On 5 March 2026, the second network meeting took place as part of the NachhaltigkeitsKulturOWL research project took place in the former Marstallcafé at the Schlosspark und Lippesee-Gesellschaft.
After an introduction by Christian Stork, Managing Director of Schlosspark und Lippesee-Gesellschaft, about the history of the former Marstallcafé and the numerous activities of SLG, the team presented the current developments in the research project.
Research on the topic of audience mobility was conducted through audience surveys at the Orange Blossom Festival in Beverungen, the Carnival of Cultures in Bielefeld and the Christmas Magic in Schloss Neuhaus. Studies show that public mobility can account for between 40% and 97% of the total emissions of an event[1][2][3]. This factor is therefore an important lever for improving the sustainability of outdoor events. First of all, it is crucial to know how the audience is travelling in order to think about more sustainable options.
Research was also conducted into waste generation and disposal at the AStA Summer Festival 2025 on the Paderborn University campus. With student support, the research team distributed free pocket ashtrays that can be used to collect cigarette butts and dispose of them properly instead of simply dropping them on the ground. Shortly after the festival, the team, in collaboration with the waste disposal and city cleaning company ASP, analysed a random sample of the waste left behind to determine what types of waste are left behind (with a particular focus on cigarette butts).
Following the presentation on the current status of the research project, the workshop was divided into groups to discuss how the participants felt about sustainability and what they needed. It quickly became clear that sustainability is an emotional topic and the generally precarious situation in the cultural sector makes it difficult to implement sustainable measures in many cases.
It can be said that this network meeting was also a successful opportunity to network, get to know each other and exchange ideas. We would like to thank our network partner Schlosspark Lippesee-Gesellschaft and our project partners for the enjoyable and insightful afternoon!
Sources
[1] The Changency, Crowd Impact (2024).TICKET TO RIDE - Sustainable public directions and campus maps for major events - Project summary. https://tickettoride.net/(accessed on 07/01/2026)
[2] A Greener Future (2023).AGF Festival Carbon Footprint Report. https://www.agreenerfuture.com/carbonimpactsassessment(accessed 07/10/2025)
[3] Kleber, L., Vogels, J. (2025).Capturing mobility data more easily.In T. Sakschewski, N. Wuttke (Eds.),Nachhaltiges Veranstalten(1st ed., pp. 133-142).Springer Gabler.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-47175-0_13#DOI(Accessed: 02/03/2026).
