Creative ways for climate-neutral artistic production, #2 – 2024
“Join” is the first joint dance production that HELLERAU and the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company (DFDC) are realizing in a climate-neutral way. Pina Schubert (Projekt 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 program of the German Federal Cultural Foundation for climate-neutral art and cultural projects. For the first time, we are jointly testing ways to make the production process more climate-friendly.
Ioannis Mandafounis: We are implementing 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 realizing this through cooperations 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 finalized with all the dancers a few days before the premiere. The plan in Frankfurt will be implemented in a similar way. There, we are working together with the University of Music and Performing Arts.
With this concept, we avoid unnecessary travel and the associated emissions. At the same time, we show that ecological sustainability does not have to mean thinking small. We can certainly realize large productions in the field of dance. It is simply a different approach.
Why did HELLERAU and the DFDC apply for the Fonds Zero program?
Pina Schubert: Sustainability has been on HELLERAU’s agenda for some time now. 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 as part of the alliance of international production houses in July 2022 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 play an active role in shaping transformation in the field of art and culture and are looking at the particular challenges faced by international production houses and touring companies.
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 realize a dance production in a climate- or CO2-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, firstly we want to avoid emissions and secondly reduce them. In other words, we want to reduce our overall CO2 footprint. To enable us to calculate our CO2 footprint correctly, we create a detailed CO2 balance sheet for the “Join” production.
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 program stipulates that we may 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 tons at the start of the project, which we were “allowed” to cause and offset. However, the amount 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 get to know the figures in the first place and to relate them to the various production processes.
What have you already learned about the footprint of a dance production in HELLERAU?
Tobias Blasberg: As a first step, we looked at the production in individual phases: the conception, the rehearsals, the performances in Dresden and in Frankfurt, but also parallel processes such as public relations work or regular project meetings. We then created 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, transportation, but of course also electricity and heating energy for the rehearsal rooms or purchases for stage and costume design. Through this detailed analysis, we also discovered what proportion is accounted for by habits that have never been questioned before. The transportation 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 audience’s journeys. These actually account for more than a quarter of all HELLERAU’s emissions.
And what did you do with the findings?
Pina Schubert: We developed concrete measures in a multi-stage process. We also allowed ourselves to indulge in 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 minimize the carbon footprint and potentially have further positive effects on our work on the production. We tried to include everyone involved in this process. After all, everyone brings their own specific knowledge and ideas for change and, above all, it takes courage for everyone to actually gives things a try.
Is there a conflict between the focus on sustainability and the artistic work?
Ioannis Mandafounis: I don’t think there is any conflict. Working with the students is different to working with our ensemble anyway. It is of course a demanding 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 will be used to familiarize 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 cooperation as artistically sustainable. With this production, Ioannis’ special method will be passed on to numerous young dancers 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 climate-neutral, 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 focused primarily on digital channels and reduced the amount of printed material. We are also looking at transportation 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 transportation of technical equipment and individual stage sets is essential. For the first time, however, we are trying to find ways to do this other than traditional truck transportation.
Pina Schubert: In addition to production, we are also involved in other areas that are located in HELLERAU. Since this year, the LAGO Bar, our restaurant in the Festspielhaus, has been supplied by RainKost Obermühle, a community-supported agriculture 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 footprint by a few tons 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 steadily increasing concentration of greenhouse gases such as CO2 in the atmosphere. CO2 compensation therefore does not necessarily have to take place at 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 harbors the danger of greenwashing. Despite the certification standards, the potential CO2 savings are 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 important to pay particular attention to the involvement of local stakeholders in the projects. In the worst case, compensation can reinforce global injustice and indirectly continue to 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 might 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 great 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 our carbon footprint. Just as we calculate the emissions from the company’s travel and transportation, the emissions from the audience’s arrival and departure also play a role. The same applies to a theater as to everyday life: public transport and bicycles are the most climate-friendly means of travel. Traveling by car causes the highest emissions. Perhaps it is an incentive to leave the car at home for the duration of the production “Join” and take part in the city cycling event, which takes place in Dresden from September 7 to 27. Form a team and collect kilometers on the way to us!
