Due to the financial support by the European Union under the “EU for Green Agenda” project in Serbia and the Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia two new, innovative solar power solutions would contribute to better energy efficiency of the EXIT camp this year. Solar power guitar would supply electricity to the festival’s reception area, while a solar power water heater would supply hot water to the mobile showers in the EXIT camp. These two innovations have been realised in cooperation with the “Mihajlo Pupin” Institute from Belgrade and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and are a part of the Green EXIT platform.
The prototypes of the solar panel guitar and solar water heater – both modular, foldable and portable devices, would be installed in the city beach of Štrand, in the zone of the EXIT camp. The solar power guitar is an innovative technical solution in the shape of the music instrument, 6.2 by 2.2 meters in size, and it represents a photovoltaic solar aggregate which generates electric voltage. The solar water heater consists of a spiral solar heater suggesting the shape of a gramophone record. As early as this year, some of the camp’s residents would be able to take a shower with hot water from renewable energy sources, with the plans to increase the capacities for the next year’s festival.
“The partnership between the EXIT Festival and the scientific research institute of “Mihajlo Pupin” from Belgrade widens the scope of the creative industry’s activity to the field of energy efficiency, closing the gap between science, culture and entertainment, with the aim of a more active promotion of green ideas and social responsibility. Through a creative artistic-technical form, we jointly send unequivocal message to young generations – visitors of the festival, concerning the importance of environment protection and the role of science and art in its promotion”, emphasised Aleksandar Rodić, Head of the Centre for Robotics of the “Mihajlo Pupin” Institute from Belgrade as he addressed their first joint project with the Green EXIT platform.
Both these solutions were realised with the financial support by the European Union under the “EU for Green Agenda” project in Serbia. This initiative, implemented with the technical and financial support by the EU and in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, has been realised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden and European Investment Bank (EIB), where additional funding has been provided by the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia. Furthermore, the project is financially supported by the Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia.
Through its Green EXIT platform, the EXIT Festival in 2024 focuses on sustainability and protection of the nature of the Petrovaradin Fortress through a series of socially-responsible initiatives and ecological innovations. Visitors of the festival would be able to contribute to the preservation of environment via recycling solutions, expanded mobile system of discarded packaging collection and prize-involving activities, while the guests of the EXIT camp would be able to sample zero-plastic cosmetic products.
EXIT Festival’s ecological tendencies have been ever stronger in the last two years, with the festival’s membership in the Green Deal Circular Festivals Association, made official in the ADE Green 2022 conference for sustainability, innovation and social changes in the music industry, which was held in Amsterdam. The Association functions with the support by the Dutch Government and includes over 50 European festivals, where EXIT has been recognised as one of the pioneers in organising sustainable events. This season, the festival would surprise the visitors and guests of the EXIT camp with new, greener solutions.
“As a part of the Green Deal Circular Festivals group, we have become acquainted with a number of new possibilities in greening our festival, we have drawn inspiration from other festivals leading the way when it comes to the environmental aspects of organisation and additionally become aware of the importance of networking and openness for innovation. We have still a long road ahead of us, while not everything can be done overnight, but we won’t stop! We are proud that from year to year, we have more and more support from the festival’s visitors, as well as our friends and partners, including environmentalists and scientists,” highlighted Ida Siljanović, Program Manager of the EXIT Foundation and one of the initiators of the Green EXIT platform ahead of this year’s festival.
The Green EXIT platform has had recycling in its focus for years now, and this year the mobile system for collecting discarded packaging has been expanded, while the audience would enjoy a number of prize-winning activities. Additionally, through the INSPIRE project – supported by the EU under the Horizon programme – EXIT would enable the camp residents to sample high-quality zero-plastic cosmetic solutions – shampoos and shower gels in degradable, environmentally non-harmful packaging.