(Eco)responsible and united

CERCLES, Boris Charmatz, 2024 © Christophe Raynaud de Lage / Festival d'Avignon

New practices and sustainables actions

Since 2010, the Festival d'Avignon has been engaged in an in-depth reflection on its impact and practices in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

In the face of the climate emergency, the aim is to continue to develop new skills, invest in innovative solutions and increase the number of large-scale actions to encourage and support new collective practices. This is why the Festival d'Avignon has set up an internal, collective and cross-disciplinary working group, tasked with implementing sustainable action.

The team is committed to carrying out eco-responsible actions to reduce its carbon impact, continue its ecological transition and make La FabricA, the Festival d'Avignon's permanent venue, a symbol of its entire environmental and societal policy.

A founding member of the Collectif des Festivals Écoresponsables et Solidaires en Région Sud (COFEES), the Festival is a signatory of the Eco-Festival charter in collaboration with the City of Avignon, the Grand Avignon and AF&C, and of the ‘Drastic On Plastic’ charter for the elimination of single-use plastic at cultural events. 

« Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a concept that has corporations incorporate social, environmental and economic preoccupations in their activities and their interactions with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. By adopting more ethical and sustainable practices in their operating methods, they aim to contribute to the betterment of society and to the protection of the environment. In other words, it is “a company’s contribution to the challenges of sustainable development. »

Source : ecologie.gouv.fr

Fields of action

For the past few years, the Festival d’Avignon has been implementing eco-responsible and solidarity-based initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint, furthering its ecological transition, promoting social inclusion, and making La FabricA a symbol of its environmental and societal policy.

An ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) committee brings together representatives from all departments each month to develop skills, foster innovation, and implement sustainable actions. Its goal: to guide staff, artists, professionals, and audiences toward new responsible and civic-minded practices.

SEE THE 2025 ROADMAP

The Festival is committed to rethinking its equipment and promoting the use of environmentally friendly transportation. In the medium term, the goal is to move toward the creation of a «Mobility» department through the appointment of a «mobility expert» who will explore ways to optimise the transportation of people and equipment.

Transport of sets and equipment

  • Explore rail freight instead of road freight for transporting stage sets, in collaboration with the Festival Off Avignon.

  • Seek to optimise the transport of technical equipment loaned by partner theatres via rail.

Audience transportation

  • Continue the night train pilot program from Avignon-Centre for the second consecutive year.

  • Contribute to improving public transportation options in collaboration with the City of Avignon and Greater Avignon: bike lockers, Vélopop stations, buses, park-and-ride lots and shuttles, Festibus, etc.

  • Promote the use of a carpooling, bike-pooling, and shared taxi platform, in partnership with the Festival Off Avignon.

  • Increase communication about eco-friendly modes of transportation.

  • Offer shuttle services departing from Avignon to Boulbon and Vedène.

Transportation of staff and artists

  • Reduce the use of petrol vehicles by providing a fleet of bicycles, electric-assist bikes (e-bikes), electric cargo bikes, tricycles, a bike trailer, and a fleet of electric vehicles.

  • Adapt infrastructure by installing charging stations at permanent sites.

  • Encourage visiting artists to use eco-friendly transportation (train, bus, and bike).

The Festival is pursuing its policy of reducing waste and sorting in line with its activity, at all venues.

  • Improve sorting by optimising the placement of bins and signage, and by strengthening communication on sorting instructions.

  • Set up a shared compost at La FabricA.

  • Make suppliers aware of the Festival d'Avignon's Responsible Supplier Charter

  • Promote eco-friendly production, reuse, and recycling of stage sets and costumes.

  • Use bio-based paint in the workshops.

  • Limit the amount of printed materials (eliminating one programme compared to 2024).

  • Reduce the number of pages in the programme.

  • Establish indicators to precisely assess waste reduction and sorting over the years.

The Festival is deploying measures to optimise and reduce its energy consumption.

  • Adapting show and work schedules to avoid periods of high heat.

  • Continue discussions with the City of Avignon to improve the energy insulation of buildings provided to the Festival.

  • Continue the transition to LED lighting sources.

  • Optimising energy consumption at La FabricA by installing a Centralised Technical Management System (CTMS).

  • Installing photovoltaic panels at La FabricA to produce carbon-free electricity. Use green electricity at La FabricA and all temporary sites.

  • Install electricity consumption meters at La FabricA and in the performance venues to monitor and control usage, in order to raise awareness among the artists hosted of the energy impact of the activity.

