PASSAGE sustainability policy

Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s Motivation for Taking Action on Sustainability

Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE believes that everyone has a responsibility in the sustainable transition.

As a cultural actor, we are consumers in a supply chain where we can influence partners and suppliers through climate-conscious choices. As organizers and communicators, we can increase awareness of sustainability among both cultural producers and audiences through our programming.

We believe that art and culture as a sector can play a crucial role and has a unique potential in society’s sustainable transition.

Art operates in an open field without the limitations often associated with other sectors. It can point to alternative futures and help us see different paths. Art can ask probing questions without presenting definitive answers, thereby helping us view issues in new ways.

We believe that as communicators, we have an obligation to orient ourselves towards future artists, including those who work with sustainability as a fundamental aspect of their artistic practice and works. We aim to be a platform for these artists.

Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s Primary Environmental and Climate Impact

Travel
As the organizer of an international street theater festival, a large part of our activities involves international exchange: This includes staff travel to festivals, network meetings, and other international activities, as well as international artists’ and partners’ travel to Helsingør Theatre and the PASSAGE Festival.

International exchange is essential for the PASSAGE Festival. It helps ensure high artistic quality in the program and broadens local horizons and cultural knowledge for both citizens and Danish artists. However, the current structure of international exchange is costly for the environment.

Audience
The largest multiplier in our field is our audience. If Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE can influence how the audience, and thereby citizens, act, both when they are part of our activities and when they are at home, it will be a significant benefit. We see the audience as active agents.

Operations
Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE aims to examine all aspects of the process towards a greener transition, including our daily (office) operations, to optimize and improve procedures.

This provides learning and coherence between what we say and what we do.

Communication
To raise awareness about sustainability, we aim to be visible and transparent in our processes, learning, and initiatives. At the same time, we will critically review the production and distribution of materials as well as the choice of platforms and media in the communications area. We aim to improve our environmental considerations in communication while balancing how best to reach our target audiences.

Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s Commitments and Current Vision and Strategy for Sustainability

As a theater association, Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE is committed to presenting touring performing arts locally throughout the Helsingør Municipality.

As the organizer of the PASSAGE Festival, Helsingør Theatre is committed to presenting internationally touring performing arts.

As an organization, Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE has in 2023 just begun formulating visions, strategies, and policies for sustainability. This document is the first step in that process.

We are currently not subject to formal obligations regarding sustainable transition, but it is becoming increasingly evident in the requirements from state, private, and European funds. We expect that sustainability requirements will become formalized in fund applications going forward.

Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s Key Focus Areas in a Green Transition

In line with our most significant environmental impact, Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE will primarily focus on travel activities, both internal (the organization’s own travel) and external (touring activities). We will secondarily focus on audience-directed initiatives and the communication of Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s sustainability strategy.

From 2023-24, Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE will reduce the CO2 footprint of its own travel and international touring travel. In the long term, it will be as natural for Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE to account for a CO2 budget as for a financial budget in relation to travel activities.

Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE will map the total CO2 footprint of employees and artists. Based on data, we can create guidelines for how we prioritize and assess the necessity of a trip, as well as how (transport forms, geographical synergies, etc.) we, artists, and partners travel.

At Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE, we strive to ensure that every trip is worth the journey:

• International meetings and exchanges will be conducted digitally as much as possible.
• There must be a necessity for the trip in relation to the theatre’s/festival’s purpose.
• The trip should promote development and artistic quality.
• The trip should be made smart (transport form, geographical synergy, etc.).
• Every artist trip (tour) will be reviewed for possible local tour agreements or other synergies.
• Every staff trip must always also consider additional possibilities for partnership visits or other synergies.

Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE aims to enable and prioritize slow travel both within the organization and for artists:

• If the destination can be reached within 12 hours, it should be done by bus/train/car/ferry if possible.
• It should be more attractive for artists to travel slowly (train/bus/ferry instead of plane) (through, among other things, longer stays, tour collaborations, etc.).

Responsible for Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s Sustainability Policy and Action Plan | Procedures

Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s sustainability policy is developed by Helsingør Theatre staff, who also implement the policy in Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s operations.

Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s sustainability policy is approved by the Helsingør Theatre board.

Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s action plan for sustainability is prepared ahead of each season by Helsingør Theatre staff.

The sustainability policy and action plan are incorporated into Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s annual cycle. Common status meetings are scheduled every two months for the action plan. Sub-tasks in the action plan are delegated to Helsingør Theatre + PASSAGE’s various area managers. The action plan is evaluated annually with a view to a forward-looking reassessment of existing and new goals in the upcoming action plan.

Helsingør Theatre’s board is informed about the action plan and task status at each board meeting.