Festival promoters gather in unprecedented movement

For the first time, the promoters of shows, festivals and events in Portugal are coming together to launch a nationwide initiative. Declaration is the first statement in which to “sign” one must act. The unprecedented movement, presented this morning at the Lisbon City Council, appears in the year of the European Green Capital 2020 and aims to challenge the national community to adopt behaviors for a fairer and more balanced society, using digital platforms and their mobilizing potential as main summoning channel.

The national awareness movement for a better world is launched by 15 entities, including Better World (Rock in Rio promoter), Loulé City Council (MED Festival organizer), Sines City Council (FMM Sines promoter) ), Everything is New (NOS Alive promoter), Live Experiences (responsible for EDPCOOLJAZZ and ID NO LIMITS), MOT (RFM SOMNII organizer), Music at Heart (promoter of Galp Beach Party festivals, Super Bock Super Rock, Super Bock in Stock, MEO Sudoeste, Sumol Summer Fest), PEV (promoter of MEO Mares Vivas), Pic Nic (promoter of NOS Primavera Sound), Ritmos (promoter of Vodafone Paredes de Coura), Sounds in Transit and Faro City Council (organizers Festival F), Surprise & Expectation (EDP Vilar de Mouros), APEFE and APORFEST, now challenging companies and public and private entities from all sectors to join the cause.

To create this “action statement” entities will challenge young leaders from across the country to a workshop that will result in 17 attitudes. These attitudes, based on the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), will focus on areas as diverse as climate change, diversity, social inclusion, economic development, recycling, and more, all of which comply with the premise of actively contributing to building a better world.

The selection process for these young people will go through three phases. In the first, a survey of quantitative and qualitative methodology with ethnographic validation will be carried out to identify the profiles of young leaders with active voice in their communities. Identified these young people, aged between 16 and 30 years, will be selected about 30, coming from different districts of the country, of different genders, nationalities, social classes and level of education. In a third stage, the youth collective then formed will be challenged in a Torke CC methodology Workshop (proven in over 300 workshops in 14 different countries), where they will collaboratively work on developing the “attitudes” based on the SDGs. Young people who want to volunteer to participate in the attitude-setting process can do so by emailing participa@declareacao.com by 31 January.

The selection of young people, as well as the workshop, will take place next February, with the 17 attitudes scheduled for early March. It is at this time that the attitudes then defined by the youth collective will be transformed into GIFs, to be used as the digital “signature” of DeclareAção. At the same time a landing page will be launched that will act as a hub for good attitudes, bringing together all the actions that may be implemented by companies, schools, influencers and the general public, shared on social networks and using GIFs and hashtag #DeclareAction.
In 2019, 287 music festivals were held in Portugal alone, with a total of 2.1 million visitors. Alongside this study, Forbes data indicate that 94% of Gen Z say music is very important in their life, while 45% say their favorite artist influences their lifestyle. Already Spotify data reveals that 79% of users believe music allows people to connect with each other and with other cultures. With this, it becomes evident the influential and transformative potential of the festivals in the local and national communities where they take place, as well as the responsibility to assume a positive attitude and contribute to the construction of a better world.

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“We believe in culture, music and entertainment as promoters of society’s values, opinion makers and behaviors and mobilizers of the country’s economy. In addition to making our commitments to building a healthier and fairer society, we want to be multipliers of arms and attitudes. The Declaration is a call for everyone – people, companies, public entities – who want the same, to take responsibility for the choices we make in our daily lives. ”
Roberta Medina, Better World (Rock in Rio)

“The municipality of Loulé considers environmental safeguarding and climate action to be the greatest responsibility of the 21st century for its transverse environmental, economic and social impacts and consequences and therefore a colossal challenge at the local level that must be addressed. . In this context, with the aim of sensitizing society to behavioral change, the municipality has continued to work on equating all ongoing initiatives and projects with this strategic vision, such as the MED Festival, already distinguished by the “Be it Verde ”and the fact that it received an Iberian Festival Award for the“ Best Contribution to Sustainability ”in the Iberian context. In Loulé, it is considered that the example and commitment to reducing the environmental impact in shows, festivals and events will give voice to a better future! ”
Vítor Aleixo, Mayor of Loulé (MED Festival)
 
“Music is an excellent pretext for raising awareness of contemporary social challenges and for mobilizing everyone around common goals. For this reason, the World Music Festival did not hesitate to adhere to this Statement. We join with hope and commitment to this challenge and reinforce our conviction that the universal language of music is a link between peoples. All gestures, as symbolic as they may seem, contribute to the new generations having a fairer world and a more sustainable planet. ”
Nuno Mascarenhas, Mayor of Sines (FMM Sines)

“Alongside all the experience of being part of NOS Alive, it is well defined that the festival has been focusing since its first edition on a strong sustainability policy that promises to help transform habits and mentality, making perfect sense to to this motion Declaration. NOS Alive has always believed that it could be an example of good practices that protect the environment. That’s why, over the last few editions, audiences, brands, artists and all staff are challenged with the fulfillment of more sustainable behaviors that put into practice this environmentally friendly way of living and living music: sustainable gifts policy – Since the first edition, only gifts that are useful and reusable are allowed. replacement of diesel generators with mobile electricity transformer stations; use of bicycles and electric cars to move staff inside the venue, during assembly, disassembly and during the festival; reinforcement of the public transport network, with special emphasis on the train for the arrival and departure of the festival, in order to avoid individual transport; sorting and collection of waste for recycling; furniture made from the garbage produced at the festival. In this way NOS Alive could not be left out of this initiative – Declaration. ”
Álvaro Covões, Everything is New (US Alive)

