Museums, University Collections and the Concept of Sustainable Development

The paper attempts to contribute to the debate on the possibility of using tangible and intangible traces of scientific and cultural activity of universities in the implementation of sustainable development tasks, especially of utilising the cultural capital of museums and academic collections for building an engaged academic community. These objectives become both a need and an obligation, next to sustainability and accountability in the field of research, heritage protection, and popularisation. The aim of the paper is to discuss how the principles of sustainable development in the area of culture can be linked to the cultural heritage of universities, and how to inscribe the implementation of these principles in the university’s activity.

Implementation of the Principles of Sustainable Development in the Practice of Polish Theaters 

The aim of the paper is to present how Polish theatres implement the principles of sustainable development in practice in their day-to-day operations. The background for the considerations involves the evolution of the approach to sustainable development observed from the perspective of international documents discussing this concept. The author’s own empirical research consisted of the preliminary survey of the information available on the websites and social media of selected Polish theatres and the questionnaire sent to the theatres in the first half of 2021. The research has made it possible to distinguish four main types of activities undertaken in this respect by the theatres: 1) the content of performances and other artistic endeavours; 2) the day-to-day functioning of the institution; 3) the theatre building and its surroundings, and 4) co-creation and participation in broader initiatives for sustainable development. The questionnaire results indicate that the dynamics of activities in this domain has nothing to do with the size of the urban area in which a given theatre operates, but it is more associated with the fact that the theatres align themselves with the environmental policy of their local governments, and with the possibility of obtaining funds for such initiatives. Furthermore, and perhaps above all, it depends on the theatre’s strategy determining how it operates in the local milieu. Building upgrades involve savings and help theatres build an image of an environmentally-friendly organisation. 

Women, Ballet and Choreography. Unequal Situation of Female Choreographers in the Labor Market in Poland

One of the key tasks of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is to strengthen gender equality and the position of women around the world. Unfortunately, the artistic milieu is still far from reaching the goal set by the United Nations. When analysing the history and literature on ballet and looking at the contemporary repertoires of leading ensembles, it is easy to observe that women outnumber men, which, however, does not translate into the leading role of women in the sphere of management and creation in this artistic field (choreography). The paper is aimed at discussing the circumstances of women in the Polish labour market of choreographers in the context of the above-mentioned goal of sustainable development. The analysis is focused on the occupational situation of Polish female choreographers working in leading ballet ensembles and unravels the prevailing inequalities between women and men as well as the potential solutions to overcome them.

And What if Forest Green Rovers Go Green? An Implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy by a Football Club

Sport and sports organisations are often some of the most important aspects of local culture and identity. As in the case of cultural institutions, recent years have seen numerous interesting initiatives for sustainable development undertaken by athletes and sports clubs. The paper explores the implementation and social reception of the sustainable development strategy adopted in 2010 by the professional football club called Forest Green Rovers FC in Great Britain. Using the method of content analysis, the author attempts to analyse the critical reflection on the strategy presented in the national opinion-forming press and to show how the club’s environmentally-friendly actions are perceived by the community of its fans.