La Criée continues its involvement in the Rennes metropolitan area's transition process. The art center is implementing reuse initiatives, with the recovery and recycling of materials used during workshops and residencies, and the reuse of elements from exhibition scenography. Reflection on the eco-design of scenography and the move from 4 to 3 annual exhibitions are further evidence of this desire to move towards more sustainable productions. Travel for staff, contributors and works of art is also designed to reduce carbon emissions, for example by encouraging soft mobility or collaborations with local artists and businesses. In keeping with this idea of cooperation with local players, La Criée is committed to lending and exchanging exhibition materials with neighboring structures.
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La Criée team has been aware of environmental issues for several years. It has begun to develop knowledge and practices in the field of good environmental practice, and is also taking advantage of the new thematic cycle « Festina Lente (Hurry slowly) » to establish working methods and actions in line with the ecological emergency, in liaison and dialogue with local initiatives as well as those of its peers.
A transition process already underway
Carrying out an environmental diagnosis and carbon assessment
(July 2023 - Spring 2024)
In 2022, DCA - the French association for the development of contemporary art centers*, of which La Criée is a member, received a grant from the French Ministry of Culture to assess the environmental impact of art centers in France. La Criée has been chosen to join a panel of five centers to be supported by Les Augures** and TranSyLience*** in carrying out an overall environmental diagnosis. The aim is to assess the obstacles and levers to the ecological transformation of art centers, and to implement actions adapted to each structure. La Criée will also benefit from a complete carbon footprint assessment in the first half of 2024.
Following this assessment and diagnostic phase, La Criée will put in place an action plan with concrete objectives, the results of which will be shared on a regular basis.
* DCA is a professional network of some fifty contemporary art centers in France. Created in 1992 and supported by the French Ministry of Culture, the DCA network is a key player in French cultural policy, promoting access to culture and creativity.
** Les Augures is a collective of experts from the worlds of culture, ecology and innovation who support and accompany cultural players in their ecological transition.
*** TranSyLience is a consulting firm dedicated to implementing transition management tools for companies, associations and local authorities.
Digital transition
-- Responsible purchase and use of terminals*
La Criée benefits from the City of Rennes' responsible digital policy, which includes extending the lifespan of equipment, using less energy-consuming computers, optimizing printing resources and re-using computer equipment. The art center's staff are also involved in eco-actions and are made aware of the environmental challenges of digital technology via the Fresque du numérique.
-- Website and online archive processing
As part of the overhaul of its website, due to go online in spring 2024, La Criée is committed to a strong commitment to digital sobriety, in collaboration with the Noesya** cooperative. The technical solution used is designed for a common*** digital environment that is free, sober, accessible and secure.
-- Opening up our data
La Criée is working on the creation of open data sets (CSV, JSON or XML format), containing the art center's archives.
In a second phase, this dataset could be the subject of web development to make it accessible online, in keeping with our commitment to sobriety.
-- Social networks
La Criée has chosen to delete the archive of posts and photos on social networks in order to be consistent with their use.
According to greenspector.com, a photo on Instagram takes up 425 MB. By deleting 350 photos, we have potentially freed up 148.75 GB.
-- The newsletter
La Criée is restructuring its electronic mailings and invitations to ensure that e-mails are sent to real people who want to receive and read them: rationalization of mailings, different subscription formulas and frequencies, purging of obsolete addresses, etc. This approach will also enable us to be even more efficient in the way we send out our newsletters. This approach also makes it possible to be even more compliant with the RGPD.
* The Noesya cooperative is committed to high-quality, eco-designed, aesthetic, ethical and sustainable digital products.
The Noesya team is made up of developers committed to the common good, in particular education, web quality and digital sobriety.
** A commons is a shared resource, managed and maintained by a community.