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Climate Emergency Network: Changing the way we work together

People walk along a path with information written on the floor. Plants line the path either side
People walk along a path with information written on the floor. Plants line the path either side
Climate Emergency Network’s Earth Quest at Barbican Centre, 2022 | Photograph: Hydar Dewachi

Our growing climate community helps shape creative responses to the climate emergency.

The Climate Emergency Network is non-hierarchical, distributed, and continuously evolving. It's a platform for channeling creativity into climate action across our Colleges, research centres, and institutes. Our community includes undergraduate students, professors, support staff, alumni, and friends.

Our purpose is to foster an internal movement for change, providing opportunities for everyone to engage in climate action. We host monthly Climate Cafés, seasonal Climate Circles, and develop responsive campaigns, actions, and activities to showcase that the arts can, and must, respond to the climate and ecological emergency.

Contact us: climatenetwork@arts.ac.uk.

What we've done so far

Curation and production

We’ve curated:

We've produced:

Collaboration

We've developed partnerships and collaborations with organisations across arts and culture, civil society, higher education, and scientific research sectors. This includes:

  • Glasgow School of Art
  • Culture Declares Emergency
  • The Barbican Centre
  • V&A Dundee
  • Architects Climate Action Network
  • King’s Cross Canopy Market
  • Citizens UK
  • Extinction Rebellion
  • FranklinTill
  • and more.

We've also taken part in nationwide climate campaigns such as COP, Earth Day and have promoted and celebrated annual environmental campaigns. Other campaigns include embedding climate justice into our research and Knowledge Exchange and continuously working in conjunction with our Climate Advocates. Want to collaborate? Get in touch

Events

We’ve brought UAL students and researchers together with scientists, activists, community organisers, artists, poets, illustrators, journalists and more. We support pilot projects and initiatives through a 'living lab' model that create real-world learning and research opportunities for students and staff, while bringing environmental impact to our wider community.

You can follow us on Eventbrite to keep up to date with our latest events. We host events at key points in the University’s calendar. For example, the Big Welcome, when we welcome students at the beginning of the academic year. The Big Welcome tells students about the ways in which sustainability is central to everything we do. This covers our green buildings, energy use, and encouragement to join our Climate Emergency Network.

We also induct students online with an e-induction (PDF 1.75MB). They’re orientated when they check in and receive a variety of additional sources to learn about sustainability at UAL.

We also host Climate Circles to mark the changing in seasons and align our collective vision with nature’s own rhythms. Each seasonal event or gathering is facilitated by a different member of our community. These artist-led meetings offer a touch point for sharing news, meeting like minded creatives, planning activity and supporting each other.

What we'll do next

We'll:

  • build an internal movement for change with students and staff and create opportunities for everyone to contribute to climate action at UAL
  • co-produce knowledge across disciplines, sectors and communities
  • work with education, government, industry, and cultural and civil society partners.
I chose to go back to university because I realised, that being a field activist isn't the only way of making things happen for a better future. We need more sensibility and a plural understanding of what the future could be. How can we make culture evolve? The only discipline that can do that is art.

Laurane Le Goff Climate Emergency Network member
People wearing decoration and connected overalls stand by a sign saying 'Ban this plastic poison'
Nexus Architecture by Lucy Orta at Parade for Climate Justice, Carnival of Crisis 2021 | Photograph: Lori Demata