conference. Your suggestions will determine the conversation during this engaging afternoon!

Click here to see the full conference program.

CSPA Quarterly: Issue 10

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768d3b4ae902374c96e1ab8d40db54e4We see our tenth issue of the CSPA Quarterly, this very issue you have in your hands, as an opportunity to renew, refresh, and even rewind a bit. Since our first issue, the CSPA has grown in reputation; we have travelled the world with special projects, have increased our global membership, and have published well over 2,000 posts online highlighting projects, tools and reports in service of sustainability through art making practices. Our Knowledge Network is expanding quickly, and this Quarterly has been a critical tool in sharing information at conferences, in-person meetings, and with our membership.

This issue contains content from contributors who were part of Issue #1, along with a few new perspectives. We have lovingly called this issue 1.0. As an experiment in looking back, we’ve re-published Sam Goldblatt’s comprehensive report on greening events from 2009, which cites the London 2012 Sustainability Plan. We’ll check in on this plan in a later issue this year. We are also re-running a call to action from Thomas Rhodes in this issue- on renewable energies in organizations. Have we progressed as a movement since these two writings were initially published?

We’ve invited updated articles from frequent contributor Meghan Moe Beitiks, now part of a new “performance research collective” based in Chicago, as well as Olivia Campbell, writing on site-specific dance and it’s relationship to sustainability. Linda Weintraub has contributed a fantastic essay on the curator’s role within our complex arts ecosystem.

And, of course, we feature Dianna Cohen’s latest works in our issue 1.0. Since our first issue, Dianna’s work has been exhibited in several galleries and museums internationally. She has delivered one of the most memorable TED talks on plastic pollution in our oceans, and continues her work with the Plastic Pollution Coalition.

We thank our collaborators in this issue, and our membership for their ongoing support. The issue is available from MagCloud, both in print (on-demand) and as a digital reader.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PRINT OR DIGITAL EDITION

Let’s Share: LA STAGE OPENS NEW DOORS

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20130301LASAPostersmallLA STAGE Alliance (In partnership with your friends at the CSPA) has just secured a new facility in the vibrant Atwater Village neighborhood and, true to their mission, we’ve asked ourselves how our move can benefit the greater Los Angeles theatre community at large. What we’ve come up with is LA STAGE Space, which will house several activities:

1)  A 7,000 square foot Warehouse Co-op for LA performing artists to house and share all their sets, props, costumes and equipment with each other throughout the year.

2) A space to give the community a shared physical location, in the form of a “Community Lounge,” where artists and community members can gather, find materials and information on arts sustainability, and relax. (And get free coffee & wifi!)

3) Additional meeting, audition, and rehearsal space — as an added bonus!

All we need now is to outfit the empty building so it can be used more effectively — shelving, pallet movers, barcode scanners, furniture, decorations, coffee pot… and maybe even a truck to help things come to and fro.

Let’s join together to make it happen!  

Contribute to the IndieGoGo Campaign today!

 

LASAandBOD

The LA STAGE Alliance Board and Staff

COMMUNITY BENEFITS

There are so many ways this Co-Op will positively impact the community. It will…

  • HELP NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS to save money and be financially sustainable.
  • HELP REDUCE WASTE by re-using materials, resulting in a more eco-friendly LA and LA arts community.
  • UNIFY THE COMMUNITY by providing a physical location for artists to congregate and share.
  • INSPIRE COLLABORATION for performing artists, and promote innovation for the rest of the country to emulate.

We’ll also be using environmentally-friendly practices and materials.

CORE GOALS & STRETCH GOAL

Core Goal: $25,000 will outfit LA STAGE Space and the Warehouse Co-op in its most basic state. This includes shelving, ladders, furniture, and a high-tech (and easy-to-use) online barcoded inventory system — making it possible to open our doors to the entire community.

Stretch Goal: An additional $25,000 will, apart from allowing us a bit more wiggle room, give us access to a used moving truck (and have gas and insurance and maintenance covered). This will be our Strike Truck, and will allow for Co-op members to arrange pickups after their strikes, which will carry materials back to the Warehouse (or to deliver materials to their theatres from the warehouse).

