Performing Arts - Performing Future is a first step project by the German Federal Association for the Independent Performing Arts (BFDK) in cooperation with the Perform 4 Future Network. The project offers advice about how to implement ecological sustainability measures in the sector of the independent performing arts and training to empower artists, curators and culture creators to actively take a stake in the ecological transformation - here within the performing arts sector.
National
Germany
Berlin (Berlin)
Augsburg (Badem-Württemberg)
Rostock (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
Dresden (Saxony)
München (Bavaria)
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Bundesverband Freie Darstellende Künste e.V. (German Federal Association of the Independent Performing Arts) Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Anna Last name of representative: Steinkamp Gender: Female Nationality: Germany Function: Managing Director Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Dudenstraße 10 Town: Berlin Postal code: 10965 Country: Germany Direct Tel:+49 1515 7542413 E-mail:anna.steinkamp@darstellende-kuenste.de Website:https://darstellende-kuenste.de/
The issue of sustainability was, is and remains one of the biggest challenges in our time for all of society. Production methods in the independent performing arts are also responsible for the current climate, resource and environmental crisis. The project “Performing Arts – Performing Future” addresses this challenge. With the help of experts, mainly from the network Performing 4 Future, and cooperating state associations, theoretical and practical knowledge on sustainability in the independent performing arts are systematically pooled and shared. In this way, long-term sustainable productions are promoted. In September 2022, the BFDK set up the first nationawide Service Point on Sustainability in the independent performing arts.
The Service Point also serves as a general information and contact point. It offers advice and knowledge transfer and is addressing BFDK's cooperating networks, the state associations and their members, multipliers, administrations and politicians at a state, municipal and local level, as well as all other stakeholders in the independent performing arts.
In the area of training, workshops on various aspects of sustainability were organised. These include, for example: sustainability in production and touring; sustainability in funding practice and cultural policy; sustainable business ecology; artistic climate research. The workshops are carried out in collaboration with the cooperation partners on a transregional and mostly hybrid basis.
“Performing Arts – Performing Future” is funded by the Fonds Darstellende Künste as part of the NEUSTART KULTUR programme with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
Qualification
Empowerment
Knowledge transfer
Material cycles
Networking
In view of the advancing climate catastrophe, the topic of "sustainability" is becoming increasingly urgent - also and especially in independent theatres and initiatives of the independent performing arts. The immediate implementation of ecologically sustainable measures has gained in importance. The project "Performing Arts - Performing Future" has been in existence since 2022 and is currently running until June 2023.
The aim is to integrate sustainability efficiently into everyday work of all 16 state associations and six associated associations of the BFDK in order to proactively counter the current energy and climate crisis.
In view of the current situation, further needs for knowledge transfer, empowerment and structuring have emerged and are being implemented so to
- authorise all 16 state associations to set up regional service points,
- qualify all kind of actors of the independent performing arts through sustainability workshops in order to have an impact locally.
- give examples of transformation (e.g. for artistic production), create awareness and use alternative, scene-own forms of knowledge transfer through artistic-activist interventions as well as
- to pass on the knowledge gained through social media, network meetings and other forms of documentation such as photo, video or training or policy documents.
The long-term goals are to make production methods in the independent performing arts more sustainable, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to further sensitise theatre professionals and audiences to climate and environmental protection.
Sustainability in the independent performing arts is both discussed with the audience and addressed in the admin work. This includes institutional fields of action such as operational ecology, climate accounting and strategic sustainability management, sustainable buildings, material infrastructures and circular economy as well as sustainable producing and touring, but also funding policy and the reduction of precarious ways of living and working.
Our project connect existing networks initiatives, creates exemplary training workshop, identifies needs and funding opportunities and links goals with practical measures for sustainable production. The results of climate science and an intersectional understanding of ecological sustainability in the sense of climate justice serve as a basis, which we apply for the first time in Germany to the production conditions of the independent performing arts. The measures of the project form a bundle of highly specific measures that take into account the interventions and transformations in all operational fields of activity; from artistic and curatorial work to administration, trades, building management and the audience. The field of the independent performing arts offers an excellent place for the overarching establishment of a culture of sustainability due to its social appeal.
