CSPA Convergence

Changing the Culture: Festivals Working for a Sustainable Future

Do you want to know more about how festivals directors and organisers can tackle the complex aspects of sustainability? At this event we’ll hear stories and ideas from the Edinburgh International Science Festival (the world’s first science festival) and Imaginate (Scotland’s international festival of performing arts for children and young people).

The Event

Creative Carbon Scotland is delighted to bring discussions about sustainability to the participants of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We are hosting Paul Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of Imaginate, and Amanda Tyndall, Creative Director of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, to discuss how they have been tackling the issue of sustainability in the arts.

From content and audience travel to operational design and waste disposal, festivals face a difficult task if they strive to be more environmentally sustainable. If one also into account the ideas of economic and social sustainability, it becomes clear that this is a difficult challenge that requires creativity, flexibility and constant review.

Come and join us on 11 August from 4pm to 5.30pm for presentations from our speakers on their respective strategies, the challenges they have faced and overcome, and where they think their future lies.

Tea and coffee will be provided. This event is part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Fringe Central Event Programme for participants at the Edinburgh Fringe and is free to attend, but ticketed: get your tickets here.

Speakers

Amanda Tyndall will be speaking for the Edinburgh International Science Festival, the largest science festival in the UK, established in 1989. Their programme includes everything from discussions, workshops and performances to science themed parties and experimental food events. This year, the festival chose to host events under the theme “Building Better Worlds” this year, with significant inclusion of sustainability topics.

Paul Fitzpatrick joins us from Imaginate, a festival striving to ensure that children and young people in Scotland have regular access to high quality performing arts experiences. The Imaginate Festival has established itself as one of the best places for programmers from all over the world to see children and young people’s work of the very highest standard.  It has also become a place where artists meet, to see and discuss work and take part in professional development activities.

Both the Edinburgh International Science Festival and Imaginate are part of Festivals Edinburgh, which brings together a total of 12 festivals in the Scottish capital city which work together as well as individually on new ideas and approaches to sustainability. Sharing an environmental policy, they are both members of the Green Arts Initiative.

Get your tickets here

PR Print and Design is Supporting Our Green Arts Sector

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.

———-

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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#GreenFests: Top Ten Things to See in Edinburgh this Week

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is officially starting today! Some people might already be resenting the crowds just as others have been looking forward to the swirl of colourful bustle for weeks. But one thing is certain: There’s no other place with such a variety of a cultural programme, in fact, the choice can be overwhelming. So we have done the hard work for you.

Creative Carbon Scotland has been scouring the Fringe programme for the best shows about sustainability to present to you. Every week we pick 10 of the most exciting and creative productions that we have found, from theatre to exhibitions, talks to dance, that are not be missed!

Also keep an eye out for the shortlist for the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award, which will be released on 12 August right here on our website.


1. Faslane

FaslanePolitical drama on nuclear power

“Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, or Faslane, situated 40 milesoutside Glasgow, is home to the UK’s nuclear missile program: Trident. With family having worked in Faslane all her life, and with friends protesting at the gates, Fringe First-winner Jenna Watt explores what happens when the personal and political collide. Drawing upon interviews with individuals at the front line of the nuclear debate, Jenna navigates her own journey through the politics, protests and peace camps.”


2. Counting Sheep

countingsheepPolitical musical theatre

“A rousing call to arms by a 15-piece guerrilla-folk punk band.Bolstered by first-hand footage from behind the barricades, Counting Sheep invites you to lose yourself in the events that changed the course of Ukraine’s history. Sing, march, protest, dance, eat, recoil, laugh, cry – experience the revolution on the main floor, including food, or from the balcony seats above. Sung in traditional Ukrainian polyphony, this is an electrifying exploration of human resilience and immersive theatre at its best.”


3. Labels

labelsPerformance art on society and politics

 “The internationally acclaimed story of migration, family and prejudice returns to Edinburgh! Navigating a childhood in 90s England, a cacophony of right-wing rhetoric and a global refugee crisis, this honest, human tale of multicultural Britain is not to be missed. Expect paper planes, racist romances and lots of sticky labels!”


