Music Moves Sustainably? Cultural mobility in the age of climate change

We are used to having the artists we love tour regularly and perform near us. However, climate change and the need to decarbonise everything are forcing hard questions on cultural mobility – given the carbon footprint of travelling, how sustainable and responsible is the constant movement of artists? In addition to green touring guidelines and concepts like slow and deep mobility, this also begs the question of green mobility funding and music export development – can and is this being done?

Additionally, in the wake of adding requirements to the cross-border movement of artists, other inequalities and questions of sustainability emerge. For instance, what about artists living on islands or in vast countries without low-carbon public transport available? What about the physical and mental toll the current hypermobility takes on artists? Are these sustainability aspirations viable economically?

These issues are on the table of European music export organisations and the EMEE network which are co-designing guidelines for sustainable music export development. This panel begins with a brief update on this process and proceeds to unpack these complex issues.

Curated by Music Estonia

In collaboration with EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange network

Presentation: EMEE guidelines for sustainable music export development
Virgo Sillamaa, Research Coordinator at EMEE - European Music Exporters Exchange

Followed by a panel discussion

Speakers:

• Gwendolenn Sharp, Director of The Green Room
• Franz Hergovich, Project Leader at Austrian Music Export
• Misia Furtak, Music Declares Emergency, artist
• Tom Bonte, General Manager of Ancienne Belgique

Moderator:

• Virgo Sillamaa, Research Coordinator at EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange