Leading Performing Arts Festivals Come Together to Launch Eco’Operation for International Touring

• The online platform and international network announced today will drastically reduce carbon emissions and programming costs for festivals around the world
• The initiative, with input from over 40 festivals, will facilitate coordinated programming and sharing of work across countries and continents
• Event organisers everywhere are invited to join Eco’Operation today

Recognising the urgent need for action that responds to the climate crisis, Outdoor Arts UK, Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (UK), Kleines Fest (Germany), Entr’act (Netherlands), Mirabilia Festival (Italy), Passage Festival (Denmark) and Spoffin Festival (Netherlands) today announce Eco’Operation, a new sustainable initiative that will break new ground in reducing carbon emissions and reducing costs for a global network of festivals and artists by coordinating programmes, sharing work and joining up ambitions to create a new sustainable model of presenting international work.

With this new network in place, festivals in the network can more easily programme companies and artists in strategically planned tours which will drastically reduce carbon emissions. Coordinating on programming strategies with other festivals in the Eco’Operation network will allow for the sharing of costs associated with travel, production, freight and carnets and will significantly support festivals to create ambitious programmes in the midst of the most challenging funding landscape the sector has faced.

On the launch of the platform today Casper de Vries said:

“This idea was borne from a Sustainability meeting of outdoor arts festival leadership at Hull’s Freedom Festival and a shared frustration at the lack of coordination across the sector to sufficiently respond to the sustainability and budget challenges we all face. Many Zoom meetings later and with the input of over 40 festivals, Eco’Operation is finally available to producers everywhere. A simple but effective tool for organisers to finally connect, share their festival dates and programme strategies. Despite all of our differences and our uniqueness, it’s my hope that Eco’Operation will go a huge way in supporting our ambitions to reduce costs and carbon emissions. Have fun finding each other and sharing ideas!”

Eco’Operation founding partner and Executive Producer of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival Ellie Harris added:

“Strengthening our international and national networks has never been more important and necessary as we continue to tackle the global climate crisis and the decimation of funding for arts organisations. We don’t want to stop presenting international work because of inevitable carbon emissions; instead we are cultivating considered green solutions that will enable all of us to strive to be more ambitious in an uncertain future. We at GDIF have seen first-hand the carbon and budget savings that sharing international work brings through Eco’Operation and are delighted the platform is today available for festivals everywhere.”

Outdoor Arts UK are leading the charge to get UK based festival partners to sign up to the platform. Director, Sho Shibata says:

“Eco’Operation will allow for UK Festivals to foster stronger relations with each other and their European counterparts through joint efforts to make touring more environmentally sustainable. This is a vital response to the climate crisis. Eco’Oporation has other benefits, too, ensuring our audiences and professionals see different approaches to outdoor performance, helping them to be connected with the international community. At a time when resources are limited, new and innovate ways of partnership working like Eco’Oporation are required to remain ambitious.”

Festivals in the UK, Europe and beyond are invited to join this movement via an informative new online platform (ecooperation.net) which uses an interactive map and contact database to create opportunities for programmers, organisers and producers to coordinate on touring models and identify roots to drastically reducing costs and environmental impacts of the global outdoor performing arts sector. Created by international festival programmer and founder of Dutch producers Entr’act Casper de Vries, Eco’Operation challenges programming strategies that centre around exclusivity or world premieres.

Festivals anywhere in the world are invited to join the network for a small annual fee, or free of charge for OutdoorArtsUK Members. Click here to join OAUK.

Contact David Doust, OAUK General Manager, at david@outdoorartsuk.org