4. The Low Down Dusty Blues

The Lowdown Dusty BluesMusic and theatre about the effects of environmental change

“The American Dust Bowl of the 1930s was not the only force of nature that ripped families apart. Set in Okemah, Oklahoma, birth place of Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl blues, The Low Down Dusty Blues looks at how a typical American family disintegrated from the inside and the fallout afterward.”

 


5. Ribbet Ribbet Croak

Ribbet Ribbet CroakMulti-sensory experience for families

“Join Grandma and Grandpa Frog as they leave the pond to plan a big surprise. You can also help them keep an eye out for their cheeky grandfrogs, who pop up in unexpected places along the way! Featuring puppetry, songs and plenty of audience interaction, Ribbet Ribbet Croak is a multisensory playful exploration of life as frog. Ribbet Ribbet Croak is suitable for PMLD and ASD family audiences and groups.”

 


6. JunNk

JunNkComedy and Music on recycled insturments

 “A dynamic and original variety show where four guys use nothing but junk to create a unique world of music, comedy and pure entertainment. Combining a cappella singing, captivating percussion and innovative music creations, JunNk is a hilarious and lively show that’s fun for all the family. Fans of STOMP and Blue Man Group, say hello to your new favourite show!”

 

 


7. Beached

BeachedExhibition inspired by waste

“Liz returns, exploring the sea’s edge through legend, environment and flotsam’s intrigues. Mediums include bronze, ceramic and papier-mâché. Come beach-combing and find porcelain treasures from Liz’s workshop! Returning too, working in the installation, is poet-in-residence Dawn Gorman. Also back, storyteller Francis Maxey, with The Ship of Dreams, tales of loss and redemption. Come ashore for sundowners with Liz and chat about the work most days. To find exactly when you will find Liz, Dawn or Francis in the installation contact gallery or Liz’s website: www.lizwatts.co.uk/beached-edinburgh-festival-fringe.”

 


8. One Day Moko

One Day MokoSolo show about homelessness and society

“Life’s never a dull moment when you live one day at a time. Meet Moko. Urban cowboy. Drifter. Thinker. His life fits into a single trolley. Moko wants to meet you. Come spend some time with him. Inspired by real encounters with people living on the streets, One Day Moko investigates how rebellion, opportunity and routine shape our everyday lives. One performer builds a city from a suitcase of worldly possessions. Take a tour and discover Moko’s haunts and secret places. Wake up and smell the baked beans.”

 


9. Keep the Kids Out!

Keep the Kids OutTalk on urban landscapes and science

“When they go out at all, they terrorise our streets and are a nuisance in our neighbourhoods. Are children an environmental threat? Or should we be adapting our environments to suit them? How about closing our city streets so children can play out like they used to? PhD researcher Jenny Wood and community engagement charity PAS will encourage you to look again at our urban landscapes and what they say about children. Is there anything you’d change? Or should we avoid making our cities too child-centric? Come and help keep the kids out(side)!”

 


10. Acting Alone

Acting AlonePolitical storytelling

“Acting Alone is inspired by the people Ava met in refugee campsin Palestine. In her unique performance style, Ava weaves together stories of immense complexity and fragile humanity with tales of her often funny and occasionally bizarre experiences of working as an actor and performing alone. Heartbreaking, witty and confronting, Acting Alone asks questions of us all – can one person make a difference? And what are we willing to risk?”

 

What sustainable Fringe shows are you seeing this week? Let us know on twitter with the hashtag #GreenFests!


Top Image Credit: Laura Suarez on flickr

Show Descriptions courtesy of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Website

#GreenFests: 10 Green Things To Do In Edinburgh This August

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

The Festival season is picking up speed and the array of events offered can be quite overwhelming. So we compiled a handy list of 10 things about environmental sustainability to do at the various festivals around Edinburgh this August. You’ll notice the Festival Fringe is absent – for weekly updates on which green Fringe shows you should see, follow #GreenFests on our blog.

