Meet the Speakers

Abbi Fletcher

is a creative producer and manager of the Climate Emergency Network (CEN) at the University of the Arts London (UAL). Non-hierarchical, distributed and ever-evolving, the Network channels creativity into climate action across UAL’s multiple colleges, Research Centres and Institutes. It welcomes the whole community, from undergraduate students to esteemed professors, support staff, alumni, and friends. She has collaborated with partners such as The Barbican, Letters to the Earth, Culture Declares Emergency, It’s Freezing in LA!, Architects Climate Action Network, Extinction Rebellion, and others. Recent projects include Carnival of Crisis, Appetite for Justice, Earth Quest and most recently, The Green House.

Nicole Afonso Alves Calistri

is a London-based design manager, educator, and bio-perspectives activist. Her work centers around themes of ecology and justice. Nicole’s connection to Brazilian land comes from her birth and ties to her mother, while her formative years in Italy have linked her awareness to stories of resistance and colonialism. Her passion lies in fostering collaborations between diverse stakeholders to address complex issues and reimagine systems. She co-started UAL Regenesis, a student-led campaign asking the University of the Arts London to move to plant, mushroom, and algae-based cafes and canteens to address ecological collapse and climate warming beyond carbon emissions. She freelances as a researcher and project manager in the fields of environmental and social design. Currently teaching 'Practices of Change' at the London College of Communication (LCC), she is pursuing a Biodesign degree and plans to focus on transition-focused projects post-graduation.

Hi, I'm Frieda Bischoff, a waste worrier and co-founder of Renée Materials

After completing my BA in Fashion in Germany and realising that the fashion industry was not right for me, I decided to pursue an MA in Design for Social Innovation and Sustainable Futures at LCC. In this course, I met Vassi, with whom I founded Renée as a social enterprise in 2022.

Renée is a marketplace that matches businesses and their leftovers, surplus goods, and waste with students, creatives, and makers who need materials for their projects.

Our pilot Circular Material Hub at CSM proved the potential of a physical space for creative reuse within UAL and beyond. We took part in several competitions, being finalists at the Mayor's Entrepreneur Competition twice, and learned at the LCC Accelerator Program and Allia Impact Accelerator. Now we're excited to see what comes next.

Constance Jeffreys

works as part of the Knowledge Exchange team at the Centre of Sustainable Fashion, collaborating with educators, researchers, and the fashion industry to pursue alternative practices and systems that create a more just and equitable environment. Constance takes an intersectional and anthropological approach to co-create meaningful projects within sustainability, with some of the biggest high street and luxury brands. Since entering the industry Constance has worked in Copenhagen with a wide variety of companies including iconic Danish brands such as Soulland and Copenhagen Fashion Week. In 2020 Constance was named a new gen voice at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit due to her work in the field and having previously contributed to the summit in 2016 and 2017. Currently she is working at the CSF delivering circular and sustainability projects within the Fashion and Jewellery industries, as well as working within the center creating spaces for sustainability discourse and knowledge exchange.

Nici Eberl Photography

@nicieberlphoto

• Sign up for the Alumni Sustainability Network
• Follow us on Instagram @ual_alumni