English

Greentrack Ghent is the sustainability 'think and do tank' of the cultural sector in Ghent. Through experiment and mutual exchange we are co-creating a long-term sustainable future.

We started in 2012 with 4 members and have now grown into a network of 56, representing all the major and smaller cultural organizations in Ghent. We aim to be a catalyst in making the local cultural sector more socially and ecologically sustainable. We collect our members’ environmental performance data and help them to create action plans, formulate and share ambitions and take steps towards becoming more sustainable organizations. We work closely together with the City of Ghent in reducing CO2 emissions and in looking at climate adaptation. We try to find answers to specific questions and needs that arise among our members and then collaborate on projects with them (e.g. group purchasing of renewable energy or sustainable products; debate on reusable cups; sharing materials and tools via an online platform, etc.). We also collaborate with other partners (our own members, other sustainability networks or European partners) on more experimental, artistic or awareness projects.

Greentrack's 10 guidelines
Members of Greentrack Ghent embrace our 10 guidelines for a sustainable cultural scene which are also the basis for the sustainable actions they all take. We consider sustainability in its broadest sense and focus as much on mobility, food, waste, water, a just sustainability, work-life balance as on infrastructure and energy. Click here to read our 10 guidelines.

Members
An overview of all our current members.

Activities & Projects
A selection of our most recent projects, actions and sessions:

  • 2020-2021 coming project - 2084 > 10 literary authors will write 10 short stories that take place in the future. The challenge is that they will write positive stories while starting from scientifically realistic potential future scenarios. This project is a collaboration with Greentrack member KANTL and several other organisations (Bibliotheek De Krook, Vlaams-Nederlands huis de Buren, Pulse Transitienetwerk Cultuur, Centrum Duurzame Ontwikkeling UGent, Uitgeverij Vrijdag).
  • Think tank climate adaptation > a workshop with local organisations and Greentrack members in one of the neighbourhoods of Ghent. All the participants were first informed about climate change, the impact on our city and how Ghent is adapting and then we discussed the local impact and adaptation possibilities in this specific neighbourhood in Ghent.
  • Session for members: presentation and exchange by the Stadsbouwmeester ('City Architect') of Ghent about the infrastructural challenges for Ghent, a vision for cultural infrastructure and questions about climate adaptation and cultural patrimonium.
  • 2018-2021: Cultural Adaptations > A European project with Glasgow, Göteborg and Dublin on the role of cultural organisations, cultural practictioners and artists on climate adaptation, and on the impact of climate adaptation on the cultural sector
  • 2019-2020: Image/story > Based on conversations with our members about sustainable good practices, 5 artists created several varying artistic stories (illustrations, interviews, animation, audio story, video) -artists: Randall Casaer, Bilal Abbas, Eva De Groote, Roman Klochkov, Rebecca Lenaerts.
  • Lunch session for members on Divestment > University of Ghent illustrated their new and radical divestment policy
  • 2019: DRIFT. The art of climate adaptation > A collaborative, artistic project with Vooruit Arts Center (member of Greentrack) and four artists, where we asked these artists to each create a session/performance on how they deal with climate change and climate adaptation. Artists: Peter Aers, Maria Lucia Cruz Correia, Gosie Vervloessem and Ruben Nachtergaele.
  • Workshop for members on Deep Democracy
  • Memorandum > With the local elections of 2018 ahead Greentrack wrote a statement with more than 40 recommendations, propositions and ideas to be presented to and signed by the major political parties of Ghent
  • Duo Dates > Artistic professionals with multicultural background are joined up in duos to write project proposals on diversity
  • Info session for members on collaborating with refugees > How can you engage refugees in your organisation and what are the challenges?
  • Culture or money: head or tail? > A debate with representatives of the main Belgian banks to question and discuss with them the sustainability of the financial sector
  • Fijne Stof > An artistic guerilla intervention to bring the attention to the problem of microdust in cities


Organisation
Greentrack Gent vzw is run by two freelancers:
Eva Peeters - eva@greentrack.be
Nathalie Decoene - nathalie@greentrack.be

They are advised and guided by both a board of directors and an advisory board, each of them consisting of members from the network.