We hope you enjoy these suggestions and have a fantastic festival experience!

1. Climate Change: On the Edge of The World

19 Aug | 7.30-9.00pm | Quaker Meeting House

Just Festival hosts this year’s events under the hashtag “FromTheEdge”, including discussions, talks, exhibitions and performances. From marginalised groups in society to climate change, their programme is expansive and thought-provoking. This Just Festival Conversation in particular will look at what is being done to help communities around the world respond to the threats of climate change and whether disaster can be avoided.

2. … though it be darkness there

16 Aug | 9.30-10.30pm | St John’s Church

This performance at Just Festival brings together musician Matilda Brown and photographer Nick Rowle to collaborate on a series of musical and photographic pieces focusing on the mysteries of landscape. Within this new series of work, Matilda and Nick capture the mystical and unknowable wonder of nature; silence and darkness, solitude, encountering the sublime, sensual and occasionally violent forces of nature.

3. Richard Watson: Get Ready for Tomorrow

13 Aug | 12.30 – 1.30pm | Garden Theatre

This year’s Book Festival programme includes the theme “A Changing Society”, with speakers from many disciplines. In this talk,global trends analyst Richard Watson speaks about the influence of our rapidly evolving technology on our society. What should technology do for us, beyond much-shared cat videos? In Digital vs Human, Watson predicts the areas of life that could genuinely be improved for the better.

4. Mark Kurlansky: Does Paper have a Future?

17 Aug | 12.30 – 1.30pm | Garden Theatre

For centuries we thought of paper as a wonderful and indispensable invention. Yet in recent years, we seem to have been striving towards a paperless society, suggesting it now has negative connotations. For his book Paper: Paging Through History, Mark Kurlansky, New York Times bestselling author of Cod and Salt, traces paper back to its origins and follows its path towards the digital age.

5. Barbara Rae: Return Journey

1-31 August | 10.00am – 6.00pm | Open Eye Gallery

The Art Festival returns this year with a wide variety of artists to showcase. One of them is artist and printmaker Barbara Rae, whose collection of art pieces encompasses locations from around the world, studying human habitation by ancient and modern societies that live off and work on the land. She works and exhibits here a variety of media, sometimes semi-abstract, often abstract, depicting the ruggedness of life’s daily struggle.

6. Walking Institute – Deveron Arts: Tours

Various Days and times

Part of the Art Festival programme are a series of guided walks and discussions about travel organised by the Walking Institute, Deveron Arts and the Forest Fringe. There is “Walking Women“, where artist’s walks and talks will run alongside a Wikipedia edit-a-thon of women walking artists, an open mic pecha-kucha, a ‘walkie-talkie’ mobile workshop, and a library of walking women books. “How Humans adapt” looks at how the simple process of walking can become an experimental artistic performance. “All Roads lead to Venice/Ugly Walk” is a combination of a guided walk, looking to explore the ugly landscapes of industrial estates, countering the expectations that a beautiful walk is tied to natural landscapes, and a series of discussions concerning artists undertaking long distance journeys.

7. P + P

20-26 August | 11.00am – 4.00pm | Courier Company Pack and Send

P+P explores the issues of waste and recycling in today’s consumerist society. Ten artists from around the world have been sent a 30 x 30 x 30 cardboard box and asked to use it as the basis for creating or sending a new art work. Expect a mix of installation, animation, painting and object-making by artists exploring ideas around the figure, the fantastical and spontaneity.

8. Mogwai & Mark Cousins – Atomic: Living In Dread and Promise

27 & 28 August | 9.00pm | Edinburgh Playhouse

The Edinburgh International Festival once again collects big names in Edinburgh this August, including this collaboration between filmmaker Mark Cousins and musicians Mogwai. With images of protest marches, Cold War confrontation, Chernobyl and Fukushima, Cousins’ impressionistic film is a kaleidoscope of the appalling destructive power of the atomic bomb, and also the beauty and benefits of x-rays and MRI scans. Mogwai’s compelling soundtrack encapsulates the nightmare of the nuclear age, but also its dreamlike beauty.

