Resources

In this podcast Herman Bashiron Mendolicchio, from the Cultural Management Program at the University of Barcelona, talks about his work in the field of environmental sustainability in culture, outlining four main points of reflection for cultural organizations wanting to become more sustainable and pointing out the publications that can help reflect on these topics in a proactive and innovative way. Among the points raised: mobility practices and the need to reduce the mobility of unnecessary goods, rather than people and ideas; the need to work at the local level and not only at the international one, the need to promote outdoor and nature-conscious work, and the need to strengthen linkages with rural areas for projects and other activities.

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In this podcast, Branko Popovic, co-founder of the FASHIONCLASH Foundation, talks about the premises behind this designers’ organization based in the Netherlands and about the projects that they have worked on since 2009, including in the field of sustainability. Among the points raised, he addresses the role fashion can play in changing society and impacting on the environment, the political significance of fashion and how everyone can - and should - be involved in the conversation, and the need to develop interdisciplinary projects across different industries and sectors to be able to really generate positive impact.

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In this podcast Julie Fassbender and Joanna Strombek, respectively PR, communication and management assistant and painting conservator at SRAL, talk about the work of their studio as art conservators, the interdisciplinary approach of their experts and the sustainability challenges and strategies they need to address their daily work, starting from the very materials they use. During their talk, they address the new sensibility for sustainability topics developed by arts institutions, the need to develop guidelines for practitioners to become more sustainable in their work, and also focus on a very unique conservation technique called mist-lining. 

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In this podcast Floor Van Spaendonck, director of BuroEuropa, a platform for architecture and design in Maastricht, talks about the kinds of exhibitions that this institution organises, also in the field of sustainability, and about how the concept of “building a better world” is only valid if it brings different people together, in a shared dialogue. In this regard, she mentions the key role played by culture in inspiring people and setting the tone of the conversation, framing the question of environmental challenges in positive terms and providing innovative ideas and approaches for change, and how it would be useful to develop sustainability guidelines also in the cultural sector. 

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This podcast focuses on the topic of sustainable cultural tourism and the role that sustainability considerations can play in the context of tourism. Specifically, the podcast addresses how tourism presents both opportunities and threats from an economic, environmental and social point of view, allowing economic growth and conservation of heritage on one hand, but also heavily impacting the environment and local communities on the other. Professor Holden advances the need to rethink some aspects of tourism, especially when it involves aviation as a form of mobility, and the opportunities given by virtual technologies to recreate some tourism experiences. Moreover, in the reflection about tourism, Holden advocates for the role of local communities and the need to involve them in local tourism planning, as well as for the education of tourists about the impact (also environmental) of tourism and antisocial behaviour.

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