Green Arts

There are two organizations in the project – Association Ad astra from Poland and No Encalço de Ideias – Associação form Portugal. We believe that more and more Europeans are becoming concerned with the climate issues and as most adults are out of the formal education, organizations like ours, rooted, locally and enjoying trust by local citizens have a special role to play by educating informing and etc. in short actors are used to have the public, but understand climate change and become more active and participative.

The project was built on strong personal engagement and commitment from its participants. Throughout the workshops and artistic activities, participants worked together intensively, often dedicating their free time, evenings and weekends, and in many cases even taking leave from their regular jobs in order to be able to take part. This level of involvement created a strong sense of shared responsibility, trust and community, and significantly deepened the learning process.

In 2024, the first year of the project, both partner organisations directly experienced the consequences of climate change and natural disasters. Wildfires in Portugal and the flood in Nysa, Poland, forced a completely new perspective on environmental issues — even among those who had previously been sceptical about European green policies. These events made the challenges tangible and personal, moving the discussion beyond abstract ideas and into lived experience. More and more participants came to understand how essential environmental protection is for everyday life, local communities and future generations.

Participants from Portugal expressed a deep pride in their small homeland, especially in the beautiful Douro valleys, which are not only a place of life and work but also an essential part of their cultural identity. The same strong attachment to place can be observed within the Polish organisation and its local environment. This emotional connection to one’s surroundings became a powerful motivation to act responsibly and sustainably.

The engagement of audiences during the performances further confirmed the relevance of the project’s message. Viewers openly expressed their agreement with the project’s ideas and values, often sharing reflections similar to those of the participants: what can we do — it is only a drop in the ocean, but the ocean is made of drops. The project emphasised that meaningful change begins with small, everyday choices: using glass bottles instead of plastic ones, choosing digital communication over printing, reducing food waste, sourcing food through short supply chains — preferably from local producers — and, above all, developing a strong conviction that caring for the environment is our shared responsibility. We have only one planet, and we must protect it with all our efforts.

These reflections directly influenced the fields in which the partners work — artistic and educational activities. The project challenged the common belief that beautiful scenography must be expensive or that the size of a budget defines the quality of an artistic endeavour. Instead, participants learned through practice that creativity, responsibility and collaboration can lead to powerful artistic results using simple, reused and locally available materials.

In conclusion, the project demonstrated that sustainability is not an abstract concept but a practical, everyday process. Through shared work, experimentation and reflection, participants developed concrete skills, habits and attitudes that can be applied beyond the project itself. The Green Arts experience became a collective learning journey, proving that working together — step by step, choice by choice — can lead to real and lasting change.