Green Streets of Europe - Turistička zajednica grada Varaždina

EU Projects

CREATIVE EUROPE

Project name: Green Streets of Europe
Project timeline: 01.12.2023 to 31.01.2026
Reference:
Program: Creative Europe
Subprogram: Cultre, Small scale project

About project

Green Streets of Europe is a transformative residency project addressing environmental challenges within the performing arts sector.

In 2023- 2025, four European festivals for performing arts in public spaces will collaborate with artists to explore and co-develop more sustainable formats for international touring and festival programming. The festivals are Imaginarius, located in Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal, KoresponDance, located in Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic, Špancirfest, located in Varaždin, Croatia and PASSAGE Festival, located in Helsingør, Denmark.

Each partner is situated “off-center” from the larger cities in their countries, have local anchoring as a key element in their festival DNA, and all focus on public space performances.

WHY?

International exchange (touring) of artistic formats is crucial for creating accessibility to vibrant artistic experiences, not just in the metropoles of Europe, but also in the more rural areas.

However, conventional touring practices contribute to environmental burdens.

Green Streets of Europe seeks to reevaluate these practices, shifting the focus from the artistic product to the artistic process for both the festivals, the artists and the local communities and audiences, that anchors us.

HOW?

The key driver in the project will be artistic residencies that will emphasise local relevance, opening up artistic processes, longer relations, and deeper connections between festivals, local communities, and artists. The residences will also promote trans-sectorial collaboration with sustainability-related local sectors.

Shifting the focus from the artistic product to the artistic process is a central theme in Green Streets of Europe. This shift not only challenges conventional structures of production and presentation of performances, and a shift in the relationships between artists, audience and festivals but also necessitates a change in communication strategies.

Green Streets of Europe asks both festival partners and artists to equally embrace the role of communicators, fostering transparency and (local) engagement throughout the project, as we collectively explore and test future formats of sustainable touring and festivals in the performing arts sector.

The residencies are designed in a home-out-home model, and each artist/company will be connected to two festivals;

First residency (10 days) with the primary festival
Second residency (10 days) with secondary festival
Third residency and public presentation with the primary festival

Each residency includes a public session as part of the residency, to open up to and include local communities and explore the artistic processes as part of the artistic experience for the audiences and communities. The final residency will be a public presentation of the artistic work as part of the festival programme.

ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE

In Green Streets of Europe we set out to connect in a deeper way to the artists and the local communities and take on the common journey for a more sustainable practice. Not only as a way to connect us locally, but also as a driver for change in our festival designs and in festival operations.

Green Transition and sustainability will be addressed at all levels of operation. While the main driver in the project is the artistic residencies that spur new ways of presenting performing arts, all festival organisations will also undergo an act of transition on an operational level. To help the organisations to think differently and set good targets, this part of the process will be supported by Julie’s Bicycle: a non-profit organisation, that combines cultural and environmental expertise.

COLLECTIVE DATES & EVENTS

2024
14 January DEADLINE FOR OPEN CALL
15 January – 7 February Selection Process
February Onboarding selected artists
16 – 19 April Kick-Off Meeting at Imaginarius, Portugal
3 – 5 December Midterm Meeting at KoresponDance, Czech Republic
2025
27 – 31 August Final Conference at Špancirfest, Croatia

RESIDENCIES IN VARAŽDIN

2024: from 23rd August to 1st September
2025: from 26th August to 31st August

PARTNER LIST OF THE PROJECT

MAIN PARTNER

THEATERFORENINGEN FOR HELSINGR KOMMUNE, HELSINGR, DANSKA

PROJECT PARTNERS

MUNICIPIO DE SANTA MARIA DA FEIRA (PORTUGAL/PORTUGAL)
TURISTICKA ZAJEDNICA GRADA VARAZDIN (HRVATSKA/CROATIA)
SE.S.TA CENTRUM CHOREOGRAFICKEHO ROZVOJE ( ČEŠKA/CZECH REPUBLIC)

GREEN GOALS

As part of the “Green Streets of Europe” project, Špancirfest is committed to improving its sustainable practices and reducing its environmental impact.

We will focus on:
› Waste reduction, by replacing plastic bottles with reusable ones for production teams and volunteers;
› Reducing the ecological footprint of food, by offering more vegetarian and vegan meals and reducing meat in artists’ menus;
› Promoting sustainable transport, by providing free city bus lines from designated festival parking areas to the city center, in order to reduce traffic in the festival zone in the city center.
› Raising awareness of sustainability, by organizing educational workshops on recycling and environmental protection for visitors and participants.