Act responsibly now – ecologically, socially, culturally and economically.

Bundesverband Freie Darstellende Künste e. V. (Federal Association for the Independent Performing Arts) (hereinafter BFDK) is offering a practical contribution to the environmentally and socially sustainable development of the independent performing arts and independent music ensembles in the form of the “Sustainable Production” toolkit.

Often due to a lack of resources, many stakeholders have long been pioneers of sustainable work. At the same time, sustainability under precarious conditions poses an additional challenge that requires fair framework conditions and targeted support.

Rather than being just another checklist, this toolkit is an instrument that invites you to take concrete steps at your own pace thanks to its clarity, accessibility and practical relevance. After all, sustainability is a shared responsibility – and every action counts.

Holistic sustainability

For the BFDK, sustainable production in the performing arts and in independent music ensembles means combining environmental responsibility with social justice and artistic freedom. These principles constitute the basis of the toolkit, which is intended as a practical tool for those involved.

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Sustainable funding

The BFDK calls for long-term funding to promote sustainable production. This requires lasting and process-related funding instruments, resilient infrastructures as well as counselling and further training to support the achievement of social and environmental sustainability goals.

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Introduction to the toolkit

The “Sustainable Production” toolkit offers over 200 practical measures for sustainable production in the independent performing arts and independent music ensembles. It is aimed at individual performers, collectives, performance venues and festivals. It can be accessed either via stakeholder groups or areas of activity such as stage or transport and mobility. The toolkit also comes with further information, tips for implementation and practical examples.

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Development of the toolkit

The “Sustainable Production” toolkit was created as part of the BFDK’s “Sustainable Production” project. This project was aimed at highlighting, motivating and supporting concrete courses of action for a more sustainable way of working in the independent performing arts and for independent music ensembles. A toolkit that offers concrete measures for more sustainable production was developed in dialogue with artists, associations and venues.

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