Creative paths for climate-neutral artistic production, #2 - 2024

"Join" is the first joint dance production that HELLERAU and the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company (DFDC) are realising in a climate-neutral way. Pina Schubert (Project Zero), Tobias Blasberg (HELLERAU) and Annika Glose and Ioannis Mandafounis (DFDC) talk about the process in an interview with Henriette Roth (HELLERAU).

What is special about the production "Join" compared to other DFDC productions?

Annika Glose: "Join" is a DFDC production that is being created in cooperation with HELLERAU as part of Fonds Zero, a funding programme of the German Federal Cultural Foundation for climate-neutral art and cultural projects. For the first time, we are jointly exploring ways to make the production process more climate-friendly.

Ioannis Mandafounis: We are realising a special artistic idea in this production. We are creating an "opera-sized" dance project in which we are bringing a large number of dancers onto the stage. We are realising this through cooperation with regional art academies. In addition to the ensemble of the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company, around 60 students from the Palucca University of Dance are also involved. The students rehearse on site in Dresden and the piece is only finalised with all the dancers a few days before the premiere. The plan in Frankfurt will be realised in a similar way. There, we are working together with the University of Music and Performing Arts.

With this concept, we avoid unnecessary mobility and the associated emissions. At the same time, we are showing that ecological sustainability doesn't just have to mean doing without. We can certainly realise large productions in the field of dance. It is simply a different approach.

Why did HELLERAU and the DFDC apply for theFonds Zero programme?

Pina Schubert: The topic of sustainability has been on the agenda at HELLERAU for some time. Since 2020, an in-house group of "Green Delegates" has been working on the development and implementation of joint sustainability goals. The "Cool Down" festival in July 2022 as part of the alliance of international production houses focused primarily on the artistic approach to the climate crisis and new practices for a future worth living.
We see it as our responsibility to actively help shape transformation in the field of art and culture and are looking at the particular challenges that international production houses and touring companies face.
For "Join", we would therefore like to take a look behind the scenes of a specific production and find out in practice what it means to realise a dance production in a climate-neutral or carbon-neutral way. As we have been working closely with the DFDC for a long time, we also see the FondsZero project as a joint learning process for our future collaboration.

What does "climate-neutral" actually mean?

Tobias Blasberg: Climate neutrality is a big word. One thing is very clear: no production here at the company causes "zero", i.e. zero CO2 emissions. However, in order to get as close as possible to this goal, we want to avoid emissions in the first place and reduce them in the second. In other words, we want to reduce our overall CO2 footprint. To enable us to calculate our carbon footprint correctly, we draw up a detailed carbon footprint for the "Join" production process.

So there are still emissions?

Pina Schubert: Exactly, climate-neutral in our case means that we ultimately offset all the emissions that we cause. CO2 compensation is achieved through financial support for climate protection projects. The FondsZero programme stipulates that we can use up to 1% of our funding to purchase CO2 compensation certificates.

Tobias Blasberg: With this 1% target, we already had a "budget" for emissions in tonnes at the start of the project, which we were "allowed" to cause and offset. However, the level of CO2 emissions was actually quite a puzzle for the whole team at the beginning. The carbon footprinting tool helped us: it allowed us to familiarise ourselves with the figures in the first place and to link them to the various production processes.

What have you already learnt about the footprint of a dance production in HELLERAU?

Tobias Blasberg: In the first step, we looked at the production in individual phases: the conception, the rehearsals, the performances in Dresden and Frankfurt, but also parallel processes such as public relations or regular project meetings. We then drew up an estimate for each phase based on existing emission values. This made it possible to show everyone involved where the emitters were. We then started to look at the major sources, such as the company's travel, overnight stays, transport, but of course also electricity and heating energy for the rehearsal rooms or purchases for stage and costume design. By analysing this in detail, we also discovered what proportion is accounted for by habits that have never been questioned before. The transport of equipment and technical equipment, for example, makes a huge difference. By drawing up a carbon footprint for the Festspielhaus last year, we already knew about the emissions caused by the use of the building alone, but also about the proportion caused by our audiences travelling to the venue. These actually account for more than a quarter of all emissions from HELLERAU.

And what did you do with the findings?