Our Sustainability Partners

We are pleased to partner with many organizations on LA STAGE Space, including the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts, Arts:Earth Partnership, and Good Planet Media, all organizations dedicated to sustainability in Los Angeles and around the world.

Out Now – CSPA Q9: Science/Art

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followOur issue on Science/Art features a preview of the CSPA Fusebox Festival study, writing from Sarah Moon and Alyce Santoro, a report from Moe Beitiks on the first annual Moscow Science Art Conference, and an excerpt from Lina Weintraub’s new book. Through this issue, we explore the connection and complex relationship that exists between science and art.

Includes: Alyce Santoro, Amanda Gartman, Fusebox Festival, Linda Weintraub, Meghan Moe Beitiks,Moscow Science Art Conference, Sarah Moon

Sun. October 28: The Nomadic People of Kentifrica

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LOS ANGELES – Look for our 1951 Spartan trailer at the Leimert Park Art Walk on Sunday, October 28 where multimedia artist Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle will present “Kentifrican Travel Narratives,” a performance piece exploring  the nomadic cultures of Kentifrica, a continent where the history of Kentucky and the ancestral heritage of West Africa converge. The event will feature a concert with Kentifrican songs for safety on the road and other music performed on instruments made from and inspired by Kentifrican culture.  A café with Kentifrican food will offer food to the public.

Kenyatta Hinkle (Cal Arts, M.F.A. ’12) was the youngest artist to participate this summer in the Hammer Museum’s  “Made In L.A.”  Her work is currently on display at a group exhibit, “BAILA con Duende”at Watts Towers (September, 2012 – January, 2012. )  In October, she will be at the Bindery Projects in St. Paul, MN.  In November her work will be shown at another group exhibit at  The Studio Museum in Harlem.

 Kentifrican Travel Narratives: Transversing Boundaries                                    Leimert Park Art Walk                                                                                                                Leimert Park Village, Los Angeles, CA 91804  map                                                               Sunday, October 28 – 12 pm – 4 pm                                                                                               This event is a co-production with Ben Caldwell’s Kaos Films

This post is part of a series documenting Sam Breen’a Spartan Restoration Project. Please see his first post here and check out the archive here. The CSPA is helping Sam by serving in an advisory role, offering modest support and featuring Sam’s Progress by syndicating his feed from http://spartantrailerrestoration.wordpress.com as part of our CSPA Supports Program.

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THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES Announced as Recipient of the 2012 Award for Sustainable Production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

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The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA) has awarded the third CSPA Fringe Award for Sustainable Production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to The Man Who Planted Trees adapted from Jean Giono’s story by Ailie Cohen, Richard Medrington, Rick Conte and directed by Ailie Cohen. It is produced by the Edinburgh’s Puppet State Theater, and is currently on tour in North America.

Giono, who passed in 1970, has said about The Man Who Planted Trees in 1957: “I wrote this story to make people love trees, or more precisely to make people love planting trees. Of all my stories it is one of the ones of which I am most proud. It has never earned me a penny and for that reason it has accomplished the very purpose for which it was written.”

“The Man Who Planted Trees was chosen because of the synchronicity of the themes and the physical production of the show.” comments Ian Garrett, co-founder and Director of the CSPA. “ The award is intended to reward both smartly addressing issues of sustainability and production practices. Further, we recognize that in the Fringe environment, the physically production is often partially determined by the resources and time made available by the venues. What made The Man Who Planted Trees stand out is that it was able to successfully combine these factors into one of the most consistently lauded productions of the festival.”

The award is determined by the submission of a questionnaire about how the show was produced and audience response. The Man Who Planted Trees’ production team was able to provide comprehensive technical information for the production, which showed a commitment to design and resource efficiency. This considered approach also factored into their communications and marketing. All of these factors were further supported by the themes of the play.

The CSPA Directors, Ian Garrett and Miranda Wright adjudicated the award, along with select CSPA affiliates and friends. This year marked the beginning of a closer relation with Festival Edinburgh, which supports all of the festivals throughout August and the rest of the year. For the original Edinburgh Fringe application, Mhora Samuel and Tim Atkinson from The Theatres Trust’s European Regional Development Fund-backed Ecovenue project helped the CSPA adapt the criteria for a UK audience, providing guidance on UK equivalents to US name brands, as well as providing insight on measuring conventions and policy.