For us, sustainability is a cross-sectional issue. It influences internal processes, enables dialogue with stakeholders in the independent performing arts and also allows for discussions with politics and funding institutions. The UN Sustainable Development Goals provide orientation in terms of overarching context. Implementing and consolidating these in the BFDK’s own structures, in its member associations and in its member associations and in the independent performing arts as a whole is a central concern of the BFDK.
Cooperation in the network is organised in a low-hierarchy and decentralised manner via the cooperation partners. The topics of all training workshops are selected in advance by the members of the regional associations according to the local needs identifited by those on site. Further, all workshops as well as the service point are free of charge and can be used by everyone active in the field of independent performing arts. Training workshops are as accesibile as possible organised, some are translated into sign language, English or audio described.
Sustainability can only be discussed and implemented democratically, collectively and transgenerational. This is in line with the practice of the independent performing arts.
The project is practice-oriented and aims to encourage and empower all participants to take sustainable action themselves. It is about sharing and applying experiences and knowledge.
The liberal performing arts are embedded in social structures that are marked by discrimination. These include racism, sexism, rejection/disability, classism, anti-Semitism and queer hostility. This results in the mandate to check for their part whether it excludes or disadvantages corresponding groups and, if necessary, to take countermeasures. Groups of people who have not been represented in the BDFK, or only to a small extent, are addressed and actively included. The BFDK project is to be designed to be as non-discriminatory and barrier-free as possible: from the planning of workshops to public relations work and the design of publications:
- Use of simple language
- Translations into English
- Online broadcasts to reach participants nationwide
- All streamings in German spoken language
- Provision of disability-friendly aids at all workshops according to needs
- Sign language interpreters at all workshops according to needs
- Film documentary
As we are a civil society organisation ourselves this project is genuinely designed by civil society. Further, our cooperating partner - Perform 4 Future Network - is a grassroots level network. Since the start of the project in May '22, a diverse programme of workshops and impulses on the topic of "Sustainability in the Independent Performing Arts" and network meetings has been facilitated. Over 450 people took part. Since September '22, the first national service point for sustainability in the independent performing arts has been supporting all interested actors on their way to more social and economic sustainability and climate protection. This service point is contacted by up to 10 people daily.
On the BFDK website, all available materials (such as the "BFDK ECO RIDER 2022") and data on information sources and initiatives are collected, processed and made available. In view of the current situation, further needs for knowledge transfer and structuring have emerged and are being implemented. The expected mid-term impact is to empower 16 state associations to set up regional service points, to qualify actors of the independent performing arts through sustainability workshops in order to have an impact locally and to have a set of examples of transformation, to create awareness and to use alternative, scene-own forms of knowledge transfer through artistic-activist interventions.
First of all, the project has been designed in cooperation with the network Performing 4 Future - a nationwide active network of activists, artists and cultural creators. Further, the different activities of the project have been designed and shaped according to the needs on site - together with the other partners. These acted as host, input provider, expert, facilitator or co-financier according to their different capabilities and competences.
Activities with local partners such as theatres and festivals included network meetings, activistic activities and training workshops.
At regional level, regional partners, such as Kreatives Sachsen e.V., Landesverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Landesverband freie darstellende Künste Berlin e.V., Landeszentrum Freies Theater Sachsen-Anhalt e.V. acted as co-financier, curators and co-organisers.
Nationwide active partners were Bundesverband Zeitgenössischer Zirkus e.V., Deutscher Bühnenverein and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies Potsdam (IASS) who all shared their expertise during workshops as expert and resource persons.
At European level, the European Associaton of Independent Performing Arts participated as expert in the training workshops.
The main focus of the initative is on ecological sustainability in the independent performing arts. The mentioned Service Point is mainly addressed to get more information about green power supplies, eco-friendly working surroundings, climate assessments but also about how to deal with ecologigical non-friendly artistic productions in the performing arts. Here, the BFDK ECO RIDER (following the technical rider used in performing arts) guive guidance and orientation. Some workshops focused on this ECO RIDER and experts shared their knowledge in interactive sessions (e.g. world café etc.) where participants had the cance to adapt the learnt into there own professional scope. This - as of flashligh evaluations after each workshop - was reflected as very useful and participants felt empower to start changing their everyday practice.
