Sustainability
Our ways to meet the Sustainable Development Goals of the Ciało/Umysł Festival:
- ? We are creating a space for artists to work
+ ? About the premieres, performances and works in process at the 19th C/U
+ ? About the series “21 Dance Lessons for the 21st Century” - ? We are creating a meeting platform for people from different fields
- ? Looking for partners, widening circles interested in dance
+ ? Our partners talk about C/U - ? We address important and timely topics. About the slogan “Space is in the air”
- ? Sharing the knowledge. About the spiritual patron of the 19th C/U, Isadora Duncan
- ? We produce performances and present dance artists from different backgrounds, generations, aesthetics
- ? For years we have taken a holistic approach to developing the Polish dance scene and acting in the spirit of social responsibility
Not just dance!
The protection, promotion and preservation of cultural diversity are among the basic requirements of sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations, as they contribute to the social and cultural development of individual and collective well-being, as well as to sustaining the creativity and vitality of cultures and institutions (Article 13 of the UNESCO Convention)
Sustainable Development (SD) and culture. Over the centuries, it is societies that have nurtured and invested in culture that have developed faster economically, creating more sustainable, stronger and identity-conscious societies. Culture also makes wider social communication possible. Culture addresses socially important topics and issues, has repeatedly heralded revolution and has been able to redefine the values of the world around us.
SDS. Why now? The unique circumstances surrounding this year’s festival prompted the creators to define and encapsulate into a coherent SD strategy all the activities and programs that accompany it. The name of the strategy Not Only Dance! is the entire philosophical and organizational concept of the festival, the common denominator of which is sustainability. The C/U Foundation’s activities are focused on four issues: culture, the artist, the audience and the body. A strategy based on three pillars has also been built around these issues: responsibility, accessibility and attentiveness on a daily basis.
Responsible C/U. The festival touches on the most relevant social issues, crucial for modern man (human dignity, dehumanization of the body, emigration, disability). It offers audiences a program that boldly, openly and uncompromisingly encourages thought and discussion, thus returning to one of the most important roles that culture should play, that of building social awareness.
Accessible C/U. Understood by both the dimension of physical accessibility to festival events and accessibility at the meta level. The goal of the C/U Foundation is to spread knowledge and understanding of contemporary dance and to continuously expand the festival’s audience through educational activities. Accessibility defined at the artistic level means giving opportunities for participation not only to established artists, but also to artists of the younger generation, amateurs and volunteers.
Attentive C/U. It’s about daily management, including finances, and building partnerships in a sustainable way. It’s creating conditions for artists from different backgrounds, discovering new talent, and nurturing relationships. It’s also respecting the environment by reducing the use of plastic, paper, using transportation prudently.
This attitude in building the Festival provides new opportunities for future development both in the approach to the operation of the Festival and in expanding the audience with new viewers for whom the values of SD are important. The goal for the future is also for other cultural institutions, as well as artists and audiences, to benefit from the Foundation’s experience.
Marta Kukowska
Expert in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development