“The CSPA is not just another ‘go green’ organization,” says Wright.  “We hope to gather and distribute information that aids in the sustainability of the earth, the sustainability of our communities, and the sustainability of our art.  And so, the purpose of this award is not to recognize the greenest production.  Our objective in offering this award is to ask questions of ourselves, as theater artists, about the greater impact of our work on the world around us. The fringe model provides an ideal platform to introduce these ideas and the award due to the expectations and scale of the shows.”

“Even more so than we want someone to score perfectly on the questionnaire we use to evaluate shows, we want theater artists to look at the questions and think about how it helps to guide their thinking about sustainability in the their art. There may be questions asked in ways they hadn’t thought, and we hope they ask these questions of their next project and the project after that,” adds Garrett.

Ian Garrett and Miranda Wright founded the CSPA in early 2008 after individually working on each of the programs that now make up the multi-faceted approach to sustainability separately. 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 Theater, Diverseworks Artspace, Indy Convergence, York University, LA Stage Alliance and others.

The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts and Festivals Edinburgh team up for a Greener Fringe.

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The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA) is current taking applications for the 2012 Fringe Festival Award for Sustainable Production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, designed to reward sustainable practice in the production of a fringe show. This, the third, year, the award and programming is being coordinated with Festivals Edinburgh and Creative Carbon Scotland, who have joined forces to create the Edinburgh Festivals Green Venue Guide and will be bringing festival participants a series of high profile events at Fringe Central.

The Award for Sustainable Production looks at public communication and education, resource use and transportation in support of presenting a fringe show. The award has been developed to integrate the ground breaking work of Julie’s Bicycle’s IG Tools and San Diego’s Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company, who has created a comprehensive Green Theater Choices Toolkit. To be considered for the award, a production fills out an online questionnaire with questions that range from an inventory of materials used, to what public transportation lines run close to venues, to how themes about sustainability may be revealed in their shows.

This Monday, the 6th of August, join us for  How to Be a Greener Fringe Show, at 14:00 at Fringe Central (venue #2). It is a practical workshop, getting into the nitty gritty of greener shows including everything from touring to publicity, set design to audience engagement. In addition, Ian Garrett from the CSPA will be on hand after the presentation to answer questions about the award for sustainable production and its application process.

Internationalism and the Environment, at Fringe Central, Saturday 18th August at 11:30, will be a panel discussion with David Grieg, internationally performed playwright, Kate Ward, General Manager of the London International Festival of Theatre, and Ian Garrett, Director of the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts.

Join us for What’s the Big Idea? at Fringe Central on Wednesday 22nd August at 16:00. This session will be an open forum for a chance for you to air your views on how the arts can engage with environmental issue and how can we make next year’s Fringe the greenest Fringe. This event will include provocations from Erica Whyman, Artistic Director of Northern Stage, and Anthony Alderson, Director of the Pleasance Theatre Trust.

To help get the greening of the Fringe going, there will also be two Reuse and Recycle Days on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th August from 11:00 – 16:00 where you can bring Unused flyers, unwanted props, usable furniture, gorgeous costumes, venue and set construction materials for  A combination recycling depot and free rummage sale at Fringe Center.

IMPORTANT DATES: 

Monday 6th August (14:00)

  • How to Be a Greener Fringe Show - a practical workshop, getting into the nitty gritty of greener shows including everything from touring to publicity, set design to audience engagement.

Saturday 18th August (11:30)

  • Internationalism and the Environment – a panel discussion with David Grieg, internationally-performed playwright, Kate Ward, General Manager of the London International Festival of Theatre, and Ian Garrett, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts.

Wednesday 22nd August (16:00) 

Monday 27th August (11:00 – 16:00) & Tuesday 28th August (11:00 – 16:00)

  • Reuse and Recycle Days - where you can bring Unused flyers, unwanted props, usable furniture, gorgeous costumes, venue and set construction materials for  A combination recycling depot and free rummage sale.