Pina Schubert: We developed specific measures in a multi-stage process. We also allowed ourselves some utopian dreams and wishes. These ranged from the increased use of night trains for the DFDC to the acquisition of equivalent technical equipment at both venues in Frankfurt and Dresden. Only in the next step did we take a realistic look and decide on feasible measures that would minimise the carbon footprint and possibly also have further positive effects on the work on the production. We tried to involve everyone involved in this process. After all, everyone has their own specific knowledge and ideas for change and, above all, everyone needs the courage to actually try things out.

Is there a conflict between the focus on sustainability and the artistic work?

Ioannis Mandafounis: In my view, there is no conflict. Working with the students is different to working with our ensemble anyway. It is of course a challenging plan to put all the elements together at a relatively late stage, but we conceived the project in this way from the outset and planned for these special circumstances.
A significant part of the rehearsals is used to familiarise the students with the method of live choreography that we use in our work. Another aspect is the collaboration between dancers with different levels of experience. We are hoping for an inspiring mutual learning process.

Annika Glose: We therefore also see the collaboration as artistically sustainable. Ioannis' special method will be passed on to numerous young dancers with this production, who will be able to use it for their own creative work at their future venues.

What specific measures are you planning to reduce CO₂?

Annika Glose: Even though the production "Join" is being realised in a climate-neutral way, we are not doing without a stage and costume design. For the costumes, however, we will be working with second-hand clothing and recycling used costumes. In terms of communication, we have focussed primarily on digital channels and reduced the amount of printed material. We are also focussing on transport and accommodation. It is important to us that our hotel also works to reduce its own carbon footprint. Our hotel of choice is certified with "GreenSign Level 4". The transport of technical equipment and individual stage sets is essential. For the first time, however, we are trying to find ways of doing this other than traditional lorry transport.

Pina Schubert: In addition to production, we are also concerned with other areas that are located at HELLERAU. Since this year, the LAGO Bar, our catering facility in the Festspielhaus, has been supplied by RainKost Obermühle, a solidarity-based farm for commercial enterprises. We are delighted to be able to provide balanced regional and seasonal catering for artists, employees and, of course, our audience with this cooperation. And if everything works out, we can reduce our overall carbon footprint by several tonnes of CO2. To compensate for the unavoidable remainder, we will then research a suitable climate protection project, which is not that easy.

What is the problem with CO2 compensation?

Pina Schubert: Man-made climate change is having a global impact due to the ever-increasing concentration of greenhouse gases such as CO2 in the atmosphere. CO2 compensation therefore does not necessarily have to take place in the place where the emissions were generated. On the one hand, this is an advantage, but on the other hand, it also presents a difficulty.
Most climate protection projects that offer certificates for CO2 offsetting are active in the countries of the Global South. What initially sounds positive in terms of development cooperation, however, also harbours the risk of greenwashing. Despite the certification standards, the CO2 savings potential is often overestimated and, in cases of doubt, the goal of "climate neutrality" is not actually achieved.
In addition, individual projects that aim to reforest forests, for example, restrict the original agricultural activities of the local population, who need the land as a livelihood. It is therefore particularly important to ensure that local stakeholders are involved in the projects. In the worst case, compensation can reinforce global injustice and indirectly contribute to a climate-damaging way of life in the Global North. Above all, serious measures must be taken to avoid and reduce emissions in order to achieve "climate neutrality".

What will perhaps be different for the audience compared to other performances?

Annika Glose: First of all, we hope that our audience will have an extraordinary artistic experience when the DFDC creates a major dance event with the students of the Palucca University of Dance. In addition, the green surroundings of HELLERAU and the hospitality of the LAGO Bar will round off the visit.

Pina Schubert: Our audience can also contribute to improving the CO2 balance. Just as we calculate the emissions from the company's travel and transport, the emissions from the audience's journeys to and from the theatre also play a role. The same applies to a theatre as to everyday life: public transport and bicycles are the most climate-friendly means of travel. Travelling by car causes the highest emissions. Perhaps it is an incentive to leave the car behind for the duration of the production "Join" and take part in the city cycling event, which is taking place in Dresden from 7 to 27 September. Form a team and collect kilometres on the way to us!