9. Yann Tiersen

21 & 22 August | 7.30pm | The Hub

French composer and multi-instrumentalist Yann Tiersen is best known for his quirky score to Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s 2001 film Amélie. But that only scratches the surface of his enormously rich, magical musical output. After touring the globe for nearly a decade in planes and buses, Tiersen is now slowly cycling around the world, stopping for performances both in traditional venues and in the wilderness.

10. ANOHNI: Hopelessness

17 August | 8.00pm | Edinburgh Playhouse

Working with groundbreaking producers Oneohtrix Point Never and Hudson Mohawke, “Hopelessness“collides an uncompromising electronic dance soundtrack with ANOHNI’s soulful, uplifting vocals. “Hopelessness“ is a scream of fury against the evils of today’s world: mass surveillance, drone warfare, ecocide. Delivered in infectious, unforgettable pop. This is the electronic dance anthem as visceral protest song.

The post #GreenFests: 10 Green Things To Do In Edinburgh This August 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

Powered by WPeMatico

Opportunity: Create the Edinburgh Festival Sustainable Practice Award piece

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

We are looking for a maker to create an award piece that embodies and celebrates sustainability to award to the winner of the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award.

The deadline is Friday July 8, 12pm BST.

Brief

This is an opportunity for an artist to explore and experiment with social, economic and environmental sustainability in their work, for example in the choice and acquisition of materials or low-impact work procedures. The award piece can be of any form or medium.

The following logos and details will be required on the piece (as engravings or equivalent):

  • Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award title and logo
  • the name of the award winner(s) with the title of their production, and the producer and location of the production (if required)
  • Funder and Partner Logos
    • PR Print and Design logo
    • New Arts Sponsorship Grants logo
    • Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts logo
    • The List logo
    • Creative Carbon Scotland logo

The sustainability aspirations of the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award are to be taken into account in the development of the final award piece. The successful maker will receive a fee of £250, to include any materials used in the award and time put into its creation. The maker will also receive an invitation to the award ceremony in August, a chance to meet the winners and network with other artists working towards sustainability; and they will be showcased on the Creative Carbon Scotland and the Centre of Sustainable Practice in the Arts websites (see last year’s example).

The deadline for award piece applications is 8 July.

The award piece completion deadline is Monday 22 August 2016, and the selected maker must be available that week to engrave the winner’s details on the award in time for the ceremony later that week.

To apply, please fill in the Artist Application form here, and for any further questions please contactluise.kocaurek@creativecarbonscotland.com.

More about the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award

The Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award, recognises and rewards shows that strive to engage their company and their audiences in thinking how arts can help grow a sustainable world. Through this, the award aims to promote and inspire artists and companies engaging with these issues and bringing them to the forefront of society. The project began in 2010 and has since then become an official Edinburgh Fringe Award, with the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts and Creative Carbon Scotland partnering with The List,  the New Arts Sponsorship Grant and PR Print and Design.

All Fringe productions are invited to apply and share their ideas on how to make a more just, equal and green world. Applications are open until 12th August 2016, with the winner being announced in a ceremony at the end of August. For details of previous recipients, see our page on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.


Image: Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

The post Opportunity: Create the Edinburgh Festival Sustainable Practice Award piece 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

Powered by WPeMatico

The 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award Toolkit is Live

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

The Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Production Award is back!

This official Edinburgh Festival Fringe award (run by the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts and Creative Carbon Scotland, with media partnership from The List) is now in its 7th year, and celebrating the most unique, interesting and considered sustainable productions appearing at the world’s biggest arts festival!

Complete the sustainability toolkit for tips and award entry

In 2016, instead of a standard application form, productions are considered for the award after completing the sustainability Toolkit. The simple and interactive tool provides ideas of how shows can become more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.

