Green FDU

"Green FDU" – The Green Transformation Project of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts

The Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU) is implementing the project "Green FDU" with the goal of transforming its operational procedures and introducing a new management philosophy in alignment with ecological sustainability and the reduction of harmful emissions. This project represents a pioneering step towards greening the faculty's operations in the field of culture and the arts, aimed at raising awareness, educating, and engaging both professionals and the wider public in ecological transition as a response to climate challenges.

 

Objectives and Activities of the Project

Through "Green FDU," the faculty is carrying out a range of activities, including the construction of a 100 kW solar power plant on the roof of the FDU building and the installation of The  Battery charging station for portable audiovisual equipment. These infrastructural solutions will reduce FDU's electricity consumption from conventional sources and contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions, with an expected annual reduction of 190 tons.

In addition to these technical improvements, the project includes a series of educational activities, such as workshops on the "green agenda" and climate change, as well as student competitions for film and photography works.

 

Innovations and Impact on the Community – FDU's Green Charging Station

The surplus electricity generated by FDU's solar power plant during the six spring/summer months will enable the establishment of a charging station for batteries intended for local audiovisual production companies involved in the production of film, television, and other audiovisual content. Rechargeable batteries are commonly used in the film industry to power various types of equipment (LED lights, spotlights, handheld and wireless lamps, etc.), providing greater flexibility and mobility, reducing the need for cables, and enabling filming at locations not connected to the electrical grid. This reduces battery consumption and waste, while also contributing to minimizing the environmental impact of the audiovisual industry, reducing CO2 emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, assuming that the batteries are charged using renewable energy sources.

In this context, the findings of the  Enviromental Impact on Film Production study indicate the significant environmental impact of the film industry (e.g., a film production with a budget of 1 million euros typically generates 43 tons of CO2 or is equivalent to 52 hectares of reforested land). As a result, production companies, as part of their global strategy to align with the principles of the European Green Deal in the field of culture, are increasingly required to adhere to environmentally sustainable operational principles in their applications for financial support. This topic gained particular significance at last year's Berlin Film Festival, which hosted the European Film Forum - Toward a Climate-Neutral Audiovisual Industry, where the current positions and future guidelines for sectoral decarbonization and ecological sustainability were summarized. In addition, funding policies in the film industry now require that project activities align with these priorities. EU funds, which co-finance a significant portion of domestic film and television production (such as  Euroimages, Media – Creative Europe ) make adherence to green practices one of the primary criteria. On the other hand, the lack of adequate green infrastructure in domestic production companies puts serbian production companies at a disadvantage in meeting the requirements set by funding bodies, which highlights the importance of the FDU Green Charging Station, offering  a concrete solution for powering batteries used during filming with green energy instead of non-sustainable sources.

The significance of the role of cultural and artistic activities in addressing the climate crisis goes beyond this topic, which is why  the project will include additional activities such as workshops and roundtables focused on affirming and mapping the obligations of artistic organizations towards reducing the emissions of their own operations. In this regard, the reputational, cultural  and social capital of FDU will be of particular importance: participation in global associations and consortiums dealing with this issue, partnerships with relevant domestic and international organizations, as well as a network of alumni, professors and collaborators. However, the most significant "capital" in this regard is recognized in the students themselves, as young individuals in the process of shaping their knowledge and values, who will be the future artists, cultural workers and decision-makers. In this context, a transversal line of the project is the "green-oriented" work with students—through lectures, project-based teaching, additional educational and promotional content, as well as their proactive involvement in the green transformation of the school. An additional incentive for students, in terms of guiding their future work towards ecologically responsible practices, will be provided through the organization of a competition for the best student green film.

"Green FDU" demonstrates how cultural institutions can contribute to ecological goals, serving as a model and inspiration for other educational and cultural institutions, particularly higher education institutions in Serbia.

Through this project, FDU is laying the groundwork for future ecological projects and strategic collaborations in the domain of green transition, calling for multisectoral and multidisciplinary cooperation for a more sustainable future.

 

The project was implemented with the support of the EU support program for the green agenda in Serbia, UNDP, the Ministry of Education of the RS, the Ministry of Energy of the RS, the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the RS, and the Municipality of Novi Beograd.