All events are free and unticketed.

Events are at Fringe Central, Appleton Tower, Crichton Street, Edinburgh EH8 9LE

MORE INFO:

CSPA Fringe Initiatives: https://www.sustainablepractice.org/programs/fringe/

2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/a/sustainablepractice.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFdDS2Z6NXBlQVVDdEROQ0NyMnNMb0E6MQ#gid=0

Edinburgh Festivals Green Venues Guide:  http://www.efgreen.co.uk/

Creative Carbon Scotland: http://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/

For more information on these events, or to find out how to take part in the Edinburgh Festivals’ environmental projects, contact the Environment Officer, Harry Giles at Festivals Edinburgh.

Applications open for the 2012 Fringe Festival Award for Sustainable Production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

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CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE 2012 EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE QUESTIONNAIRE

The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA) announces the opening of applications for the 2012 Fringe Festival Award for Sustainable Production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The CSPA Fringe Festival Award for Sustainable Production is designed to reward sustainable practice in the production of a fringe show. The recipient will receive a plaque and a feature article in an upcoming edition of the CSPA Quarterly, the CSPA’s print publication highlighting the most exciting work being done in sustainability and the arts. This year’s award, presented for the 3rd time, is being coordinated with Festivals Edinburgh and Creative Carbon Scotland, who have joined forces to create the Edinburgh Festivals Green Venue Guide and will be bringing festival participants a series of high profile events at Fringe Central. The winner of the Award will be announced on Monday, the 20th of August.

The award is adjudicated by the CSPA Directors, Ian Garrett and Miranda Wright, along with CSPA affiliates. It looks at public communication and education, resource use and transportation in support of presenting a fringe show. The award has been developed to integrate the ground breaking work of Julie’s Bicycle’s IG Tools and San Diego’s Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company, who has created a comprehensive Green Theater Choices Toolkit with a generous grant from the Theater Communications Group. For the Edinburgh Fringe, Mhora Samuel and Tim Atkinson from The Theatres Trust’s European Regional Development Fund-backed Ecovenue project helped the CSPA adapt the criteria for a UK audience, providing guidance on UK equivalents to US name brands, as well as providing insight on measuring conventions and policy.

To be considered for the award, a production fills out an online questionnaire. Questions range from an inventory of materials used, to what public transportation lines run close to venues, to how themes about sustainability may be revealed in their shows. Because venues vary so greatly, and not all shows may be overtly about sustainable topics, all but the most basic questions are optional and all shows are encouraged to apply. Shows are encouraged, but not required, to provide a CSPA affiliate with tickets to their production to allow a trained eye to look at shows and projects as they exist in the real world.

The CSPA Award for Sustainable Production at the Fringe launched in 2010 at the Hollywood Fringe and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Previous recipients include:  The Pantry Shelf (Edinburgh 2010), a satirical comedy that takes place in any ordinary pantry shelf, produced by Team M&M at Sweet Grassmarket; Presque Pret a Porter (Hollywood 2010), produced by Dreams by Machine; and Allotment (Edinburgh 2011) by Jules Horne and directed by Kate Nelson, produced by nutshell productions at the Inverleith Allotments in co-production with Assembly. The CSPA just anounced that the recipient for the 2012 award at the Hollywood Fringe, which has been given to D is for Dog by Katie Polebaum and the Rogue Artists ensemble, directed by Sean Calweti. It is produced by the Rogue Artists Ensemble at the Hudson Theater and continues to play through August 4th.

To apply, fringe show producers can head over to the CSPA’s website at http://www.sustainablepractice.com/fringe or email fringe@sustainablepractice.org. Applications for evaluation will be taken up until the 19th of August, though it is encouraged to apply while it is still possible for a CSPA affiliate to view the show. All questions regarding the award by also be be directed to fringe@sustainablepractice.org.