  • Provide water fountains connected to the public network. Only use water bottles when connection is impossible.

  • Reduce water consumption by building additional dry toilets in Boulbon and training staff in organic waste recovery processes.

Whether it’s about reducing high-ecological-footprint merchandise or, more generally, prioritising the circular economy and short supply chains, the Festival is strengthening its responsible purchasing policy.

  • Select responsible suppliers and service providers in accordance with the CSR charters.

  • Reassess our indicator framework and implement ongoing monitoring.

Mindful food ans catering

  • Offer exclusively vegetarian menus for receptions.

  • Continue using large containers for the bar.

  • Promote the purchase of products through short supply chains by developing relationships with local and organic producers.

Merchandise

  • Continue ethical purchasing in accordance with the suppliers’ charter.

  • Change our gift policy for professionals toward a more modest approach.

A series of reflections and actions are being taken to move towards a more sustainable approach to communications.

  • Producing a programme without any photos of shows in order to limit the use of ink.

  • Using 100% recycled paper, or failing that 100% PEFC paper (from ecologically managed forests) for all publications.

  • Work with printers who have been awarded the Imprim'vert label or who are certified (ISO14001) and who prefer to use vegetable-based inks.

  • Réaliser un audit « accessibilité » du site internet du Festival d’Avignon.

  • Facilitate access to the Festival d'Avignon website for people with disabilities.Through the Accessibility section, the site can be adapted to suit different types of visual or motor disability or chronic illness.

  • Surtitle videos on the Festival d'Avignon website.

  • Limit the quantity and number of pages of printed material.

  • Reduce postal mailings by optimising our mailing list.

  • Improve the distribution and allocation of press materials at Festival venues.

  • Optimise storage methods to reduce internal transport during the distribution of printed publications.

  • Optimise the page weight of the website and the app.

  • Develop accessibility and Easy-to-Read-and-Understand content for the website.

  • Explore hosting the Festival d’Avignon’s data in a local, “green” data centre.

By sharing its values and objectives, the Festival encourages the active participation of everyone with a view to preserving the environment and becoming part of an ethical and fair economy.

  • Rely on structured support from COFEES to amplify the reach of the CSR approach.

  • Improve the visibility of the Festival’s commitments: dedicated communication plan, dissemination of the multi-year strategy and the annual roadmap.

  • Strengthen internal anchoring of CSR through presentations, identifying key contacts in each department, monitoring indicators, integrating a CSR clause in employment contracts, welcome booklets, stage managers’ manuals, and technical sheets for venues.

  • Identify CSR training needs and train our staff in eco-responsible practices.

  • Communicate CSR commitments to companies: include the CSR clause in contracts and welcome booklets, and display the artistic teams’ reception charter at all venues.

  • Participate in professional meetings to improve eco-responsible practices: COFEES, ARVIVA, Arsud, MAIF Culture, etc.

  • Co-create, in partnership with Avignon Tourisme and the Festival Off Avignon, an eco-festival guidebook aimed at audiences.

The Festival d’Avignon continues its efforts to improve accessibility to venues and performances.

  • Improve the website’s accessibility for people with visual or cognitive impairments.

  • Systematically update and maintain access information sheets for venues available on the website (Access section).

  • Train our staff to welcome audiences and artists with disabilities.

  • Provide wheelchairs and accessible toilets at certain Festival d’Avignon venues (Cour d’Honneur and La FabricA).

  • Include at least one performance in the programme that addresses disability or features artists with disabilities.

  • Provide vibrating vests for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees at performances with amplified music.

By embracing all forms of diversity, the Festival affirms its commitment to inclusion.

  • Ensure gender parity in the programming.

  • Continue the internal «Professional Equality» plan.

  • Inform about the protocol established for addressing sexist and sexual violence.

  • Train Festival staff on CSR issues, welcoming people with disabilities, prevention of sexist and sexual violence, and addiction awareness.

  • Continue the “Recommended Jobs” initiatives (allowing partners from the social sector and the Employment Platform to present candidates for seasonal jobs).

  • Organise the Fourth Employment Meeting for workers with disabilities at La FabricA.

In response to the climate emergency, the Festival is committed to protecting the environment and local biodiversity.

  • Preserve the Carrière de Boulbon site: carry out brush clearing, establish a pathway serving as a firebreak, and maintain collaboration with the National Forestry Office to protect local plant species.

  • Promote an artistic programme with a deep commitment, environmentally conscious, and respectful of ecosystems.

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