Productions are automatically entered into the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award, with those shortlisted contacted and reviewed by the judging panel during the August festival. All productions will be invited to the award ceremony at the end of the festival, with the winner receiving a sustainable award made by a local Scottish maker, and a feature in the Quarterly magazine of the Center for Sustainable Practice in Arts.

Designed to be used at any point in the production process (from choosing a subject matter to deciding what to do with props at the end of a run), the toolkit brings together international resources and ideas covering everything from publicity to travel to set design.

Suitable for all productions

The toolkit can be used by any production – from those who have been making biodegradable sets for years, to those who have yet to consider sustainability at all, and provides an opportunity for self-analysis, as well as the chance to win the 2016 Fringe award!

Click here for the Toolkit, and to apply for the 2016 award!

 


Click here for more information about the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award, previous winners, and about other environmental sustainability initiatives at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

 

The post The 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award Toolkit is Live 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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Creative Carbon Scotland’s Summer Festival Season

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

We recently realised just how much we managed to fit in this summer! I bet you’d be surprised, we were!

Below is a collage of the events we have run this summer, not including our monthly Green Teases. They are in the following order: Going Green: Good for the Screen, “Achieving Social Change, Festival by Festival”, our Green Arts Initiative social media campaign, our #GreenFests blog, the Fringe Sustainable Practice Award, and the Fringe Swap Shops.

1 A A1 A2 A4 A5 A6 A7 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 FSPA.branding.cropped IMG_2422 IMG_2425 IMG_2426 IMG_2430 IMG_2442 IMG_2454 IMG_2456 Screen-Shot-2015-09-08-at-12.33.20 IMG_2464 IMG_2479 IMG_2490 IMG_2492 IMG_2501 IMG_2513 IMG_2517 IMG_2528 IMG_2539 IMG_2546 Iz J J1 J2 J3 J4

To find out more about our summer activities take a look at our #GreenFests blog!

Also, just because the festival season is over don’t think that is the end of our Creative Carbon Scotland events!

This month we have our two Green Teases; the first on the 29th of September, an Edinburgh Green Spaces Barge Tour with Edinburgh & Lothian Green Spaces Trust (ELGT) , and the second, on the 30th of September in Glasgow, ‘A Space for Art’ with Dress for the Weather. We also have, coming up in October, our 50 Shades of Green: Stories of Sustainability in the Arts Sector conference at the Pearce Institute in Glasgow.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates of what CCS has planned!

The post Creative Carbon Scotland’s Summer Festival Season 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

Powered by WPeMatico

#GreenFests: Meet Sarah Diver Lang, the crafter of the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Back in June Creative Carbon Scotland advertised an opportunity for a local artist to craft this years Fringe Sustainable Practice Award. Those of you that know the award well will remember the original piece of paper we gave to award winners at the live ceremony. Things progressed from there and we presented our winners with a beautifully carved wooden plaque. This year however, we wanted to present the winner with a hand crafted award piece that took into account the ideas and aspirations of the Fringe Sustainable Practice Award.

Sarah Diver Lang

After sieving through all of the proposals, we commissioned Sarah Diver Lang, a printmaker and graphic designer working from Process Studios. The award piece Sarah crafted was beautiful. We therefore wanted to share the story behind its creation, and talk a bit more about Sarah herself.

The concept of the award was to use only found or recycled materials to reflect the spirit of sustainability. Sarah sourced her materials from local areas including Sam Burns Yard in Prestonpans, various car boot sales, and gathered objects from her studio collection.

The award consists of wood, copper, glass and graph paper. Graph paper was used to highlight the process of planning that goes into a sustainable production. The idea of using mixed materials was proposed in the hope that the materials, over time, would react with one another, reflecting our changing attitudes and response to dealing with sustainability.

Only hand techniques were used, without glues or electrical machinery, to keep the energy used to create the award to a minimum. Sarah used a screen print technique to print logos and the crucial winners information onto the wood and paper.

