Environmental Impact

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Autumn – Winter ’13 Training Programme Dates Announced

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This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

creative_carbon_scotlandPart of Creative Carbon Scotland’s mission is to support arts organisations, artists and audiences to be as environmentally sustainably as possible. To achieve this we provide artists and arts organisations with all of the practical training, tools and support they need to begin reducing their environmental impact through a year-round training programme across the country and one-on-one support via phone and email.

This enables individuals and organisations to get ahead of climate change regulations and make the most of the financial savings, artistic opportunities and market advantages to operating in more sustainable ways. Our training programme and website provide staff in any role in cultural organisations with the necessary skills and knowledge to identify where their key environmental impacts lie and implement actions to reduce their carbon footprint.

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.

Our workshops cover all the areas of environmental impact you need to consider when it comes to measuring and reducing your carbon footprint. They are suitable to all levels and staff in any role in cultural organisations.

Workshop 1 provides organisations and individuals with an introduction to the key areas of carbon measuring and reduction to start thinking about – energy (electricity and gas), water, waste and travel. You will be introduced to the CCS Green Arts Portal and two widely used online tools developed especially for SMEs and cultural sector organisations.

Workshop 2 offers practical training for measuring and reducing travel- related carbon emissions. Travel is often the biggest area of environmental impact for cultural organisations and probably the most complex areas for data gathering. You will be lead through what is manageable for you to measure in your first year and trained on how to measure different types of travel undertaken by your organization as well as calculating your travel carbon footprint.

Green Meets are a less formal workshop where arts organisations have the chance to get together to talk about reducing their environmental impact – the areas they have had success in, what they’re struggling with and what they’re feeling inspired by. CCS will provide a specific focus such as developing an environmental policy or measuring audience travel, as well as allowing plenty of time for more general discussion between participants. We host local Green Meets across Scotland on a quarterly basis.

We have now finalised dates for local Green Meets taking place over October and November. To attend a Green Meet near you get in touch with Gemma@creativecarbonscotland.com.

Green Meets Schedule (venues and times tbc)

16th October– Edinburgh

21st October – Glasgow

23rd October – Inverness

28th October – Dumfries and Galloway

31st October – Dundee

6th November– Aberdeen

14th November– Highlands and Island (via video-conference)

Keep an eye on our Events page for more details and dates on workshops 1 and 2 to come shortly!

The post Autumn – Winter ’13 Training Programme Dates Announced appeared first on 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

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Greening the Edinburgh Mela

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This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Edinburgh-Mela-Fest-300x169The Edinburgh Mela has taken some really exciting new steps to greening this year’s festival (Sat 31st Aug – Sun 1st Sept). The two initiatives they have taken on this year tackle the issues of waste and audience travel.

With food and drink playing a big role in the festival celebrations, they’ve made the decision to ban all non-compostable packaging from the site, working towards their aim to become a zero waste festival. This year they will be working with the hugely innovative Edinburgh-based company Vegware, the UK’s first and only completely compostable food packaging firm, on board as Associate Sponsor of Greening The Mela initiative.

Vegware’s catering disposables are made from plants, not plastic. In 2013 the Edinburgh firm won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development and were named the best small business in the UK. Its Food Waste Network offers a free matchmaking service for any UK business seeking food waste recycling. The Mela is encouraging audiences to do their bit by putting any used Vegware and leftover food in the compostables bin so it can all be composted! More info on Vegware here.

They are also working hard to encourage visitors to choose to cycle to the Mela this year. Through funding from the EU’s CHAMP cycling project, the City of Edinburgh Council will be helping the festival promote walking and cycling routes to the Mela, and there will be some exciting activities to get involved in. 

Both initiatives are a great example of how to increase the mindfulness of audiences and the environmental impact of their actions not only during the festivities but also when making plans to travel to and from festival. Well done Edinburgh Mela!

The post Greening the Edinburgh Mela appeared first on 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

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The New Children’s Museum in San Diego: TRASH

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This post comes to you from EcoArtScotland

TRASH, Photo provided by New Children’s Museum

The New Children’s Museum in San Diego is doing a major exhibition on trash.  The following is their introductory text.

The artists in TRASH, each with differing prerogatives and intentions, share the common desire to draw attention to an invisible issue that increasingly dominates our lives. Did you know that in the United States, annual production of waste has tripled since 1960? That the average American produces 4.5 pounds of trash every day? In this exhibition, our mission is to change how we see trash, and changing perspective starts by asking more questions.

