Green Arts 2019 Initiative Annual Report How the creative community is responding to Scotland’s Climate Emergency Contents Introduction What is the Green Arts Initiative? The Green Arts Initiative is a community of Scottish cultural organisations working to create a sustainable future for Scotland. Members work in diverse Introduction 3 and innovative ways, finding ways to improve the environmental impact of arts and culture as well as addressing environmental issues through artistic programming, social engagement,and advocacy. What are our members working on? 6 The Green Arts Initiative is facilitated by Creative Carbon Scotland, a charity working on the role of arts and culture in addressing our state of climate emergency. We organise events, provide resources, help connect members, Engagement work 8 and provide up to date information and support. With the Scottish Government’s declaration of climate emergency and the largest environmental protests Scotland had ever seen, 2019 was a huge year Practical work 10 for the green movement in Scotland. But with COP26 coming to Glasgow and crucial new strategies being set by the Scottish Government, 2020 looks to be even bigger. This report discusses what Green Arts Initiative members Artistic work 12 achieved in 2019 and our plans for 2020. Advocacy work 14 The Green Arts Initiative is an open-access community, free to join and participate in, open to professional, amateur, and community cultural organisations across Challenges 16 all art forms. As of March 2020, the Green Arts Initiative has 227 members, 38% of these are Creative Scotland Regularly Join the Green Arts Initiative! 18 Funded Organisations, and many are artist-led or community-led organisations. GAI members 20 Anyone can apply to join by visiting: www.greenartsinitiative.co.uk 2 Green Arts Initiative Annual Report 2019 creativecarbonscotland.com @CCScotland #GreenArts 3 Members work in a wide Members are spread across variety of art forms: Scotland and can be found in 26 of Literature Scotland’s 32 Local Council Areas: 4.1% Storytelling 1.9% Film 6.8% Festival 12.4% Multi-form 10.5% Music 9.4% Dance and Physical Theatre 6% Community Arts 8.3% Agency 6% Where are there most members? Theatre 20.3% North East Scotland: 16 Visual Art North and West Scotland: 24 12% Central Scotland: 15 Edinburgh locality: 100 Numerous GAI Members Heritage Glasgow locality: 61 GAI Members 2.3% Southern Scotland: 11 Member locations No GAI members yet 4 Green Arts Initiative Annual Report 2019 creativecarbonscotland.com @CCScotland #GreenArts 5 What are our members working on? Members most significant piece of environmental work: Members of the Green Arts Initiative gagemen are addressing environmental En t issues in a range of ways: 57% 1. Programming work that engages with 27% environmental issues Engagement 12% Outreach to audiences, artists, ACHIEVED 2. Reducing travel emissions or other organisations IN 2019 3. Improving recycling facilities and strategies Practical 4. Avoiding single-use items ractical Reduce the environmental P 5. Improving energy efficiency impact of running the organisation 47% 40% Artistic 9% Programming work that deals with environmental issues rtistic Advocacy A 1. Reducing travel emissions Taking a stance on issues or 40% lobbying for systematic change 2. Developing or improving environmental 16% policies, plans, and strategies 15% PLANNED FOR 2020 3. Improving energy efficiency 4. Programming that engages with environmental issues c Main area of focus dvo acy A 5. Engaging audiences on 29% environmental issues Some focus 17% Area experimented with 8% 6 Green Arts Initiative Annual Report 2019 creativecarbonscotland.com @CCScotland #GreenArts 7 agem ng ent Engagement PLANNED E FOR 2020 Examples of outreach to audiences, artists, or 57% other organisations by GAI members 27% ‘Host a young person’s 12% environmental summit in autumn 2020.’ ‘Recycle Upcycle 3D, where we Impact Arts ACHIEVED delivered a number of different IN 2019 creative workshops using waste materials and saved over 10 tonnes of carbon as a result.’ ‘Raise awareness of the impact of rising sea levels. Encourage Rig Arts To spend more time encouraging more local produce to be audiences to travel in greener grown and eaten. Get over ways, and publicly declare our ‘We’re really proud of the ‘This year we communicated with 1000 pledges for positive green agendas via our website Glasgow Seed Library which artists to take the train if possible action. All to be done through and marketing.’ we launched last year.’ to get here and walk or use public creative engagement events as Arika Centre for Contemporary Arts transport when in Aberdeen, part of the EU-funded Start the while for longer distances we Change project.’ mostly used electric cars to Highland One World ‘We have held workshops transport artists locally.’ ‘To create a walking app that in high schools, using music encourages more active travel.’ Sound Festival to explain the importance of Art Walk Projects Scottish wild plants.’ High Heels and Horse Hair ‘We want to inspire, encourage and equip Scotland’s youth theatre sector ‘We delivered a large creative project looking at to act sustainably. Ideally we’d like to the hydroelectric scheme in the Galloway Glens host a basic climate awareness/literacy area and also the larger elements of climate training workshop for the sector.’ change and renewables.’ Youth Theatre Arts Scotland Upland Arts Development 8 Green Arts Initiative Annual Report 2019 creativecarbonscotland.com @CCScotland #GreenArts 9 ractical Practical PLANNED P FOR 2020 Examples of how GAI members are reducing the 47% environmental impact of running their organisation 40% 9% ACHIEVED ‘We have created a new show for which the ‘We are currently writing a new structure will be transportable on public IN 2019 transport for the first time’ environmental policy and will be Mischief La-Bas publishing specific pledges which directly commit us to goals in ‘We changed to non- reducing our environmental impacts’ meat catering for all ‘By purchasing in bulk, we’ve cut down training events.’ on packaging used. Prior to this year we Pleasance Theatre tended to purchase more frequently in Arts and Business smaller quantities, leading to more waste.’ Scotland ‘We would like to further phase ‘Piloting adaptation measures Dundee Ceramics Workshop out flights and move as close including live video-calls ‘Simply changing to a to eliminating all air travel with workshop participants genuine 100% green ‘Unlike previous years, which saw us as possible.’ who cannot attend Paragon energy supplier’ travel to China several times across the Theatre Gu Leor events due to adverse weather year, in 2019 we provided our partners conditions’ Moniack Mhor with one block of time in which we would ‘We want to take most of our Paragon Ensemble be available for touring. This resulted in events to local communities, ‘Hiring electric cars for a the company performing not one but four reducing audience travel and year instead of petrol’ productions in one visit. Going forward, ‘Completely replace all lighting enabling remote communities to we are looking to build as much ‘regional within the museum to LED’ NEoN Festival enjoy top quality performing arts connectivity’ into our touring plans as The Pier Arts Centre on their doorstep.’ possible.’ SEALL ‘We pledged to no Barrowland Ballet longer fly within the UK, as well as purchasing a ‘Our main goal is to be Scotland’s large number of trees to ‘Designing and building our ‘eco first Spektrix venue to fully be planted in the UK to studio’, that has aimed to minimise implement e-ticketing.’ offset last year’s carbon its environmental impact and be an Traverse Theatre emissions.’ inspiring place to create our work.’ Curious Seed Rowanbank Environmental Arts Education 10 Green Arts Initiative Annual Report 2019 creativecarbonscotland.com @CCScotland #GreenArts 11 Artistic PLANNED Artistic 40% FOR 2020 Examples of programming work that deals with 15% environmental issues by GAI members 16% ACHIEVED ‘Continuing to support the long-term project CLIMAVORE: On Tidal Zones with Cooking IN 2019 Sections offers ways to imagine futures, and proactively respond to the ecological ‘Programming of ‘Whoosh’ - new dance and challenges we face together.’ ATLAS Arts music piece connected with Hydro power (including live streaming)’ Paragon ‘In 2019 we commissioned two new works themed around the environment. Shiori Usui’s ‘Colour of ‘Our ‘Elemental’ tour with fiddler ‘To create an outdoor show about climate Drifters’ looks at the effect Aidan O’Rourke and pianist Kit of plastics on our oceans, change for a family audience that is Downes featured a programme inspiring, truthful and brilliant!’ while Emily Doolittle inspired by humanity’s changing ‘Bowheads’ is based on the relationship with the climate. This Rowanbank Environmental Arts Education Bowhead whale song.’ was our first creative response to Chamber Music Scotland sustainability issues and felt like a significant step forward.’ Scottish Ensemble ‘Step change in our practice driven and motivated by a major arts project on ‘Our ‘Shared Planet’ strand interrogated current climate change by young people from environmental challenges in the face of growing across Scotland.’ climate chaos and explicitly encouraged Scottish Youth Theatre audiences to explore how we move beyond awareness to meaningful action.’ Take One Action Film Festival 12 Green Arts Initiative Annual Report 2019 creativecarbonscotland.com @CCScotland #GreenArts