Green Art Lab Alliance (GALA)

Green Art Lab Alliance

In partnership with Julie’s Bicycle TransArtists desk has developed a European wide program dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability and how that can be challenged in practical, ethical, and artistic ways across cultural communities in Europe. Based on the concept of a ‘knowledge alliance’ we are building a collaborative project with cultural organizations and artists all over Europe, and Georgia. We believe it is time that people working in the arts take responsibility in innovative and artistic ways. In the world of arts we shouldn’t see environmental sustainability as a side issue, but as an essential part of its practice.

What that exactly implies for the visual arts and design, is what this project will investigate on different levels and in close collaboration with designers, artists and scientists across Europe.

Maintaining the diversity of response in the context of a shared ambition will be critical for ensuring that the project has a strong foundation for legacy. With this project we will establish a strong network of artists and organizations engaged with this topic of environmental sustainability, which will be the foundation for establishing a European Knowledge Alliance. This European Knowledge Alliance will consist of knowledge hubs (ambassadors/artists and organizations) across Europe on the different ethical, practical and artistic aspects of environmental sustainability. The Knowledge Alliance will advocate for legacy and standards for the arts and cultural sector on environmental sustainability on the longer term.

Download here the planning of the Green Art Lab Alliance (2013-2015).

The European project Green Art Lab Alliance (GALA) officially started!

Twenty cultural organizations in Europe have developed a partnership dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability and how that can be challenged in practical, ethical and artistic ways, across arts and cultural communities across Europe. The Green Art Lab Alliance project aims to investigate what environmental sustainability implies for the visual arts and design, in close collaboration with designers, artists and scientists across Europe.

The project has a total budget of 400,000 euro, of which 50% is co-financed by the EU Culture programme. It will run for two years, ending in March 2015.

During this period the collaborating partners will organize workshops and labs to share knowledge and raise awareness amongst citizens and artists in particular. Furthermore, they will investigate the challenges and opportunities that environmental sustainability implies for the practice of artists and art institutions.

Kick-off meeting at the Jan van Eijck Academy

The GALA project officially started with the kick-off meeting from 5-9 June 2013 at the Jan van Eijck Academy in Maastricht (NL).

This first meeting of all partners demonstrated what it is that makes this project so unique: the variety of profiles of participating organisations and different geographical backgrounds offer a diverse approach to the different aspects of sustainability. There are residencies involved where artists, the general public and partner organisations get the chance to experiment and explore the role of sustainability in the arts. Others are European cultural networks, government related institutes which have impact on (national) policy level, educational institutes and organisations which are stimulating  the exchange of scientific knowledge with the creativity of artists. The issues related to sustainability that these organisations are going to address vary from mobility to waste, water and energy.

All partners believe that it is time for the arts and culture to take responsibility in their own innovative and artistic ways. By exploring the different approaches and by sharing knowledge and best practices, the partners aim to identify realistic first steps to create a better understanding  of the meaning  of sustainability for and through the arts. The GALA partners want to promote and support artists and cultural workers in their contribution to this goal. The ambition is to create a Europe-wide network of individuals and organisations engaged in combining arts and environmental sustainability.

Find here the report of the meeting

With the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union. The project Green Art Lab Alliance has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.