The Signal Festival is a complex ecosystem. We care that all its elements work in symbiosis and are as environmentally friendly as possible. Energy, transport, visitors, public space. We care that the Signal Festival is both innovative and sustainable.
“Sustainability and innovation are not just buzzwords. They are an essential part of what we do at the Signal Festival. Every light and every visual we bring to life in Prague carries a commitment to a future where art and sustainability go hand in hand. We strive to prove that impressive art experiences can very well be planet-friendly at the same time. It is a challenge for all of us in the Signal Festival team: to create a festival that not only exhibits the beauty of art but also illuminates the path to a more sustainable future.”
Martin Pošta, CEO and Founder
Environment
We commissioned a sustainability strategy from the Institute for Circular Economy. Since 2019, we have been gradually implementing its proposals to create lasting changes
- Transport
Keep your car at home. The best way to enjoy the Signal Festival is to walk. If you need to move easily, we would recommend using public transport. In collaboration with the Prague Transport Company (Dopravni podnik), we ensure a smooth service for everyone. What is more, we provide our volunteers with discount vouchers for Rekolo. - Cleanliness
Considering the many thousands of visitors, waste is a big issue. Eliminating single-use plastics and replacing them with reusable cups, we try to prevent waste as much as possible. During the festival, we actively take care of the street cleanliness.
Energy consumption
Energy fuels the whole experience of the Signal Festival. But how much of it do we actually use?
- Velký efekt, malá spotřeba
V roce 2022 Signal Festival spotřeboval elektřinu v hodnotě 42.000 Kč. Pro vaši představu — to odpovídá týdenní spotřebě 26 rychlovarných konvic. - Jak je to možné?
Naše instalace využívají zdroje napájení s nízkou spotřebou energie. U většiny instalací pak využíváme světelné LED zdroje. - Where else do we save electricity?
For instance by bringing many thousands of people out on the streets at a time. By turning the lights off at home and hitting the festival routes, this massive wave of switched-off households helps to compensate for the festival’s energy usage as well.
Society
Attracting more than 4.5 million visitors from both abroad and home, Signal Festival is the most visited Czech cultural event. That is great joy as well as a great commitment for us.
- The visual smog
Signal Festival is all about experiencing art. That’s why we don’t want to flood the whole Prague center with food stalls and we only reserve specific zones for catering. - Openness
Signal Festival is here for everyone. Thanks to modern technology, we turn the city into a projection screen — and we want everyone to enjoy it.
Starting with special family-friendly programs right through to accessible installations to more advanced art concepts, we seek to communicate relevant topics that resonate with the general public. Every year, we join forces with the non-profit sector to transmit our values through specific actions, whether it’s tree planting or enabling disabled visitors to fully experience the festival.
- Vision
Art has to stay alive. That’s why we support the young generation of Czech artists and creative collectives through the Signal Calling open call or the Neon Prize for young creators. Connecting Czech art with the international scene, we export local artists to festivals abroad while inviting renowned international artists to Prague.
Umělecká díla
- Materials
The artists and our production team are working with sustainable materials such as recyclables to create the installations. In addition, they often use rentable design elements. In addition, nearly half of the program is made up of existing works that no longer need to consume additional materials and thus produce waste. - Second life of installations
The path of art installation does not end with the Signal Festival. Thanks to international collaborations, we also present works at other festivals around the world. However, we support the longevity of the artworks not only thanks to foreign but also local collaborations with leading institutions such as Kunsthalle Prague, CAMP, or the National Gallery Prague.
Communication
- Marketing promotion
We don’t want to needlessly print stacks of unnecessary leaflets and produce more waste. That’s why we keep paper and print consumption to a minimum and instead communicate with you mostly digitally. You can also view the Signal Festival map online – we are printing a paper version of it in cooperation with Deník N, which is distributed by our volunteers.
