Sustainability

Photo: Stephan Floss

HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts is committed to the conservation of resources and reducing CO2 emissions in all areas. Since 2020, one representative from each department has been working as a Green Delegate on the development and implementation of joint sustainability goals. In 2022, HELLERAU signed the Dresden Charter for Sustainability in the Cultural Sector. 

We have already implemented these sustainability measures

  • At the festival “Claiming Common Spaces IV: Cool Down” from 01 – 09.07.2022, 22 art projects were presented in which artists dealt with the effects of the climate crisis.
  • The Kulturgarten behind the Festspielhaus serves as a stage area and additional venue. We regularly award an Artist-in-Garden residency, in which artists explore the interfaces between people, nature, culture and technology.
  • As part of the German Federal Cultural Foundation’s ZERO project, HELLERAU is realizing a climate-neutral production together with the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company in September 2024. In the run-up to this, a greenhouse gas balance was drawn up at HELLERAU in spring 2023.
  • We are building a network of artists who deal with topics such as climate crisis, human-environment, cross-species relationships and transformation. Connections with each other and with other cultural institutions are also forged.
  • As part of the alliance of international production houses, we have developed a travel policy that sets out guidelines for all travels arranged by HELLERAU and ensures that trips are coordinated, organized, carried out and invoiced in a sustainable, efficient and economical manner.
  • HELLERAU is using the online platform “CooProg”, which is designed to help curators coordinate geographically and temporally coherent tours and artistic performances and contribute to lower-emission mobility.
  • In our discussions with artists on the development of their productions, we raise their awareness of sustainable travel and the use of sustainable materials.
  • On behalf of the Office for Culture and Monument Protection of the City of Dresden, HELLERAU implemented the pilot project “Sustainability in art and culture using the example of HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts” with the agency plant values. The result was the “Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)” concept.
  • HELLERAU is a member of various networks that promote exchange on sustainability in the cultural sector. These include regular networking meetings of Dresden’s cultural institutions and the sustainability working group of the Alliance of International Production Houses. 
  • Our team is constantly undergoing further training with workshops on the subject of sustainability – such as on the topic of mobility. 
  • We continuously monitor and optimize our energy consumption (heating, cooling, electricity, water): We have reduced the facade lighting at the Festspielhaus and converted it to LED, reduced the flow temperature for hot water preparation and heating and are gradually converting the entire general lighting to LED.
  • Together with the property management department of the City of Dresden, we have identified measures to reduce consumption and improve energy management.
  • We continuously optimize the print runs of our printed matter, print in regional print shops wherever possible, are climate-neutral and use FSC-certified paper. For the C02 that is emitted during the printing process, we pay compensation for climate protection projects via Climate Partner. If you receive printed matter from us and do not need it, please send an email to info@hellerau.org.
  • In order to save paper, we have replaced the printed event flyers with cast listings, which are clearly visible at the box office. All information about the respective event can be accessed digitally via a QR code.
  • The team and artists use reusable water bottles that can be refilled at our water dispensers. Also our guests can purchase the bottles in the visitor center, at the box office or at the information stand in Café OHA at the HfBK (every 2nd Tuesday of the month).
  • We make sure that our merchandising products are produced sustainably. Cotton bags, lanyards, caps and pens made from bamboo can be purchased at the visitor center and the box office.
  • Tickets purchased online can be presented to the ticket staff digitally on a cell phone.
  • We cooperate with regional partners to loan out technology and materials that are not available at HELLERAU. We support local initiatives to develop material depots.
  • Where possible, we use bicycle couriers for transportation within the city.
  • We have purchased three bicycles for the use of our team and our residency artists.