artPlanner is an easy-to-follow guide for reducing the environmental impact of visual arts in Scotland. We consider the pre-production phase crucial for reducing the overall impact—like making sure materials can be reused or finding new uses for art after exhibition. By getting local organisations and the wider community involved in this stage, artistic projects can also help boost Scotland's social and cultural sector. This process is designed to ensure that commissioners develop a robust legacy plan for an artwork and associated materials beyond the lifespan of an exhibition or project. Additionally, it provides a methodological framework aimed at embedding sustainability from the outset of the commissioning process and throughout project delivery. Our aim is to ensure that all the information necessary for the environmentally sustainable execution of cultural projects is readily available in artPlanner. However, in certain cases, you may be better placed to select the most appropriate suppliers; in such instances, we offer general guidance rather than specific recommendations.
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Legacy - Planning
This process ensures robust legacy plans for artworks, embedding sustainability in commissioning, with guidance on sustainable cultural project execution.
Brief
Clear objectives for legacy and sustainability should be set early, ensuring flexibility, transparency, and future-proof solutions in commissioning.
Partners
Effective partnerships often lead to sustainable artworks and lasting legacies. Early involvement ensures needs shape the brief and budget.
Outcomes
Strong legacy and sustainability outcomes often stem from early partnerships, ensuring engagement, sustainable practices, and long-lasting positive impact.
Roles and Responsibilities
Embed sustainability responsibility across all roles and stakeholders to ensure favourable outcomes and climate action
Team
Manage your time wisely and discuss with the entire team the building and repurposing of the artwork.
Agreements
Agree with the team how to build the artwork, which materials to use and what is the best scale for the project.
Training
Carbon Literacy Training helps teams make informed decisions. Offer it to staff, partners, and freelancers for sustainability.
Pre-Production
artPlanner aims to reduce Scotland’s visual art production environmental impact through ethical, collaborative project planning
Planning
Careful time management ensures sustainable exhibitions. Consider reusing resources, existing artworks, and setting a Carbon budget.
Building
Agree with artists on artwork reuse and sustainability. Consider reusing materials, reducing new elements, and discussing Carbon footprint.
Repurposing
Repurpose artworks sustainably, ensuring minimal impact on partners. Plan for reuse, avoiding storage or extra transport.
Production
artPlanner provides a guide for minimising visual arts’ environmental impact in Scotland, emphasising production and time management
Planning
Plan early, reduce travel and emails, choose low-impact materials, optimise transport, and support sustainable collaboration.
Building
Build only what’s essential, reuse materials, minimise transport, allow time, and prioritise sustainability over perfect finishes.
Repurposing
Plan for repurposing early, design for disassembly, engage future users, and minimise post-exhibition transport and storage.
Exhibition and events
Commit to sustainable cultural projects by re-evaluating conventions, engaging artists, and planning realistic installation and de-installation timeframes
Openings and Events
Minimise carbon impact at events by avoiding single-use plastic, offering plant-based food, and encouraging reusables.
Travelling
Encourage sustainable audience travel by providing transport options, promoting public transport, and incentivising eco-friendly choices.
Communication
Prioritise sustainable travel, minimise carbon impact in materials, and gather feedback for continuous improvement.
Legacy - practice
Implement legacy plans adaptively, staying committed to objectives despite unforeseen circumstances
Maintenance
Create a detailed maintenance plan with material specs, supplier info, and costs to support future care decisions.
Transport
Plan direct, minimal transport routes using sustainable suppliers and avoid storage to reduce environmental impact.
Engagement
Foster shared responsibility and lasting connections by involving stakeholders in the artwork’s legacy, care, and engagement.
Fundraising
The information in this section was commissioned by artPlanner from Phyllis Martin, Truffle Pig in January 2025.
Funders
Consider ethical alignment and environmental impact when selecting funders, with flexibility in accepting or declining donations.
Policy
For small artworks or organisations, a brief document may suffice. For larger policies, refer to guides.
Ethics
Consider wider ethical issues, prioritise environmentally positive funders, and engage in sustainable, ethical fundraising practices.
Case studies
In these studies, we delve into real-life scenarios to examine the methodology suggested in this guide. Feel free to explore the cases and apply them to your own experiences.
The Brolly
By Maria Gondek, Commission for Dual Purpose (2023)
Theatre of the UseFULL
15th Venice Architecture Biennale (2016)
STEP
Jacqueline Donachie, Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art (2021)
Sculpture Placement Group (SPG) have developed artPlanner as useful resource to help arts organisations, professionals and individual practitioners to embed sustainability and best practice into their project planning. We have identified best practice and signposted to useful resources to help minimise the carbon emissions of exhibitions. We hope this tool will be useful as the cultural sector transitions to net zero. This has been delivered as part of our 2024-25 research programme, funded by Creative Scotland, and within our remit to support the sector to find sustainable ways of delivering cultural projects which benefit diverse audiences.