Be it delicate classics, heavy romance or jazzy modernism – symphony concerts are an impressive experience, which take place in special places.
When the Symphony Orchestra Wuppertal plays in the historic city hall, people come from all directions to see the live concerts. Notably, 80% of the roughly 1000 concert guests use their private car to arrive at the historic city hall, although there is a free ticket for the local and regional public transport systems included in the concert ticket and Wuppertal main station is only 600 m walking distance to the historic city hall.
The demographic mix within the visitor groups could play a relevant role in finding solutions and should therefore be reviewed individually. The audience of the Symphony Orchestra consists mainly of older visitors. Also, a reduced fare on parking tickets at the concert hall promotes the use of private cars.
Additionally, the timing of public transport is not optimal for concert starting times, which leads to too little comfort and flexibility for the concert guests. Especially in the evenings, on weekends and on holidays – which are typical concert times – there is a lack of alternative mobility solutions. The already included public transport ticket is also not promoted enough.
Another problem is connecting the members and guests, to coordinate and promote shared car travel. A large part of the orchestra crew also uses their private car to transport their instruments and themselves. The orchestra management has not yet established connections between the members or even the audience, to possibly enhance exchange and sensitise for the problem, to find solutions together.
This task aims to reduce private car use within the visitor groups and also within the orchestra crew. We would like to enhance climate friendly concert visits and full concert halls.
The main challenge is to develop new solutions and to promote an infrastructure, which motivates concert visitors and Orchestra members to use alternative means of transport.
Individual car mobility is the main focus in the city of Wuppertal, which lowers motivation for the concert guests to use alternatives. We would like to create incentives to use public transport and other climate friendly alternatives.
For now, neither the historic city hall nor the Symphony Orchestra have put their focus on communicating about the mobility issue towards orchestra members and guests yet. A part of the solution should therefore address the development of new communication strategies to promote alternative transport solutions.
The challenge partners even offer the possibility to test the ideas, which are developed in the Climathon, when the world environment day takes place on the 5th of June 2020. The Symphony Orchestra Wuppertal participates in the ‘Beethoven Pastoral Project’ and there will be two concerts played in the historic city hall that day. The historic city hall will have an open door event all day to give students and participants of the Climathon the opportunity to showcase their environmental projects. Especially the Fridays-for-future movement is invited to use this as a platform. In the evening event there would be the possibility to have a test run with the concepts developed in the Climathon challenge – the team will have exhibition space as well, ideas can be displayed and practically tested.
A successful implementation in this try run could serve as a great example for further events.
Challenge-Partner:
Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal & Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal
Become part of the Climathon Wuppertal and work together with a team on innovative solutions for climate challenges. Wuppertal is on its way to enable citizens to avoid waste, to promote a climate-friendly production logistics as well as a climate-friendly journey to concerts.
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