“Live Experiences has as its obligatory project a broader and more constructive vision for the public and the shows themselves. Recycling points in the festival grounds, public transportation, CO2 offset project, 100% recyclable glasses, straw free, surplus food policy, solidarity concert and special conditions for spectators with reduced mobility have all been offered. essential points in any event that Live Experiences proposes. Innovation and the creation of new emotions are at the heart of Live Experiences’ nearly two decades, such as EDPCOOLJAZZ and ID NO LIMITS. It is in this framework that it makes perfect sense to align with a moment like DeclareAtion. ”
Karla Campos, Live Experiences (EDPCOOLJAZZ and ID NO LIMITS)

“RFM SOMNII is one of Europe’s largest beach festivals, where electronic music, along with other musical genres, has dreamed hundreds of thousands of visitors over almost a decade of history. What is known as the Biggest Sunset Ever takes place between July 10 and 12, at Praia do Clock, Figueira da Foz. In 2020 one of the focus of the event will be the strengthening of ecological awareness associated with the importance of water, ocean and coastal zone protection. So in synergy with other music festival promoters, RFM SOMNII has decided to partner with DeclareAção, a joint initiative that aims to mobilize young people across the country to take action and make the world a better place. ”

MOT (RFM SOMNII)
“Aimed at a mostly young audience, summer festivals are a vehicle of excellence for raising awareness. It has long been mandatory to act in defense of the environment, which in practice means ensuring a better future for all of us. In this sense, Música no Coração has been working from year to year to raise awareness of good environmental practices, through the design of environmental awareness plans and the implementation of sustainability measures in its festivals, such as: the use of reusable cups, including those of previous editions; composting toilets; distribution of pocket ashtrays and referral for treatment; “backpacker” circulation with mobile ecopoints, promotion of more sustainable means of transport such as bus, train and car sharing; rental of camping equipment; awareness campaigns with festival-goers, partners and sponsors. We signed the Declaration so that together, by example, we can create an ever better atmosphere in music festivals. ”
Luís Montez, Music at Heart (Super Bock Super Rock, MEO Southwest, Sumol Summer Fest, Galp Beach Party)

“The Meo Mares Vivas Festival, together with the Municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia, has always had environmental and social concerns, not only in terms of the measures we have implemented, but especially in terms of its social component: allowing access to culture without exception! We have always thought that the vocation of an event that attracts the most diverse age groups must take and adopt educational measures. Measures that help us understand that change is within reach. No one alone will change the world, but if we can all contribute, it will make a difference. ”
Jorge Lopes, PEV (MEO Tides Live)

“The power of festivals is undeniable. As promoters of culture and increasingly well as promoters of good practice. And if we are doing it year after year in each of our events, it only seems natural that we join forces to create a movement with even greater strength and even better results. The Declaration is yet another proof that for the common good, we have come further and are capable of more and better. And only by defining actions and ACTING will it be possible for us all to move in the same direction and in the right direction. Each has made their way, of course, but today begins another beautiful path. ”
João Carvalho and José Barreiro, Vodafone Paredes de Coura and NOS Primavera Sound

“Festival F could not but be associated with the DeclareAção project. Organizing a festival that is built in the historic center, integrates and animates the city’s built heritage, engages its residents and visitors and embraces a natural park is certainly a sustainability challenge. Festival F wants to grow and assert itself in this area by ensuring the reduction and separation of waste produced, the use of recyclable cups, the minimization of the use of single use materials, the provision of public and dedicated transportation, but also the creation of conditions for that all audiences, regardless of their limitations, can enjoy this unique festival. ”
Paulo Santos, Deputy Mayor of Faro (Festival F)

“For Açoteia – Faro Rooftop Festival, an event that has Sustainability as one of its great pillars, along with the Community and Art, to be part of a project like DeclareAção is to be in its“ natural environment ”. It is under these prisms that Açoteia invites you to rediscover the roof terraces of the city of Faro and to inspire the creation of a new vision for these places: in the areas of energy efficiency, water reuse, creation of urban gardens, but also in the opening of those spaces. to the community, having in art the form of creating a new interpretation of them and a new perspective on the city. ”
Vasco Sacramento, Sounds in Transit (Açoteia)

“It is urgent to take care. It is urgent to act. It is urgent to challenge. Since 2016 we created in our Festival sustainability measures that can be included in the life of each spectator. EDP ​​Vilar de Mouros joins the Declaration movement to continue to awaken consciences, so that tomorrow is not too late. And together we can do more. Because we want more time for our world. To sign is to act. That’s why we signed. ”
Surprise & Expectation (EDP Vilar de Moors)

“APORFEST has joined this movement since its inception, as it is aligned with its strategy of uniting an area and its professionals that will always bring about an evolution of the sector and also by creating behaviors and introducing new values ​​with the public that will form a new generation with more altruistic behaviors that will lead to positive consequences in themselves and in society at large. ”
APORFEST