The Green Mobility Guide addresses four categories of organisations in the field of performing arts: touring companies, companies managing and running venues, Membership Organisations and Funding Organisations. Inside those categories we have sustainable solutions for the personnel performing specific tasks, such as: • Artistic Directors, Directors and Producers (Touring companies); • Production Managers, Lighting Designers and Technicians (Touring companies); • Managers, Facility Managers, Green Champions (for venues). For each category (organisation or personnel) there are emphasized four dimensions: • the commitment to environmental issues; • understanding of the organisation’s environmental impacts; • improving the environmental impacts; • communication of the organisation’s impacts and improvements. The guide consists also in a range of case studies and an introduction to the following resources for a sustainable mobility: Tools –examples of online calculators and databases, ex: IG (Industry Green) Tools; Guidance – publications that emphasize best practices, advice, worksheets, templates, etc. Ex: Environmental Policy, Green Rider template, GRI: Sustainability reporting guidelines; Certifications, Standards and Awards: AB Symbol, Bio label, Demeter label, EMAS (The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), Fairtrade, FSC, Green Key, Greener Festival Award, Industry Green, ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation), Soil Association.

The personnel from the touring company, for example Artistic Directors, Directors and Producers observe the commitment, understanding of the environmental issues, seek to improve the environmental impacts for routing, the venue, the event planning and logistics and are in charge of communication. The guide recommends a set of actions for each dimension. For example, Artistic Directors, Directors and Producers demonstrate commitment through: the design of an environmental policy to cover at least energy, water and waste; appoint a co-ordinator for environmental initiatives; and check the inclusion of the environmental impacts in the contracts. For a better understanding it is recommended to use IG (Industry Green) tour tools. By scheduling performance dates and venues within a reasonable proximity and avoiding one-off performance tours the managers can improve the routing. In addition, with the help of a festival promoter, they can find opportunities in the same geographic region. For venues it is advisable to look for environmental credentials, include the sustainability clauses in contracts and check the food and drinks procurement policy. In the planning phase, actions such as: using digital communications, public transport and car sharing, environmental compliant accommodation and checking environmental policies and credentials for catering, help reduce the environmental impact. The same it is true for, logistics, if the touring company use environmental friendly transportation. The last phase, communication, includes sharing the environmental actions taken by the tour company with board, staff, suppliers, and audiences and disseminates the ‘greening’ experience. Production Managers, Lighting Designers and Technicians of the touring company are in charge of improving the environmental impacts for lighting and production. Managers, Facility Managers, Green Champions apply the four dimensions for the commitment and understanding of the environment impacts, are in charge of food and drink, publicity materials and merchandise, audience travel and communication The green mobility guide recommends for Membership Organisations to: • have a permanent environmental sustainability agenda; • update the environmentally related legislation and keep up with the financial and economic trends and audience concern; • facilitate access for members to resources for reducing the environmental impacts; • design a charter of environmental principles, and include members’ commitment to it; • recognise and award environmental leadership; • lobby for further development of environmentally sustainable technologies; • collect, collate and report statistics relevant for monitoring environmental actions in the field. Funding Organisations can step into environmental action through the following specific practices: • Design a strategy for environmental sustainability; • Gather information on emerging practice for low environmental impact within the performing arts sector; • Support organisations with resources and training; • Set environmental guidelines and reporting requirements to funded organisations; • Assess the funding support given to organisations also on environmental criteria; • Promote models of best practice and outstanding creative achievement using green technology.

The Green Mobility Guide was published in May 2011 and was one of the outcomes of a research on sustainable mobility practices inside the performing arts organisations, commissioned by On the Move to Julie’s Bicycle (JB). The work on the guide started from the following realities: • Although environmental sustainability was important for touring companies, it held a secondary place when dealt with it by touring companies; • It was a challenge to set multiple-date tours that maximised the travel and were environmentally efficient; • It was necessary to extend the individual environmental actions and practices taken by individual touring companies and support arts organisations; • Touring companies and arts organisations needed more information, guidance, tools and training to support environmental initiatives; • It was also welcomed the leadership from funding/regulatory bodies on environmental sustainability. Instead of a conclusion, the guide offers step-by-step solutions to take environmental action, observing the following four dimensions: • the commitment to environmental issues; • understanding of the organisation’s environmental impacts; • improving the environmental impacts; • communicating the organisation’s impacts and improvements.

On The Move and Julie’s Bicycle