How do we decide what is trash?
How does your trash impact the lives of others?
How can we imagine new possibilities, and a new future for our trash?

For nearly 100 years, artists have chosen to work with trash to create a tangible connection to everyday life and to reject the idea that making art requires precious or expensive materials. Today artists are also passionately interested in the environmental impact of their materials. Through their transformation of trash into art, our artists encourage you to envision trash as more than waste needing disposal. They want you to see possibilities where others see waste.

The future starts here at NCM. We want to empower kids to act as the agents of change at home, and we look to kids to find the new approaches, new ideas, and new solutions that will change our future.

TRASH is organized by The New Children’s Museum and is made possible by the generosity of Laurie Mitchell & Brent Woods, Farrell Family Foundation, SDG&E, Lynne & Glenn Carlson, Maryanne & Irwin Pfister and Fernanda & Ralph Whitworth. Support is also provided by The James Irvine Foundation, Nordstrom, the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, the County of San Diego’s Community Enhancement Program, and NCM members and Annual Fund donors.

ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.

It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology.
Go to EcoArtScotland

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Showman Fabricators Celebrates Donyale Werle’s Tony win for Peter and the Starcatcher

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Tony Awards After Donyale Werle’s win for best Scenic Design for a play at the Tony Awards last night, Showman Fabricators, who worked to bring the show to Broadway, sent an email to congratulate Donyale Werle on her Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Play for ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’. Saying “Building this set was an honor and pleasure.”

Read on from their email this morning…..

BRAVA!! to Tony Award winning Set Designer Donyale Werle for her work on ‘Peter and the Star Catcher’.


Best Scenic Design of a Play was 1 of 5 Tony Awards ‘Peter’ won last night. Donyale is very conscience about the environmental impact of  her designs and material choices. We could not have been more proud to have built this show for her. Congratulations to Donyale as well as David Benken, Technical Supervisor and Patrick Eviston, Production Carpenter.  And Donyale, thanks for the shout out during your gracious acceptance speech!

Set Designer Donyale Werle at Showman Fabricators

Donyale Playbill

Playbill came to Showman and took a tour through the sustainability-conscience design and fabrication process of ‘Peter’ with Donyale Werle.  For more information about the show, visit Peter and the Starcatcher.

Highlights of ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’


Click the video to view some of the highlights of ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’.  Also visit the Showman and ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ facebook pages for additional video’s and information.

View our profile on LinkedInLike us on Facebook Showman Fabricators
www.showfab.com
47-22 Pearson Place
Long Island City, New York 11101

 

Wales’ Volcano Theater Releases Free Resource for Creative Industries to tackle Climate Change

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Free resource to help creative industries tackle climate change and understand their role in creating a more sustainable society now available online

Creative industries can play a fundamental role in developing a sustainable future for the planet, both by addressing the direct impact on the environment from their own practice, and through the influential impact their work could have within society.

But for many working in the arts, addressing these complex issues can be a daunting task.  A new initiative based in Wales is encouraging creative practitioners to take direct action to develop a sustainable future for the planet, and by bringing together scientists and artists, the project is helping drive the issue of sustainable practice within the arts to the forefront of the political agenda within Wales.

The project, entitled ‘Emergence’, began as a collaboration between Swansea based theatre company Volcano and Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales, supported by Arts Council Wales and The British Council.  In 2010/11 The arts community in Wales attended three major events to raise issues, discuss alternatives, and suggest practical solutions for a more sustainable future.

The series of conferences focused on creating an impetus for change within the arts, challenging practices and motivating artists and creative companies to discuss and develop practical solutions to reduce their environmental impact.  In addition, the project encouraged artists to consider the role of the arts in influencing behaviour, and how they can begin to inspire change within society through their work.

The project has recently published a conference report in an engaging and informative 30 page document.  This ‘Emergence’ document is now openly available as a free download,  both in English and Welsh, and provides an invaluable resource for all those working in the arts, and anyone interested in the development of sustainable practice within this field.

The document can be downloaded online through the Volcano website here:

http://www.volcanotheatre.co.uk/398/news/emergence-the-document.html#/image.php?id=321

The Emergence document collates inspiring and educative transcripts from expert speakers on the subject of climate change, fair resource use, well being and the transition towards a more connected sustainable society.

From scientist Jean Boulton to the artistic director of National Theatre Wales, John McGrath, the pioneering talks documented within ‘Emergence’ provide inspiration, information and practical ideas for artistic practitioners, venues and companies alike.

The value of the project and the report has been widely applauded, Louise Wright from British Council Wales says ‘Emergence has worked from the ground up…it has been a creative catalyst’.

The conferences have already kick started investigations into current practice – a study by Cardiff University measuring the environmental impact of ‘Night Out’, an Arts Council Touring Scheme, was initiated by Arts Council Wales following the conference.  During the launch event major key players such as The Wales Millennium Centre and Welsh National Opera agreed on the creation of a focus group to look at sustainable practise within these flagship organisations, actively supported by the Theatres Trust and Julies Bicycle.  In addition many individual delegates have changed behaviour and implemented new strategies to reduce their environmental impact, as the project continues to gather focus and momentum within Wales and beyond.

 

Considering Sustainble Design @ PQ 2011

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Historically, the Prague Quadrennial has been an international exhibition of scenography (stage design), where countries come together to display the best of their theater work and the spirit of their design methodologies. It’s a mass of gatherings. It’s discussions and performances and lectures and guerilla moments in the streets (is that a performance or a conversation? Is she injured or just creating an interesting shape? Is that a flamboyant dress or a costume?). It’s also Scenofest, the educational arm of the Quadrennial, featuring a series of workshops and organized talks.

At DAMU, the Czech Academy of Dramatic Arts, CSPA Executive Director Ian Garrett gathered with Nick Moran of the Central School of Speech & Drama and myself to discuss sustainability in design on a panel led by William Mackwood of York University (best known for hosting the Staging Sustainability conference earlier this year). While no one walked in with a paper dress or noisemaking speakers, some fascinating discourse ensued regarding the nature of performance.

Ian Garrett started off with a powerpoint overview of green practices in the arts. He’s extensively acquainted with the overall carbon impact of the average theater production: length of run, power consumption, material. In the years that he’s been building the CSPA, he’s also been gathering a mass of information on the complexity of the arts’ environmental impact. Garrett brings into the discussion issue of audience transportation (a huge factor in carbon footprint) vs. the potential impact of audiences if they had just stayed at home that night. He also discussed the work of groups like Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company and the Broadway Green Alliance.

Following him was Nick Moran, who focused on the resources on the site Julie’s Bicycle and the need within the green movement to make changes on a small (and totally unsexy) level, like type of toilet paper, while continuously pressing for systematic change in arts production culture. He discussed everything from tungsten lamps to fuel cells from the standpoint of a lighting designer who fiercely believes in sustainability.

I stepped up and discussed my obsession of the past several years—ecologically restorative art, including works from Xavier Cortada and Mierle Ukeles, and some of my own work.

Then Mackwood wrapped up presentations with examples of his current work and research at York and Out of the Box Productions, including a greening of “Opera Erotique,” which used all-LED lighting. He discussed design qualities unique to the famously energy-efficient lighting, including cut-lines on dancers, strobe capabilities, and the ability to fit an entire lighting rig in the trunk of a car. What followed was an interesting and brief discussion of LED design. Nick Moran brought up the fact that, unlike tungsten, LED color properties don’t change as they fade. “Imagine that you’re in a world where, for the first time, your lights change color as they fade out. WHAT?! What have you done? Change it!”

In the roundtable following, balance was a key issue in discussion: between medium and message, between creative and financial needs, between work and decompression.“You’ve gotta make good work, otherwise there’s no point: worthy, dull, theatre does not change anyone’s mind,” said Moran. The audience was a point of debate. Are we trying to change their minds, or just give them more sustainable spectacle? Are we trying to address the needs of their transportation, or just present eco-theater? In a field of limited resources it’s all about priorities, and needs are complex. As performances exploded all over the streets of Prague, a very grounding discourse took place at DAMU. Like every conversation about sustainability, it leads to more questions, more conversations, and a grab-bag of actionable items. Regardless, it’s refreshing to be in a room with sharp minds that are focused on this issue, and there is potential for a wider impact at the next PQ.

Design for the Other 90%

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Of the world’s total population of 6.5 billion, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted; in fact, nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter. Design for the Other 90% explores a growing movement among designers to design low-cost solutions for this “other 90%.” Through partnerships both local and global, individuals and organizations are finding unique ways to address the basic challenges of survival and progress faced by the world’s poor and marginalized.

Designers, engineers, students and professors, architects, and social entrepreneurs from all over the globe are devising cost-effective ways to increase access to food and water, energy, education, healthcare, revenue-generating activities, and affordable transportation for those who most need them. And an increasing number of initiatives are providing solutions for underserved populations in developed countries such as the United States.

