Sustainable Outdoor Events: Waste Around and Within Us
Duration and Timeline:
- Course components and contact hours: synchronous on-site + 10 hours independent and group work
- On-site component: 25 – 29 MAY 2026 (RIGA, Latvia)
Award, Credits and Certification
On sucessful completion of the course participants will receive 1 ECTS credit and a certificate of attendance
Organised by:
Latvian Academy of Culture (Latvia) Lead and Host Institution
Lietuvos Inžinerijos Kolegija (Lithuania)
Medical University of Gdańsk (Poland)
Universitatea „Constantin Brâncuși” din Târgu Jiu (Romania)
External stakeholders that will be involved in the course: SIA Getliņi EKO (Latvia), Latvian music industry professionals.
Course Description and Learning Objectives
Real World Challenge: Rethink waste, design sustainable events, and create a healthier, more balanced experience – both for ourselves and the world around us!
Primary Goal: To develop interdisciplinary competencies for designing sustainable outdoor events that reduce environmental impact while supporting human well-being.
Course Description:
Flavour School “Sustainable Outdoor Events: Waste Around and Within Us” is an intensive interdisciplinary programme that explores sustainability in outdoor festival contexts from environmental, health, logistical, and human well-being perspectives. The course follows a progressive structure – from systemic foundations and ecological awareness to embodied sustainability and applied toolkit development.
Module 1 – Strategic Foundations of Sustainable Outdoor Events
Introduces sustainability as an integrated strategic framework in large-scale festivals, addressing environmental responsibility, logistics, energy efficiency, stakeholder management, and real-world decision-making dilemmas.
Module 2 – Ecosystems, Soil and Environmental Impact
Focuses on the ecological systems that host outdoor events, examining soil degradation, water systems, waste technologies, and preventive environmental planning through systems thinking.
Module 3 – Embodied Sustainability: Well-Being and Human Resilience
Explores sustainability “within us,” addressing staff burnout, sensory overload, occupational health, and the role of movement and embodied practices in supporting human resilience at events.
Module 4 – Health, Exposure and Invisible Risks
Examines health-related risks in festival environments, including noise, light pollution, chemical exposure, food safety, and material impacts on human well-being.
Module 5 – Food Systems and Waste Management
Applies circular economy principles to event logistics, composting, food systems, and waste minimisation, including engagement with real-world stakeholders in waste management.
Module 6 – Masterclass & Toolkit LabSynthesises interdisciplinary insights into a practical “Sustainable Outdoor Event Action Toolkit,” enabling participants to translate sustainability principles into structured, implementable strategies for festival organisers.
The programme combines expert lectures, hands-on workshops, site visits, and collaborative international teamwork to develop applied competencies in sustainable event design.
Specific learning objectives include:
- Develop a systems-based understanding of sustainable outdoor events, including resource management, waste reduction, and ecological impact.
- Analyse waste as a multi-layered concept – material, environmental, and embodied – and examine its effects on ecosystems and human well-being.
- Apply practical tools and strategies for improving sustainability in event contexts, including circular practices, energy efficiency, food systems, and well-being support.
- Integrate interdisciplinary perspectives to design balanced solutions that address environmental responsibility and human resilience.
- Strengthen the ability to translate sustainability principles into realistic and implementable actions in festival environments.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Apply systems thinking to analyse sustainability challenges in outdoor festival environments.
- Evaluate environmental impacts related to soil, water systems, waste streams, energy use, and event logistics.
- Identify health and well-being risks associated with large-scale events, including exposure to noise, materials, food systems, and crowd dynamics.
- Integrate embodied and well-being perspectives into sustainable event design.
- Develop practical sustainability strategies that balance environmental responsibility, operational feasibility, and audience experience.
- Translate interdisciplinary knowledge into structured tools (audit frameworks, checklists, action matrices) for festival organisers.
- Collaborate effectively in international and interdisciplinary teams to co-create applied solutions.
Which students would find this course useful for them?
This course may be suitable for students from ACE2-EU partner universities enrolled in undergraduate or postgraduate programs in the following fields:
- Cultural management and event studies
- Performing arts, dance, and theatre
- Environmental sciences, ecology, and sustainability studies
- Health sciences, physiotherapy, and medicine
- Nutrition and food studies
- Engineering, logistics, and resource management
- Social sciences, including sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies
This course may be suitable for those who have an interest in:
- Sustainability and environmentally responsible lifestyles
- Zero-waste practices and circular economy
- Outdoor event design, logistics, and production
- Creative and interdisciplinary approaches to problem-solving
- Movement, well-being, and embodied practices in event contexts
- Community engagement, civic participation, and cultural innovation
- Exploring links between arts, ecology, and health
Recommended Language Level: Basic to intermediate level of English (B1-B2), as the working language will be English
Application Process:
🔗 Apply here: https://forms.gle/bEyJosnTTARAfXh56
Deadline for receipt of applications: 22/3/26
A notification of acceptance to participate will be sent to sucessful applicants
Further Information
For any further information or queries related to the course, please contact:
Aija Lūse, Latvian Academy of Culture
Email: aija.luse@lka.edu.lv
