Creative Green Tools Pilot Program
Calgary Arts Development is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA) to pilot a set of carbon calculation and reporting tools for the arts and culture sector. Calgary Arts Development is the second organization in Canada to adopt these tools, following the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. As a civic partner with The City of Calgary, Calgary Arts Development supports Calgary’s Climate Change Program as a strategic priority. The Creative Green Tools will allow Calgary Arts Development to collect data to better understand how activities in the arts and culture sector contribute to climate change and how the sector might participate in or advocate for emissions reduction strategies. The Tools will allow organizations to measure their own impacts year over year and track their progress as they work to reduce their carbon footprints.
We are seeking up to 60 arts organizations to participate in this pilot program in 2023. Organizations must have an arts-centred mandate and be based in Calgary, and may be operating under any structure (for example, non-profit, charity, for-profit, social enterprise, etc.). Participants will receive training on how to use and complete the reporting tools, and a one-time $1,000 microgrant to support staff time for this training and completion of reporting. The deadline to complete reporting will be September. Individual organizations’ reports from the cohort will not be shared publicly. Reports will be analyzed by the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts, and Calgary Arts Development will receive an aggregate report. Participation in this program will not have bearing on an organization’s grant levels or eligibility for investment programs.
Participation in this program is voluntary and on a first-come basis. The deadline to express interest has been extended to April 6, 2023. To express interest in participating, please email impact@calgaryartsdevelopment.com with the subject line: Creative Green Tools. Please include the contact information for the individual who will be the primary contact for this work, and your organization’s artistic discipline and structure (for example, non-profit, business, etc.).
About the Program
The Creative Green Tools, powered by Julie’s Bicycle, are a free set of carbon calculation and reporting tools that allow organizations in the arts and culture sector to measure and understand the impacts of their venues, offices, tours, productions, festivals and other events. The Tools make it easy to measure the impacts of your energy use, water consumption, travel and other activities, and can be used across arts and culture sub-sectors, including theatre, dance, museums, galleries, music, libraries, festivals, archives and more!
The Centre for the Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA) provides research, training and consultancy services related to sustainable development, in particular ecological responsibility, in the arts and culture sector. This includes environmental footprinting and support for theatres, museums, galleries and other cultural organizations and arts presenters/producers. The CSPA is the national host of the Creative Green Tools Canada Program.
