We are committed to minimising the negative environmental impact of the exhibition sector and ask all our members and funding recipients to contribute to this aim.
This is a task that takes sustained internal work, which we are also undertaking ourselves as a part of Watershed. We believe that through sharing resources and learnings, reducing what we can, and supporting exhibitors with space for discussion and support as a part of our funding; we can make an impact.
This guide takes you through some useful information that considers how to minimise the environmental impact of your activity, no matter the size of your organisation.
The BFI has several recommended resources that may be useful when planning around sustainability here.
Conceived by Zoe Rasbash, Environmental Emergencies Action Researcher, the toolkit is designed to support actionable, achievable and nuanced climate action – to combat the overwhelm we often feel at the scale of the crisis. This is in no way prescriptive, simply a jumping off point!
The toolkit includes:
Making your cinema more sustainable can feel overwhelming. There are so many things you can do to reduce negative environmental impacts and carbon emissions, it’s hard to know where to start. Here are some tips to getting started from Watershed’s Environmental Emergencies Action Researcher Zoe Rasbash.
With environmental sustainability also forming part of our BFI FAN funding criteria, our friends at Film Hub Wales put together a selection of films covering everything from sustainable farming to post-apocalyptic adventure – designed to support programming as you reopen.
Find the programming pack that includes the full list of titles here
Julie’s Bicycle is a not for profit organisation which bridges the gap between the creative industries and sustainability, enabling the arts to create change.
Julie’s Bicycle has a huge range of online resources available for free from their Resources hub.
You can also listen to Alison Tickell, founder of Julie’s Bicycle, in conversation with Frieze Co-Founder Matthew Slotover about turning intention into action on Gallery Climate Coalition
In the midst of the ongoing climate crisis, cinemas can act by taking measures to cut their energy use whilst playing a significant role in raising awareness, fostering new cultural practices and illuminating new pathways through the challenges ahead.
No matter the size of your venue or festival, you too can make a difference. The ICO’s Green Cinema Toolkit is for anyone working in film exhibition, from small independent exhibitors to larger cinemas and multi-arts venues.
The story of one Cornish field told over one climatic year. BAFTA-winning documentarian Christopher Morris invites us to slow down, as he films for a year in a West Cornwall field. It’s a chance to take a breath and reflect on our impact on the planet under the watchful gaze of the Longstone, an ancient monolith that predominates this elemental landscape.
The Hub worked with distributors Anti-Worlds to support the non-theatrical release of A YEAR IN A FIELD with an introduction, short films and other supplementary activity for your audiences. We are open to working with other distributors on similarly environmental films. Please get in touch with us at filmhub@watershed.co.uk for more information.
A Year In A Film will not be receiving a physical home video release, so if you would like to screen an exclusive blu-ray of the film, get in touch with Film Hub Community Manager, Neil Ramjee.
Up in Manchester, HOME is committed to reducing environmental impacts. They have great comprehensive information on their page to their continuous practice, a good resource for knowledge-sharing on how communities, audiences, partners and stakeholders can take action be engaged. Read this ICO profile, or check out their webpage to find out more about activities, commitments, and initiatives that contribute to working towards a sustainable HOME.
The goal of the GCC is to facilitate a greener and more sustainable art world. Their aim is to collectively reduce the commercial art sectors carbon footprint by 50% over the next ten years (in line with the Paris agreement), along with near zero-waste practices.
The GCC website contains information on a range of issues that can also be applicable to exhibition; including shipping and travelling, packaging, energy and building management, recycling, and more.
Image c/o of Lisson Gallery, John Akomfrah ‘Vertigo Sea’ exhibited at Arnolfini, Bristol
BFI NETWORK South West is excited to announce the cohort of New Voices: Step Up.