When the Paderborn University campus is transformed into a vibrant open-air stage on Thursday, 5 June, it's time again: the AStA Summer Festival is back for the next round. As one of the largest campus festivals in Germany, it attracts thousands of visitors every year – and this time it is also a pilot project in terms of sustainability. Accompanied by the "NachhaltigkeitsKulturOWL" research project, the festival marks the starting point for the implementation of sustainable measures in connection with outdoor cultural events in Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL). The aim is not only to keep the site clean, but also to raise festival guests' awareness of environmental issues. The three-year "NachhaltigkeitsKulturOWL" research project, coordinated by Paderborn University, is being funded by the "Regio.NRW – Transformation (EFRE)" funding programme with a total of around 320,000 euros from the European Union and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Science meets practice – sustainability in the event industry
The research team is working with regional stakeholders and its partner Schlosspark und Lippesee GmbH to develop strategies on how the cultural events industry in OWL can be made more sustainable and future-proof with concrete measures and long-term structures. "We want to show that cultural outdoor events do not have to be at odds with ecological responsibility," says Prof. Dr. Beate Flath, project manager and Vice-President for Teaching, Studies and Quality Management at Paderborn University. "With the pilot measures for selected events, we want to show ways in which sustainability can go hand in hand with creativity, practical relevance and a scientific foundation." Visitors can actively contribute to greater sustainability even before an event begins by organising their individual journeys in an environmentally friendly way. While many already have common travel options such as public transport or their own bike in mind, car sharing also offers a stress-free and environmentally friendly journey for people without their own car through the shared use of vehicles. "This reduces CO₂ emissions per person, protects the environment and at the same time noticeably relieves traffic congestion. There are various locations in Paderborn – for example in the immediate vicinity of the university directly on Warburger Straße," continues Prof. Flath.
Measuring, understanding and improving sustainability
After the AStA Summer Festival, the next events are already on the project team's schedule, in which the aspect of arrival and departure in particular will be examined. At the Orange Blossom Special Festival in Beverungen, visitor mobility data will be collected in order to create a carbon footprint and develop strategies for more sustainable travel to and from the festival. Visitor mobility is also being documented and analysed at the Carnival of Cultures in Bielefeld. The three events form the starting point for the development of further individual sustainability measures for open-air events in OWL. The first results of the research project will be presented on Thursday 12 June as part of the "Green Culture Festival – Handprint. Who do we want to have been?" in Essen and at the 16th annual conference of the Association for Cultural Management in Basel in September.
This text was translated automatically.
