As part of its ongoing sustainability drive, Galway International Arts Festival and its partners are asking people planning to attend this year’s festival to use public transport and active travel where possible.
Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF), which has made huge in-roads in terms of sustainability over the last number of years, is focusing on transport to and around the festival this year. While walking was the dominant mode of transport at last year’s festival, at a rate of 43%, one in four attendees used a personal car, according to B&A research carried out at the festival last year. In a bid to help facilitate festival attendees get out of their cars and onto public transport, GIAF has this year teamed up with Travel Partner Bus Éireann on the provision and promotion of bus travel as the sustainable, accessible transport option for GIAF attendees.
Bus Éireann will operate special bus services at midnight and 1am from Galway City to Oranmore and Newcastle on Friday, 19 July to facilitate those travelling home from the Leftfield show in the Heineken Big Top; Saturday, 20 July to facilitate those travelling home from the sold-out Block Rockin' Beats show in the Heineken Big Top and Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July to facilitate those travelling home from the two sold-out Saw Doctors’ shows in the Heineken Big Top.
"Bus Éireann, Ireland’s national bus company, is delighted to be the official travel partner for Galway International Arts Festival this year," said Brian Connolly, Regional Manager West, Bus Éireann. "At Bus Éireann, our core purpose is to sustainably connect people and communities, helping to make life better. Bus Éireann is at the heart of the Galway community, employing 262 people in the local area. Galway was the first city to have a 100% hybrid bus fleet since 2022, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the city by at least 30%. With 38 departures each hour at peak times, our city service offers the most sustainable, comfortable travel option throughout Galway City and is the ideal way to travel to events within the Festival. Last year, passenger numbers in Galway exceeded 6.4m, increasing 20% on the previous year."
Bus Éireann recently published its new five-year sustainability strategy. The plan focuses on several key themes, including Climate Action, Environment, Cities and Communities, targeting a doubling of passenger numbers to 178 million and 50% of fleet as zero emission by 2030.
Bus Éireann operates six city services and a range of routes across the county, including Gort, Tuam, Headford, Clifden and key travel hubs, including Shannon Airport. Customers are encouraged to use a TFI Leap Card for best value fares, with children traveling for as little as €0.65, adults €1.55, and student or young adults for €0.80, children under five travel free. Timetables for all routes and real-time information on all departures are available on buseireann.ie.
The festival will also continuously encourage active travel that includes cycling and walking to their varied venues while in Galway.
The public transport and active travel call is just one part of GIAF’s 2024 sustainability initiatives, which will also see:
· The continued sourcing of energy from renewable sources to meet its commitment to sourcing 50% of its total energy requirements from renewable resources by 2025
· The return of GIAF’s ‘Green Ambassadors’ programme to promote sustainability at the festival
· The continuation of its strong focus on recycling, especially in the Festival Garden and the Heineken Big Top, where a single-use plastic ban will again be in operation
· The continuation of the reusable cup scheme in both the Festival Garden and the Heineken Big Top
· The reuse of materials in temporary venue builds, installations and theatre sets to support the circular economy
· Further reductions in current waste production
· Further reductions in printing outputs
· The continued promotion of behaviours among staff, volunteers, artists and audiences that will help reduce their impact on the environment
· Continuing collaborations with its supply chains to help deliver more sustainable options
GIAF and University of Galway are again working together on promoting sustainability endeavours and ensuring any university venues used by the festival are operated as sustainably as possible. 19% of GIAF’s festival venues are located on University of Galway’s campus again in 2024, with 40,000 – 50,000 people expected on campus this year. For the third year in a row, University of Galway has been named number one university in Ireland and in the Top 50 in the world for sustainable development in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings in recognition of the University’s progress in responding to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The University campus is a living lab for sustainability and boasts a SDG Trail and a Biodiversity Trail. Other sustainable travel facilities include bicycle parking, accessible bike shelter, public bicycle share, public transport information screens and 30+ refilling water stations at key locations around the campus. These facilities will be promoted to artists, staff and attendees as part of GIAF’s 2024 sustainability marketing campaign.
Professor Peter McHugh, Deputy President and Registrar and Chair of the University Sustainability Advisory Board, said; "Communities are becoming increasingly more conscious of sustainability and promoting activities that reduce environmental impact, and sustainability is one of the core values at the University. We are acutely aware of our position to drive sustainable change, and new ways of doing things need dynamic and attractive platforms to reach people, which is what festivals are. Our partnership with GIAF allows us the opportunity to raise awareness of the SDG’s while sharing our learning and experience to make a difference. We all have a responsibility to address the environmental impact of our behaviour and I would encourage visitors do their part, even by doing something small, such as bringing their own water bottles and availing of the fresh water stations located throughout campus."
For the last two years, GIAF has worked with its Drinks Partner, Heineken® on a reusable cup scheme at the Heineken® Big Top and the Festival Garden, which has prevented nearly one hundred thousand plastic cups from being sent to landfill. That scheme will continue in 2024, with patrons again advised to reuse their cups, with additional messaging and branding on site during the festival.
Heineken® spokesperson Michelle Rowley said; "Heineken Ireland has continued to showcase its commitment to making events a little more sustainable every day. One initiative we are excited to partner with GIAF on again this year is our reusable cup programme. In 2023, we successfully eliminated single use plastics on site, setting an example on how to reduce overall carbon footprint at festivals and events."
Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) powered generators will again be in exclusive use at the Heineken® Big Top within the two-week period this year, while GIAF’s merchandise has again been sourced from entirely sustainable supply chains in 2024.
Margaret Jenkins, Fáilte Ireland, said; "Festivals and events present an excellent opportunity to showcase the rich heritage and unique culture that Ireland has to offer. They are also important drivers of tourism revenue across the country. Our research shows that sustainability is becoming increasingly important for visitors, so it is wonderful to see Galway International Arts Festival responding to these needs. Fáilte Ireland provides a range of supports to festivals looking to become more sustainable and we were delighted to work with the Galway International Arts Festival on this."
Galway International Arts Festival CEO John Crumlish said; "Over the last number of years, we have made changes to how we operate in an effort to reduce our impact on the environment and help facilitate our transition to a more sustainable future. We hope to make further progress this year and, with the help of our major funding and sponsorship partners, move closer to a number of ambitious goals we have set ourselves in this area."
GIAF’s major sustainability initiatives are made possible by the continued support of its major funding and sponsorship partners The Arts Council, Fáilte Ireland, Galway City Council, University of Galway and Heineken®.
Visit giaf.ie now to find out more about this fantastic festival.
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