Click to view slideshow.

We asked Sarah what it was that attracted her to the award?

“I was attracted to the award due to the theme of sustainability. It is important to me, as a maker, to consider how or why something is made. It is especially relevant to celebrate this during the Fringe; amongst all the amazing things going on, I feel, there is also far too much of everything. Food and packaging, flyers and brochures hang out of over flowing bins, so it is essential to bring sustainable consideration to this ever growing festival.”

And, what other sustainability initiatives she is engaged with?

“Sustainability is a subject of great interest to me as I become more aware of my responsibility as an artist/ producer. In a lot of ways I add to the problem, as a graphic designer I work mainly in print over digital and am constantly finding my work adding to the world’s ultimate waste. It is conflicting to work in this way, and is a problem a lot of creative people struggle with. To combat this, I am currently making a magazine that deals with compostable paper and ink: ‘Outline’. The magazine will hopefully lead to raising awareness about our throw away culture; with this form of paper its fine to throw away…even encouraged!”

For more information on Sarah Diver Lang and her other inspiring projects, check out her webpage here.

The 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award for sustainable design, content and production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, was awarded to Paines Plough for their production of Lungs, written by Duncan Macmillan, and performed at the Roundabout at Summerhall. For more information on Lungs, see our blogpost here.

The post #GreenFests: Meet Sarah Diver Lang, the crafter of the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award 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

Powered by WPeMatico

LUNGS Announced as Winner for 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award!

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

The 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award for sustainable design, content and production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe,  was awarded today to Paines Plough for their production of Lungs, written by Duncan Macmillan, and performed at the Roundabout at Summerhall.

In a ceremony at Fringe Central on Friday, August 28nd at 4:00 pm, after presentations by Brendan Miles from The List and CSPA Director Ian Garrett, Jessica Fosteskew, stand up comedian and writer for Channel 4, BBC and Radio 4, presented Paines Plough with the 2015 Award for Sustainable Production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Lungs was selected due to its stunning artistic portrayal of love, decisions and the effect of time on human relationships. As the company describes:

“Lungs is ultimately about two people in  love, navigating their way through the practicalities of modern life. However as they struggle over how their relationship should progress, they voice concerns over issues of overpopulation and climate change – asking themselves “Is this the kind of world I want to bring a child into?””

ThFringe 2e show was performed in the round in the company’s custom-made ‘Roundabout’ theatre; itself exemplary of sustainable theatre design, with all the LED lighting capable of being powered by 13-amp sockets. It is also a long-term production, having premièred over 4 years ago, and with an upcoming tour planned, and their theatre’s portability enhancing access to the arts in lesser-served areas of the UK. The assessment panel were particularly impressed by the way in which the production sensitively integrated and normalised sustainability concerns alongside other common decision factors relating to employment, children and lifestyle – and made them both laugh and cry!

Run by the CSPA and CCS, with media partnership from The List, the Fringe Sustainable Practice Award is an annual celebration of performance that is working for an environmentally sustainable world, now in its 6th year. Open to all  productions participating in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the award assesses all aspects of a production’s sustainability, from design to content.

The award is determined by the submission of a questionnaire about the sustainability considerations of the practical production elements of the show, and how environmental and sustainable themes were considered along the way. From the initial applications, the assessors selected a shortlist of 21 productions, published online by The List.

These 21 shows were reviewed during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (you can read our CCS FSPA diary here), and based on their questionnaires and the reviews, the assessment team voted for the production which most aligned with the priorities of the award. Five finalists – Garden, Lungs, Scarfed for Life, Sing for Your Life, and The Handlebards: Secret Shakespeare – were identified as outstanding entries before the winner was selected.

Click here to read more about the other 2015 FSPA Finalists. 


