(Eco)responsible and united

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.

By taking into consideration: access to buildings, information, creation and employment, the Festival d'Avignon has chosen to implement actions for inclusion and accessibility.

• Supporting the integration through employment of people experiencing social exclusion and/or disability.

• Adapting the wording of job offers to better describe the context of the position in order to help disabled workers assess the professional situation and remove any obstacles to applying.

• Distribute the Festival d'Avignon's job offers to partners who are active in the employment of people suffering from social exclusion and/or disability.

• To organise an annual ‘Rencontre pour l'emploi des travailleurs handicapés’ at La FabricA.

• To continue the ‘Recommended Jobs’ scheme (an opportunity for partners in the social field and the Plateforme pour l'emploi to put forward pre-selected candidates for seasonal jobs).

• Increase the visibility of artists with disabilities in the Festival d'Avignon programme.

• To train Festival d'Avignon teams in welcoming people with disabilities.

• Raise awareness among Festival d'Avignon teams of the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Harassment (SGBV).

• Systematise and update the accessibility sheets for the Festival d'Avignon venues on the website.

• Providing venue sheets in Braille and large print.

• Ensuring the best possible welcome for disabled people in our venues: pedometer strips at La FabricA, uniform signage, tactile model of the Cour d'honneur of the Palais des Papes and La FabricA, dedicated booking address, etc.

• Continuing to actions with the Festival audience.

More details on our accessibility initiatives