Even though the measure undertaken are not innovative as such, the project is innovative when considering its target audience. The Service Point established was the very first one in Germany that provides information and advice on ecological sustainability in the independent performing sectors - so taking into account the specificities of that sector (no fix or loose structure, no to little institutional funding, free in their mind and work etc.). Further, the sector has an innovative character itself, e.g. when it comes to new working methods, to asthetics impetus or to the socio-political topics. That's why it is crucial to train its actor in regard to hands-on actions towards a more sustainable performing arts scene.
The ECO RIDER can be used and transferred to other artistic sectors, as well as the general approach of the initiative (multi-stakeholder, bottom-up and needs based project design). Also, all cooperation partners can now organised their own training workshops. The not yet finished project documentation will also help to deduce and reproduce the results and working methods.
In Germany, we observe a rising awareness in the culture sector to act and many initiatives are emerging. Here, our project can serve as a blueprint for training and empowerment when it comes to shape competence and skills to act.
The collaborative approach of this project has led to a collective engagement with the question of what we can do to get the sustainability process rolling without losing sight of the specificities of independent performing arts practice.
This was only possible through an approach that was practice-oriented, participatory and future-oriented. The interaction with local activists and supra-regional experts generated knowledge. This exchange of experiences can also be transferred to other cultural sectors.
With the support of social media, the events could be advertised in a targeted manner and furthermore accompanied live, both on the channels of the BFDK and on those of the network. In this way, the knowledge could be further developed and used for other projects, also beyond the independent performing arts. The BFDK's "Sustainability" Service Point created knowledge and contacts for all interested parties in the independent performing arts on their way to more sustainability and climate protection.
The transformation in the independent theatre sector towards working and production methods that are socio-ecologically sustainable is a necessity; above all, however, it is an opportunity to review habitual ways of thinking. This is not just about equipment, lighting on stage or regional material cycles, but also about political framework conditions, climate accounting of venues, financing of measures, mobility of all participants, audience involvement, regional networking of cultural institutions or social sustainability.
Since mid-September 2022, the Service Point has been supporting all interested parties in the independent performing arts free of charge on their way to more sustainability and climate protection. It addresses cooperating networks and regional associations and their members as well as multipliers, administrations and politicians at state, municipal and federal level and all other actors in the independent performing arts.
The transfer of knowledge creates competences in order to be able to act practically at local and regional level and to be able to initiate sustainable measures on the ground. With the SDGs as orientation line in mind, we developed hands-on and locally relevant training to enhance the developement of solutions.
So far, we can observce the following "side-effects" of our iniative:
- The Bavarian regional association is developing a new funding programme, starting in 2024, which is focused on sustainability.
- The Berlin regional association is connecting all sustainability actors in 2023.
The successful run of the project has resulted in new short- and medium-term goals for the BFDK:
- To train selected actors as sustainability experts during a 6-month or 1-year training programme in order to subsequently establish regional anchor points that can transfer knowledge directly on site (qualification),
- Further develop the service point for sustainability in the independent performing arts at the BFDK, which advises and networks actors as well as being an interface to politics and administration (advice),
- to draw up a catalogue of measures for a "Green Stage" self-commitment, which in the long term will be developed into a binding instrument of (measurable and comparable) success control (action), as well as
- to develop and communicate political recommendations for action and to implement them together with other cultural policy actors.
Four thematic focal points are at the centre of this strategy, whose interaction will also be examined: 1) infrastructure (operational ecology), 2) social issues (e.g. fair pay/honorarium floors, accessibility), 3) artistic production (production intensity, circular economy, touring) and 4) political and economic framework conditions (including funding structures).
In the long term, the aim is to make production methods in the performing arts more sustainable, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to further sensitise theatre professionals and audiences to climate and environmental protection. We are faced with a task for society as a whole, to which we as actors in the independent performing arts can also contribute.
This initiative contributes directly to the European competence framework on sustainability as is is mainly about training, education and empowerment around sustainability in the performing arts - both as an arts sector as an creative industries and work sector. It enables and provides skills and competence to act for a sustainable transformation process for those