In addition to the award, the CSPA will be supporting Festivals Edinburgh and Creative Carbon Scotland’s events during the Fringe. How to Be a Greener Fringe Show, on Monday 6th August (14:00), is a practical workshop, getting into the nitty gritty of greener shows including everything from touring to publicity, set design to audience engagement. Internationalism and the Environment, on Saturday 18th August (11:30) will be a  panel discussion with David Grieg, internationally-performed playwright, Kate Ward, General Manager of the London International Festival of Theatre, and Ian Garrett, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts. What’s the Big Idea? on Wednesday 22nd August (16:00) will be an open forum for a chance for you to air your views on how the arts can engage with environmental issue and how can we make next year’s Fringe the greenest Fringe  with provocations from Erica Whyman, Artistic Director of Northern Stage, and Anthony Alderson, Director of the Pleasance Theatre Trust. There will also be two Reuse and Recycle Days on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th August from 11:00 – 16:00 where you can bring Unused flyers, unwanted props, usable furniture, gorgeous costumes, venue and set construction materials for  A combination recycling depot and free rummage sale.

The CSPA was founded by Ian Garrett and Miranda Wright in early 2008 after individually working on each of the programs that now make up the multi-faceted approach to sustainability separately. It provides a network of resources to arts organizations, which enables them to be ecologically and economically sustainable while maintaining artistic excellence. We support the infrastructure of this network by supplying artists with the information, education and intellectual community they need to make the best choices for their sustainability. We do this through three independent programs: CSPA Knowledge Network,  CSPA convergences, workshops and granting. We extend these efforts with key partnerships with like minded organizations. Past and Present partnerships have included the University of Oregon, Ashden Directory, Arcola Theater, Diverseworks Artspace, Indy Convergence, York University, LA Stage Alliance and others. Under the umbrella of the CSPA, each program and partnership uses different tactics with their own mission to create a comprehensive and cooperative synthesis in artistic sustainability.

As an independent producer and designer, outside of the CSPA, Garrett has produced dozens of shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  Garrett also serves as the Festival Producer for CalArts Festival Theater, a program of California Institute of the Arts’ School of Theater that enables students and alumni to bring work to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, now in its 9th year.

IMPORTANT DATES: 

Monday 6th August (14:00)

  • How to Be a Greener Fringe Show - a practical workshop, getting into the nitty gritty of greener shows including everything from touring to publicity, set design to audience engagement.

Saturday 18th August (11:30)

  • Internationalism and the Environment – a panel discussion with David Grieg, internationally-performed playwright, Kate Ward, General Manager of the London International Festival of Theatre, and Ian Garrett, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts.

Wednesday 22nd August (16:00) 

Monday 27th August (11:00 – 16:00) & Tuesday 28th August (11:00 – 16:00)

  • Reuse and Recycle Days - where you can bring Unused flyers, unwanted props, usable furniture, gorgeous costumes, venue and set construction materials for  A combination recycling depot and free rummage sale.

MORE INFO:

CSPA Fringe Initiatives: https://www.sustainablepractice.org/programs/fringe/

2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/a/sustainablepractice.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFdDS2Z6NXBlQVVDdEROQ0NyMnNMb0E6MQ#gid=0

Edinburgh Festivals Green Venues Guide:  http://www.efgreen.co.uk/

Creative Carbon Scotland: http://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/

 

 

Out Now CSPA Q8: International Issue – The Sea is Rising

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CSPA Quarterly #8 is now available for purchase through MagCloud. Members, your print and digital editions will find their ways to you shortly!.

Our third international issue focuses on projects that call attention to topics that extend well beyond national borders. With a focus on interdependence, and an abundance of contributions about water, ice, and sea rise, this issue addresses the space between national borders- our oceans. Featuring work from Moe Beitiks, Chantal Bilodeau, Eve Mosher, Michael Pinksy, Christopher Robbins, and Liz Ward.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

UPCOMING ISSUES

Q9 Intersection: Science and Culture

We’ve been noticing a flurry of work that exists at the intersection between art and science. This includes installation and performance pieces that challenge scientific claims, and work that utilizes science to prove a point, or to reach a new audience. It’s about fact-imbedded art, or emotions and reasoning co-existing.

CSPA Quarterly 1.0

Our tenth issue anniversary! For this issue, we will breathe new life into our pilot issue, and will check in with those participating artists.