Welcome to the Green Track page of Muziektheaterwerkplaats Walpurgis. Below you can read about all the initiatives that Walpurgis is undertaking to make her work space a greener, more sustainable, and ecological space. An exciting work in progress…

2025: Zoöp – De-paving and Greening – Technical and Community Research for a Master Plan

Walpurgis Becomes a Zoöp
In 2025, Walpurgis will join the Zoönomic Institute of Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, becoming Belgium’s first Zoöp. We are reimagining our workspace in a way that gives a voice not only to people but also to other forms of life and non-human perspectives.

First Grant Awarded
Thanks to a successfully approved investment grant, Walpurgis can begin de-paving and greening the entrance area and installing a green façade.

Cross-Pollination
The Zoöp approach strengthens the connection between Walpurgis and its surroundings, fostering active community participation and creating a green workspace as fertile ground for art and encounters.

Master Plan and Community Research
With support from the Flemish Government Architect’s team, architecture firms Rooilijn and Hop Office are developing a master plan for the site, including a feasibility study for a (community) rooftop garden. Multiple consultation moments with the neighborhood are key to this process. The first meeting with local residents and tenants took place on February 19, already providing a wealth of valuable insights for the next steps in this journey!

2023: New saltwater battery – entire building, including theater hall on LED

The old saltwater battery has been replaced with a new, higher-capacity battery.
Since 2023, the entire theater hall runs on LED spotlights. For most of the year, the energy supply for the theater hall is largely provided by the solar panels on our roof.

A few energy-saving measures, such as new windows for the office space on the first floor and the installation of exterior wall insulation, were also implemented.

A modest first step towards a greener site was made with the purchase of perennial plants. We also started an ambitious greening project in collaboration with the cooperative De Volle Grond. More on this in 2024.

2022: LED panels and spotlights – Phase 2 / Learning journey from proto-Zoöp to Zoöp

All fluorescent and halogen lights in the upper and garden halls were replaced with LED lighting. In the theater hall, some regular theater spotlights were replaced with LED spotlights.

We are exploring how Muziektheaterwerkplaats Walpurgis can evolve from a proto-Zoöp to a Zoöp (see Zoöp Manifesto). Meanwhile, we are taking concrete steps to make our workspace a greener place, such as partially unsealing the parking lot, planting a tree and some climbing plants, and having our first meeting with Bram Stessel from Polyculture.

2021: Fruit and coffee / Start of the Zoönomic Curriculum

We order our fruit through Voedselteam Mortsel. Our coffee is delivered by bike from Cordon Coffee. In doing so, we support agroecology both locally and further afield.

After completing the Zoönomic Curriculum, organized by the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam (April-June), Walpurgis became the first Belgian proto-Zoöp.

2020: LED panels and spotlights – Phase 1

All fluorescent lighting in the foyer, lower hall, and studios, as well as all PL and fluorescent lights in the corridor, were replaced with LED lighting. The wiring in the theater hall was prepared for the replacement of halogen spotlights with LED spotlights.

2019: WALPURGIS, a sustainable hero

In 2019, the city of Mortsel recognized its Sustainable Heroes, and we were one of them! Curious about which sustainable development goals we are pursuing? Watch this video!

2019: Ecological saltwater battery

We store our generated solar energy in a cradle-to-cradle saltwater battery from GREENROCK. This is the safest and most environmentally friendly energy storage in the world. One of our parking spaces was given to Partago, a citizen cooperative for electric car sharing.

2017: Sustainable power from our own roof

46 photovoltaic solar panels were installed on the roof of our workspace. We did not purchase the solar installation ourselves, but we rent it from ZuidtrAnt cvba-so, a citizen cooperative investing in sustainable energy. The generated energy not only significantly reduces our energy bill but also results in an annual CO2 reduction of 5 tons.

2014-2017: Bees in the garden

Walpurgis promotes cross-pollination not only in the arts but also in nature. Stef Depover and Judith Vindevogel shared the care of two bee colonies in the garden of our workspace for three summers. The proceeds from honey sales supported projects by experimental music theater makers and made opera and music theater accessible to people living in poverty. After the winter loss in February 2017, beekeeping was temporarily paused. Read Judith’s beekeeping diary.
Listening tip: “Die Bienen” (Max Reger), sung by Judith and accompanied on the piano by Levente Kende (Buy the CD).

2014: Green Track

Green Track aims to make the Antwerp arts sector more sustainable and ecological. Several players from the sector have signed the Green Track charter to collaborate and exchange knowledge. Walpurgis has been a member of Green Track Antwerp since 2014.

2012: Recht-Op

Since 2012, we have regularly collaborated with Recht-Op, an association where people living in poverty have a voice. This is how we met Paul and Luc, who have since become enthusiastic followers of Walpurgis. Read their story in wOwW! magazine no. 4.