Climate conversation is the issue of the day, with the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 held in Glasgow from 31 October until 12 November 2021.
While the media is full of talk of targets and governments vying off against each other, it also presents an opportunity to rethink what we do in our backyards – our galleries, our theatres and arts venues, regardless of scale or budget.
Artistic Program Leader at Blue Mountains Cultural Centre (in regional Australia) Sabrina Roesner is no stranger to embracing environment sustainability within a gallery practice. Last year she curated the exhibition Critical mass, which connected community, local government and artists with provocative thinking and art making. But Roesner and her team are doing more than just thinking about shows.
Roesner told ArtsHub that there are many things we can do right now in order to make our daily habits more environmentally aware in the arts sector, particularly in galleries and museums.
‘There are various opportunities that galleries can take to reduce their eco-footprint, and while some of them rely on the resources they have available, there is something that everyone can adopt right away.’
Sabrina Roesner
She said the best way to start is by setting a target. ‘That target is unique to each organisation: what is achievable and measurable? You have to start thinking, “what can we do?”’
Roesner explained that trying to calculate your organisation’s carbon emissions is not as difficult as you might imagine. There are number of carbon calculators easily accessible online. She recommends Carbon Calculator tool & Creative Green Tools, developed by Julies Bicycle, which also includes templates for Environmental Action Plans.
WHAT KIND OF ACTION CAN I TAKE?
Roesner believes there are some really easy strategies that work well across all spaces, and which do not require a big capital investment but can result in big change.
‘Consider the product and services you use. For example, we discovered a non-toxic paint from Porters that has no off-gassing. So we are able to hang artworks quicker after painting, which mean the wait time is not as long during installations,’ she told ArtsHub.
‘The paint idea came from someone else, so chat to colleagues. You might be aware of things but you also get tips – it is about generating ideas. And the more you can take on, you start to realise you can do this and do that.’
Roesner made the point that some energy-saving products are more expensive at the current time, but encouraged organisations to be strategic in their choices.
‘The more we contribute to the circular economy the prices will come down. We have to support those products as much as we can so they will become more accessible to more of us, and less cost prohibitive.’
Roesner also noted that we also have a lot of power in the choices we make. ‘There are grants available that can help to integrate renewable systems, such as solar panels and LED lighting across your building, and ways to capture and reuse of storm water,’ she said.
But she insists that there are many things that can be done now – and that won’t cost you. Rather, they will save you money.
‘In terms of exhibition furniture and display, make a real effort to recycle and repurpose as much as you can; screws can be used multiple times, bubble wrap can be used until it falls apart, and reuse shelving and walls,’ Roesner said.
This thinking can be applied everywhere, whether installing an exhibition or bumping in a new theatre production.
‘We started turning down the air conditioning in our non-gallery areas. As well as reducing our emissions it also has a significant reduction in costs,’ Roesner told ArtsHub. ‘We also are constantly looking at sharing freight with other galleries and artists in our area, or en route through our area.’
It’s this kind of big picture but village thinking that collaboratively can change the dynamic without a huge impact on your operating procedures or budget – and actually, often leads to a cost saving.
‘Some of the art shuttle services like IAS [International Art Services] have particular times of the month when they do regional or metropolitan runs, so we try to plan ahead to make use of that. It is a big reduction in cost,’ Roesner said.
TEN TIPS FOR EMBRACING CARBON NEUTRAL GALLERY PRACTICE
Think of this as a quick checklist to gauge where you organisation is sitting.
- Use energy efficient lighting.
- Ensure your building has passive solar design.
- Chose renewable energy sources for your suppliers.
- Implement efficient water management including (but not limited to) use of collected rainwater and on site treatment and reuse of grey water.
- Strategic waste management – this is more than a recycle receptacle in the kitchen and next to the printer. Extend those principals to avoiding single-use plastics products across gallery use, composting, and re-purposing of materials – especially installation and packaging materials.
- Strategic procurement where possible, such as purchasing appliances with a 4-star (or better) energy rating, and prioritising environmentally conscious suppliers and products.
- Promoting virtual communications technology as an alternative to travelling.
- Share and consolidate freight where possible.
- Do you need to print individual exhibition graphics such as vinyl, signage, posters etc. for each exhibition, and if so what materials do you select?
EMBEDDING CARBON THINKING IN FUNDING
Roesner said the Arts Council England Environment Program is a great example of best practice of environmental sustainabilty in the arts and culture sector. ‘They have implemented a policy intervention that makes environmental action part of funding agreements, embedding it into their funding structure.
‘They have also created toolkits and National Portfolio Organisations are required to annually monitor their environmental impacts using a carbon foot-printing tool,’ she added.
The reason Roesner has partnered with RPG NSW with the current environmental sustainability survey is that she believes ‘the advocacy has to come from within the arts industry to lobby state and federal governments and funding agency’.
She continued: ‘When I look at their [government] sustainability goals and how they say they will implement them, the arts are mentioned only once or twice. If I look at Trade NSW, for example, and their priority areas for funding, the environment is not even there. It could be as simple as a box check.
‘As an industry we need to actively lobby government – there is a massive demand but here in Australia we are facing many hurdles around policy that allows us to be more environmentally sustainable.’
HOW CAN WE BETTER SELL OUR ECO ETHICS TO AUDIENCES?
Roesner said the best way to sell your organisation’s eco credentials to your community is to bring them on the journey with you.
‘Where we are, we made it a priority to integrate messages and practices about the environment into our exhibition and public programs; they have been our most successful programs,’ Roesner told ArtsHub.
‘We have involved the immediate community, for example we invited the local bee keeper club to install hives on our rooftop garden, and also a veggie garden. We also draw a lot on knowledge in community and our traditional owners in how they look after Country.’
She said that while they currently do not badge their green credentials in BMCC’s marketing and branding, it has become embedded think across all that they do.
‘Not only has this drawn in new audiences, but the trickle-on effect of what we are doing has got people really excited to talk about it,’
‘Not only has this drawn in new audiences, but the trickle-on effect of what we are doing has got people really excited to talk about it,’ Roesner concluded.
