Behind every cultural and artistic project lies a great deal of work and countless small details that often go unseen: people, ideas, organisation, everyday work and the choices that make it all possible.
With this series, we want to share this side of Mana Chuma’s work too: bringing together artists from different disciplines and developing projects that extend beyond the stage.
From graphic design to the reuse of materials, from hospitality to mobility, we share the practices and choices through which we seek to put our values into action, shaping a way of working that is more environmentally sustainable, ethical and, above all, human.
GRAPHIC DESIGN IS A PROFESSION.
For our communications, we choose to work with professional graphic designers.
We don’t generate our images using artificial intelligence. Instead, we prefer to rely on the time, research, experience and sensitivity of people who have made graphic design their profession.
Not because we believe artificial intelligence has no place in the world we live in. It can be an additional, useful and interesting tool when used thoughtfully.
But a tool cannot replace a person.
Because, for us, graphic design is not simply about producing an image. It is about vision, creativity and artistic practice.
For us, an environmentally sustainable and ethical approach also means choosing how and with whom we work.
GIVING THINGS A SECOND LIFE
Before buying something new, we try to ask ourselves: could what we need already exist?
We believe that reusing objects, salvaging materials and giving them a second life is a practical way of reducing waste and limiting the consumption of new resources. It’s a principle we also try to put into practice in our work.
For stage costumes, we source second-hand clothes. For set design, we reclaim and reuse materials and objects that already have a history, transforming them and giving them new purposes.
Because what someone no longer needs can become a resource for someone else. An object can change its form, function and meaning, while continuing to tell stories.
HOSPITALITY IS ALSO A CHOICE
Welcoming people also means caring for them and for the environment around us.
For the hospitality arrangements we make for our guests and staff, we choose local and organic food products, favouring short supply chains and locally sourced produce.
We try to avoid plastic and aluminium packaging, opting for paper and cardboard wherever possible, with the aim of reducing our environmental impact and limiting exposure to potentially harmful substances, such as PFAS, which may be present in certain food-contact materials.
These small, everyday choices reflect our approach to hospitality: one that takes people, the local area and the resources we share into consideration.
ENERGY: MAKING THE MOST OF NATURAL LIGHT
The times we choose for our activities and the way we organise them can also make a difference.
For EPIC Bova, in July 2024, and EPIC Reggio Calabria, in September 2024, all performances took place in the late afternoon, with careful consideration given to energy consumption and to making the most of natural light, which also helped create a unique stage setting.
Mana Chuma continues to explore low-energy practices, convinced that organisational choices, too, can contribute to a more sustainable way of working.
Sometimes, reducing consumption simply means learning to follow the rhythm of nature.
MOBILITY: CHOOSING HOW WE TRAVEL
The way we travel is also part of how we work and of our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our activities.
Whenever possible, we give priority to travelling by train, choosing a more sustainable means of transport.
For EPIC Reggio, in September 2024, we also provided a free shuttle service for audiences, making it easier to get around while helping to reduce the use of private vehicles.
We believe sustainability also lies in these choices: rethinking our habits, making shared alternatives easier to access and paying attention to the impact of our journeys.
Because how we get to a place is part of how we care for it.