The award for Sustainable Practice on the Fringe was first launched in 2010 at the Hollywood Fringe and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Previous recipients include:  The Pantry Shelf (Edinburgh 2010), produced by Team M&M at Sweet Grassmarket; Presque Pret a Porter (Hollywood 2010), produced by Dreams by Machine; Allotment (Edinburgh 2011), produced by nutshell productions at the Inverleith Allotments in co-production with Assembly; The Man Who Planted Trees (Edinburgh 2012), produced by the Edinburgh’s Puppet State Theatre; How to Occupy an Oil Rig (Edinburgh 2013), by Daniel Bye and Company, produced by Northern Stage; The Handlebards: A Comedy of Errors (Edinburgh 2014), produced by Peculius at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.

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.

The post Winner Announced for Fringe Sustainable Practice Award! 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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Our 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award Finalists

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Although we initially planned to have fewer finalists for the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award, this year’s shortlist provided a great wealth of interesting and deserving productions, and the assessment process proved particularly difficult. As a result, there were five productions selected as finalists from our shortlist of 21 Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows, from which an overall winner was selected.

Here, we give a summary of our four excellent finalists, and the range of approaches they took when showcasing sustainability on the Fringe.

Garden by Lucy Grace

This one-woman show addresses the confines of our urban-office environment and the desire to reconnect with more natural surrounds. Themes of health and wellbeing were brought to the fore with the examination of the loneliness of many current modern day lifestyles, and the inherent desire of humans to reconnect with nature. The assessors found the show extremely observant, and were particularly impressed by the development of the set throughout the production, which appeared to grow in greenery and ‘bloom’ towards the climax of the show. In this way, Garden demonstrated the role of the on-stage environment in reflecting our own physical surrounds, and the impact of thoughtful stage design.

Scarfed for Life by the Citizen’s Theatre

Scarfed for Life did not self-identify as a show containing sustainability themes, and the Citizen’s Theatre production was shortlisted on the strength of its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the stage design. 4 sound cues, 7 chairs (sourced from the venue) and a baseball cap were the only set and props required for the production centred around the comedy and repercussions of the first old-firm match of the season. However, upon review assessment, the team found the show to be a fantastic example of a production examining social sustainability issues of embedded sectarianism and domestic violence in an honest, approachable and accurate manner, whilst maintaining a high quality and entertaining show!

Sing for Your Life by The Vaults

Although unusual in its ‘musical taxidermy’ format, Sing for Your Life used comedy and gore to confront their audience with thoughtful prompts on a wide range of animal-related sustainability issues, whilst also considering similar elements in their own design. Badger culling and a loss of countryside biodiversity, farmed animal antibiotic use, invasive species, pedigree dog breeding and the fur debate were all considered in song by puppets crafted from the animals they addressed (themselves sourced as road-kill or previous taxidermied specimens). The assessors were impressed at the skill of the production, and the quality of the communication of complex, multifaceted ideas related to sustainability, with an individual approach to sustainable props.

The Handlebards: Secret Shakespeare by Peculius

Last year’s winner of the Fringe Sustainable Practice Award returned to the festival this year with fresh ideas. The assessment team again thought that the Handlebards displayed a high quality and unique demonstration of a first class touring production, with a twist take on Shakespeare. Travelling over 2000 miles by bike, performing across the UK on the approach to the Fringe, The Handlebards went a step further this year by actively engaging their audience in their own sustainable behaviour: getting them to cycle 5 miles across the city to a secret location for the performance. With support from Sustrans, and Edinburgh-based Spokes cycling organisation, the production ensured all left the show having already participated in more-environmentally friendly behaviour, and experienced more of Edinburgh’s natural surrounds and sustainable transport network. Peculius again demonstrated that it is possible to put on an incredibly sustainable show with Elizabethan content.


The award for Sustainable Practice on the Fringe was first launched in 2010 at the Hollywood Fringe and Edinburgh Festival Fringe and is run by Creative Carbon Scotland and the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts, with media partnership from The List. The sustainable award ceremony was held on 28 August 2015 in Fringe Central. Find out more about the award here. 

 

The post Our 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award Finalists 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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