SPAIN: Primavera Sound has joined 193 countries of the United Nations to adopt 17 objectives designed to work towards gender equality, eradicating poverty, ensuring prosperity for all, and protecting the planet. The commitment is emblematic of the festival’s socially responsible ethos, and will manifest itself across a number of concrete actions at its forthcoming edition from May 30 – June 1.
The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a plan of action for governments, the private sector and civil society to cooperate so that each of its specific goals can be achieved in the coming years. Primavera’s alliance with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals action campaign thus serves as a framework for both the actions that Primavera Sound has already been carrying out for several years, as well as for new projects centred on climate action, sustainability and equality.
In the words of the people behind the campaign: “To make the 17 Sustainable Development Goals a reality all of us need to take action, and make the necessary changes to achieve them and to make sure that we are achieving them. Primavera Sound is a perfect platform to connect with young and creative audiences, who want to take action for the causes they care about, providing a meaningful experience for all attendees”.
The Sustainable Development Goals include measures to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women, improve education and health, reduce inequalities, encourage responsible consumption and production, and eradicate hunger.
Primavera promises to implement a multitude of policies in 2019 that work towards these goals.
For the first time, this year Primavera Sound will substitute plastic cups with reusable polypropylene cups. With 19 different models – one for every year of the festival – the cups portray the several Sustainable Development Goals, with each one also recalling the festival’s history line-up by line-up.
Furthermore, thanks to a collaboration with Pull&Bear, the festival will have an interactive PET plastic bottle recycling bank, giving all attendees the option to deposit their bottles. In exchange, participants will be able to take part in draws for prizes, such as full festival tickets for Primavera Sound 2020 and Pull&Bear organic cotton T-shirts.
As part of its commitment against gender discrimination and sexual harassment, the festival has introduced a series of measures designed to reduce gendered violence and discrimination, while at the same time implementing the Barcelona Town Hall’s No Callem protocol. The initiative will train both staff and companies working with the festival to combat harassment. Two information stands will be installed at the festival, with personnel on hand to offer information and raise awareness regarding these subjects amongst festivalgoers.
Elsewhere, Minimúsica will attend Primavera to participate in the creation of the first music fund for children permanently dedicated to introducing activities and programmes to improve the living conditions of children who live in poverty. Soon, people buying concert tickets will be able to donate one euro with each purchase made on the platform Redtkt.
The festival has also joined the Barcelona Forum District, an association that brings together companies, institutions and organisations from the Fòrum de Barcelona area with common objectives of Corporate Social Responsibility, to fight against social inequalities and for both environmental and local cultural commitment.
In collaboration with the Fundación Formació i Treball (foundation of training and work), Primavera Sound will contract the catering services of D’ins, that will supply the necessary food to keep festival staff going. Additionally, the festival will continue to provide a number of complimentary tickets to those with intellectual disabilities and their carers, and have ring-fenced an additional quota for individuals at risk of social exclusion.
Finally, the inclusion of an Oxfam Food Bank will ensure that onsite eateries donate their surplus food to avoid food waste.