This movement has its roots in the 1960s and 1970s, when economists and designers looked to find simple, low-cost solutions to combat poverty. More recently, designers are working directly with end users of their products, emphasizing co-creation to respond to their needs. Many of these projects employ market principles for income generation as a way out of poverty. Poor rural farmers become micro-entrepreneurs, while cottage industries emerge in more urban areas. Some designs are patented to control the quality of their important breakthroughs, while others are open source in nature to allow for easier dissemination and adaptation, locally and internationally.

Encompassing a broad set of modern social and economic concerns, these design innovations often support responsible, sustainable economic policy. They help, rather than exploit, poorer economies; minimize environmental impact; increase social inclusion; improve healthcare at all levels; and advance the quality and accessibility of education. These designers’ voices are passionate, and their points of view range widely on how best to address these important issues. Each object on display tells a story, and provides a window through which we can observe this expanding field. Design for the Other 90% demonstrates how design can be a dynamic force in saving and transforming lives, at home and around the world.

Design for the Other 90%: Cooper Hewitt Exhibition |About.

Theater on the green: Staging eco-minded productions in SD – SignOnSanDiego.com

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A great article ont he inspiring work being done by Mo-olelo Performing Arts down in San Diego…

K.C. ALFRED / UNION-TRIBUNE Seema Sueko (shown at Miramar Recycling Center) and her theater company Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company have been at the forefront of developing strategies to reduce waste and other environmental impacts from the construction and disposal of used theater scenery

Green is the shade of the heroine’s skin in the massive Broadway hit “Wicked.” Green is also the color of the currency “Wicked” continues to haul in — some $1.3 million a week, more than six years after the show’s New York premiere.

But green also has come to mean something more than cold cash to the people behind that showbiz phenom and other hot-ticket Broadway shows. And at least a bit of the credit can go to a San Diego theater whose $168,000 yearly budget doesn’t match what “Wicked” makes in a day.

Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company puts on just two productions a year, each focusing on a specific social issue, from gun violence to racism to brain injury. Besides rolling out a wide array of educational efforts with every show, the community-minded company also has embraced the idea of reducing live theater’s environmental impact in general, devoting special attention to how sets are designed and discarded.

Read the full article here: Theater on the green: Staging eco-minded productions in SD – SignOnSanDiego.com.

Squatting for Sustainability

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Reprinted from Seattle Metblogs: “Sustainable Theatre at SU” by Zee Grega, March 4, 2010

Seattle University’s greenSquat program in a new way of producing theater – two or more productions share a stage – the second production “squats” on the set and production design of the first, reducing materials used, and reducing the environmental impact of the shows, which can often be substantial.

The first greenSquat production is a new play called WRITER 1272, a comedy by local playwright Vincent Delaney about plagiarism, ghost writing, and the complex conditions of college admissions. WRITER 1272 is “squatting” on SU’s recent staging of Island of Slaves, reusing the set, production materials and even posters from the previous play to create an eco-friendly production. Any added materials are themselves found, recycled, or repurposed – nothing new. greenSquat creator Steve Galatro says says, “Theatre is wasteful. In terms of time, money, energy, and physical resources, we have not yet done our best as a theatre community to embrace the trend of sustainability that is now present all around us. In greenSquat, we are challenging students to examine their responsibility as eco-conscious artists: examining the wide array of materials that make a production and imagining their potential to make another production entirely.”

SU hopes that greenSquat will inspire other theater artists to reduce their environmental impact as well and has partnered with a number of local businesses to promote the idea and will offer raffles and green product giveaways at all shows.

WRITER 1272 runs through March 13 at SU’s Lee Center for the Arts; tickets are available at the door or in advance through the box office which is open Wednesday through Saturday from 1:30 to 6:00 pm; call 206.296.2244 for ticket details.

Go to the Green Theater Initiative

Mo`olelo’s Green Theater Choices Toolkit

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In Fall 2008, Mo`olelo received a “MetLife/TCG A-ha! Think it , Do it” grant to research and develop a tool to measure the environmental impact of theater and help the industry make choices that do not cause long-term damage to our communities. We partnered with Brown & Wilmanns Environmental Consulting and adopted their “Green Choices” methodology. The Green Theater Choices Toolkit was finally completed on December 18, 2009. Click here to download the 24-page pdf.

via GREEN MO`OLELO.