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Social Responsibility & Accessibility

Environmental policy

Pori Jazz’s mission is to bring an enjoyable experience to its customers. The core of the experience is high level jazz and rhythm music. It is also fulfilled with the festival’s unique external framework and its good accessory services. Pori Jazz wants to be a predecessor, trend setter and a leading festival for environmental matters.

The festival is designed so that matters about the environment and comfortability are solved together with artistic and economic matters. The festival attempts to

  1. Use natural resources in an unwasteful manner,
  2. Reduce environmental baggage and
  3. Increase the comfortability of customers and Pori citizens.

Pori Jazz is dedicated to improving environmental matters and it focuses on more relevant environmental matters, related to its activity. A management system which is being developed continuously works as an important aspect for environmental action. Monitoring the situation after the festival is a core part of the system.

Pori Jazz follows environmental regulations and rules related to its activities and it tries to perform in a higher standard than the regulations require. Special attention is given to

  1. Cleanliness and waste management,
  2. Reducing the amount of waste created and
  3. Traffic.

Pori Jazz develops its traffic and environmental activities innovatively along with Pori city and partners, it also requires its partners and subcontractors to take part in high level activity in environmental matters.

Pori Jazz tries to agree with all stakeholder groups about their requirements and wishes for environmental protection and measures.

Pori Jazz has been granted an Eco Compass-environment certificate, which is a sign of the festival’s dedication to the continuous development of environmental matters. In the summer of 2018 we will give special attention to waste management and the environmental baggage caused by traffic. We will cooperate with Lassila & Tikanoja to have a carbon neutral waste management, and we will record the carbon footprint and we will buy away an amou​nt of emission rights that matches the amount of carbon footprints we produce, the emission rights will be bought away from the EUs official emission trade system.

Environment tips

  1. Take advantage of public transport.
  2. Think in advance, how you can reduce the amount of waste at the festival.
  3. Pack your own food, as lightly as possible, and preferably in reusable containers.
  4. Do not trash the festival area, instead put your trash in bins, there will be enough of them.
  5. Sort your waste. Guides and other workers will give advice on sorting waste.
  • In restaurants there will be bins for bio waste for food scraps.
  • For energy waste there will be bins for plastic, cardboard, for example, one time use plates and utensils, hand towels, and napkins.
  • Landfill trash is only the trash that cannot be put in energy or bio waste bins.
  1. Use public bathrooms and keep them clean.
  2. Take it easy and enjoy the atmosphere: music, people, and the summer.

Pori Jazz organizers are wondering about the same questions every year: are the customers having a great time? Is the sun shining? Will the festival area be kept clean?

With the festival visitors’ environmental tips the visitors can do their own part in making the event succeed. Concerning the sunshine you can only hope for the best though.

Social Responsibility

Pori Jazz is trying to have even more responsible activity. Societal responsibility means that Pori Jazz tries to recognize its ethical and social responsibilities related to its activities and tries to pay attention to them.

Pori Jazz’s social responsibility principles are as follows:

  1. Pori Jazz’s work and communication with Pori city, Jazz visitors, its own workers, volunteer workers, and Pori citizens is open, responsible, and fair.
  2. Pori Jazz continues its already going work for a safe and healthy festival environment.
  3. Physical and mental violence does not belong to Pori Jazz.
  4. Pori Jazz offers volunteer based work opportunities for young people, which supports their hobbies.
  5. Pori Jazz tries to locally support Jazz culture and promote possibilities for hobbies for young people.
  6. Pori Jazz’s partners are working in high quality and are responsible companies.

In Pori Jazz festivals these principles show and are being fulfilled in these ways for example:

  1. The festival offers merit possibilities for chosen groups, such as: local sports organizations and young people’s organizations, of which Pori Jazz pays a considerable sum as compensation for cleaning-, guarding-, and voluntary work.
  2. Cooperation with the police against violence and disorderly conduct is continued.
  3. In cooperation with the Pori city we are taking care of park, grass, recreational areas, and city nature cleanliness.
  4. Systematically developing the environment program since it was established in 1996.
  5. About ⅔ of the Pori Jazz program is completely free.
  6. The requirements for these principles are provided to partners and their activity in the festival.

Accessibility

Pori Jazz aims to provide all visitors with a safe, accessible, and inclusive festival experience. Accessibility is taken into account across all event areas.

A personal assistant may enter ticketed concerts free of charge when accompanying a person who holds a valid admission ticket and an EU Disability Card with the A marking, a visual impairment card (minimum 75% visual impairment), or a medical certificate. No separate assistant ticket is required; the need for an assistant is verified at the gate or door.

The main concert area also has accessibility assistants who support festival visitors particularly with accessibility‑related needs. These assistants are volunteers from the Southwest Finland Assistant Centre and are primarily located near the elevated wheelchair viewing platform and accessible toilet facilities. They can be identified by their blue assistant vests. A volunteer assistant can also be requested in advance. The Assistant Centre provides volunteer assistants for people with mobility, visual, or developmental disabilities, as well as for memory disorder clients. Requests must be made at least three working days in advance by calling 02 251 8549, available in summer from Mon–Thu 9:00–12:00.

The Main Stage area includes an elevated viewing platform for wheelchair users. Other stages also offer plenty of seating areas that can be accessed with a wheelchair. The festival area includes accessible toilet facilities. For the exact location of accessible seating within the main audience area, visitors are advised to ask at the gate for the most up‑to‑date guidance.