Schhh is a platform for experimental and exploratory art music and sound art. These Sustainability Standards apply throughout our activities, including production, events, and artist residencies.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
We promote a variety of experimental musical and artistic expressions, supporting professional artists with opportunities for public exposure and fostering the next generation of artists, while aiming for inclusivity under our motto Niche music for a broad audience. As such, we contribute to:
- SDG 4 Quality Education: promotion of cultural diversity
- SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth: contribution of cultural industries to employment
- SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities: fostering a vibrant cultural life
Social sustainability
We strive towards sustainable, gender-equal, inclusive, and accessible activities. Our concert and residence program is gender-equal both regarding fees and number of invited artists.
Our guests are always invited based on their artistic qualities, regardless of ethnic or cultural background, religion, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background. However, we aim for a gender equal selection, and, as far as possible, an even age distribution.
We collaborate actively with organisations who promote underrepresented groups in the sound art and art music field, such as the Konstmusiksystrar network for people who identify as women, non-binary, or transgender people.
We arrange workshops for children and always welcome children for our activities, wherever possible. Through this, we educate a future audience and pave the way for future sound artists and composers. It also permits adults to experience things through children’s eyes.
We strive for equal participation and aim to make our activities accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities and special needs. Most of our public premises and all our public concerts and events are wheelchair accessible, and when food or refreshments are offered, we provide alternatives for those with allergies or dietary requirements.
We provide an important and vital cultural platform in a rural region where exploratory and experimental art music and sound art are strongly underrepresented, despite great interest from both the local community and professional artists from around the world. Our work enriches the community with a unique cultural outlet, and strengthens the region’s appeal for those who live here, as well as for visitors and tourists.
Our platform supports artistic practices at the intersection between contemporary art, music and social contexts, through regional and international collaboration and co-creation. We aim to develop new models for artistic practices and to explore the artist’s role in society, with particular focus on the rural context.
Ecological sustainability
We actively aim to reduce our CO2 footprint by continuous investments in green technology. Heating power has been reduced by eco-friendly insulation and an energy efficient heat pump. We rely on solar energy as far as possible, and 80% of our energy needs are currently covered by solar panels.
In our garden, we grow our own vegetables, herbs and fruits according to organic principles, and are largely self-sufficient in season. We further strive for a varied plant-life to support the garden’s own ecosystem, including wild birds and pollinating insects.
A minimum of 50% of all food supplies is bought from local and organic farmers. Materials and equipment are purchased with environmental and climate considerations in mind, including transportation. Where possible, we opt for the most sustainable alternative.
We encourage guests, visiting artists and residents to travel by train and local transport, with a bus stop located just 100 m from our house. Financial travel support, where applicable, follows sustainable transport principles. We do not support air travel for distances under 500 km, unless no viable land or train route exists.
Economic sustainability
We provide paid opportunities and public exposure for professional artists. We strive for fair and equal remuneration of artists and staff. We follow recommendations and tariffs for payments, artist fees, salaries and stipends as issued by FST (Swedish Society of Composers) and Musikerförbundet (Swedish Musicians’ Union).
We pay applicable licencing fees to STIM (Swedish Performing Rights Society) for all public concerts and events, for compensation to artists according to copyright law.
We keep our ticket prices as low as possible, to make our events accessible to as many people as possible. Tickets for young people (under 18) are always free. We aim for low ticket pricing by seeking support from applicable funding bodies.
Through the Schhh platform, we benefit the local and regional economy in many ways. We attract artists, visitors and tourists both nationally and from around the world. Our programs contribute to the attractiveness of our local region, which to a substantial degree is economically dependent on its tourism.