Onassis Stegi goes green

It is becoming increasingly clear with every new day that mankind's relationship with the environment is one of the crucial issues of our times. Setting sustainability as its goal, Onassis Stegi is incorporating a series of green practices into its day-to-day running and reducing its carbon footprint. It is also prompting discussions on climate change and environmental losses through performances and educational programmes, helping to shape a collective eco-consciousness in the process. Sustainability must be placed at the very heart of contemporary civilization.

We have been trying, for the last few years, to reduce considerably Stegi’s carbon footprint. That’s why we created the Onassis Stegi Green Handbook, which sums up all the green actions taken up by Stegi, performances, exhibitions, festivals, and music projects included in our artistic program with a green theme, as well as a section with useful tips addressed to our staff, in order to reduce the carbon footprint of the Onassis Stegi building. Culture is the way we choose to live.

Since 2017, Onassis Stegi has been working with Julie's Bicycle, which specializes in the environmental sustainability of cultural organizations around the world, which it helps bring into line with the international Creative Green standard. Together, we have drawn up a list of actions required to achieve the set environmental objectives. After just one year, Onassis Stegi earned 3 out of 5 green stars in its eco-audit. In 2019, it was nominated for the best newcomer in the London Creative Green Awards, in which it competed against London's Barbican Centre and Opera North in Leeds.

A series of green actions have minimized the Stegi's energy footprint. Fully exploiting the capabilities of the building's central control system, lighting and air conditioning are now restricted to what is required for the given levels to operate. Starting in May 2018, work has begun converting the garage and stage lighting to LED. A tank has been installed in the Stegi to collect rainwater, which is used to water the plants in and around the building. The bushes around the Stegi are all native to the Cyclades, making them highly tolerant of sunlight, heat and water scarcity, thereby helping to reduce water consumption to the absolute minimum. Moreover, solar panels have been installed in the Onassis Stegi's office block to heat the water used in the kitchens on the different levels. Bottled water has been replaced by watercoolers which draw water from the mains supply. In short, In short, a new Onassis Stegi is coming into being which is environmentally friendly both inside and out.

Four types of recycling take place in the Onassis Stegi: light bulbs, batteries, paper and general waste. Every month, 40 kg of batteries are recycled. Printed programmes are reused, while outdoor posters are collected and recycled when the performances they advertise are over. The Onassis Stegi collaborates with the Athens Props Market, with whom we share 348 objects which, when they are not in use in the stage sets for a production, are rented out to other organizations to ensure that nothing goes unused. A Recycle Lab has also been set up inside the main building, to maximize the re-use of structural elements in productions and exhibitions. Artists invited to the Onassis Stegi are emailed a hospitality kit and informed about the organization's green philosophy. A series of smaller-scale actions are also helping us achieve our goal of eradicating all single-use plastics.

With a view to minimizing our environmental footprint, the Onassis Stegi is supplied with electricity generated using renewable energy sources. All our printed material and tickets are printed on recycled paper. The plastic chairs used for workshops are made of biodegradable material. The printers used in the Onassis Stegi building and offices are all energy class A+++, meaning they use the least amount of energy possible; they are all also pre-set to print on both sides of the paper. The straws provided on every level of the office block are made of grain, while every employee has also received a personal water canteen to reduce the consumption of plastic bottles.

People continue to implement bold ideas on a daily basis with a view to making the Onassis Stegi a model for green cultural institutions everywhere. The Onassis Stegi Green Team was set up with representatives from every department to help the Onassis Stegi achieve its goals and to coordinate its environmental action. The team meets regularly to discuss creative ecological ideas and to set new targets.

At the Onassis Stegi, our actions, productions and workshops help to spark conversations about sustainability, recycling, waste management and climate change. In the “Geometries” exhibition (2018), Athenians were brought into contact with the earth, with food, seeds and the ecosystem. In the “Dinner from the Mountains of Fyli” event held as part of the Fast Forward Festival (2019), the guests spoke with experts from the Greek waste management sector about the circular economy and sustainability. In the educational program “Revolution with Green Technology” (2018), children aged 8–12 learned about the recycling process by making smart robots. Our Open Day 2020 will be dedicated to "Music Ecologies", while in June 2020 the Stegi will be staging an international symposium on the role cultural organizations can play in disseminating sustainable practices. Contemporary culture has revealed the importance of the natural environment and the need to mould a collective ecological awareness. Contemporary culture relates to our here and now.