Climate Emergency Network: Changing the way we work together

People making and working in the wide open space of the Crossing on CSM's campus. Rails, tables, boxes and artworks are pinned up all around.

Our climate community at UAL helps shape creative responses to the climate emergency.

Non-hierarchical, distributed and evolving, Climate Emergency Network is a platform for channelling creativity into climate action across our spaces and networks.

Our community includes students, professors, support staff, alumni and friends. Our purpose is to foster an internal movement for change. We have opportunities for everyone to engage in climate action. We host regular events and we develop campaigns, actions, and activities to show that the arts can, and must, respond to the climate and ecological emergency.

Contact us: climatenetwork@arts.ac.uk
We're on Instagram.

Earth Week 2025

More-Than-Human Stories: New Myths in the Making
22-25 April, across UAL

This April, the Network will mark Earth Day for the fourth consecutive year. We'll be hosting creative environmental events at every UAL College, open to staff, students, and alumni as we welcome the start of the summer term.

This year we celebrate the power of stories. From cave paintings, folk songs and oral histories to cautionary tales, conspiracy theories, hoaxes and fake news, the stories we tell matter: they shape our experience, our relationships with each other and with nature. They underpin our systems and frame our collective reality. What story will you tell?

A banner with layers and gradients of pastel and natural tones with white text Earth Week and 22-26 April — **Earth Week 2025. UAL Climate Emergency Network.**

Recent projects

HOT Stuff: heat pump design challenge, with NESTA - a student competition to 're-imagine' the traditional heat pump, with concepts ranging from graphic design and animation to advertising campaigns and jingles.
London Donut Economy Coalition: communicating a better vision for London’s economy - one that is inherently fair, green and also exciting! We've worked together on Systems Mapping in workshops at Central Saint Martins.
Earth day 2024: from the ground up: five days of purposeful play all around our Colleges and sites, showcasing creative environmental action from across UAL communities.

Curation and campaigns

The Green House exhibition exploring climate justice at the Lethaby Gallery. Featuring over 60 artists' socially just responses to the impacts of climate change
pilot projects that have gone into full development including a pop-up SWAP SHOP at Central Saint Martins (CSM)
Catalyst: a series of gatherings, workshops, conversations and interventions to embed the University's Climate Action Plan in the practices of the UAL community
UAL Food Regenesis: a collaboration with UAL Canteens for a regenerative, plant-based menu
Carnival of Crisis, an alternative summit to COP26. This was a UAL-wide event programme co-created with 200 students and staff
Material Heroes: an outdoor exhibition of graduate work for London Design Festival
Seasonal climate circles, like the one at the Story Garden
Curated collections of graduate work: Planetary People, with London Donut Economy Coalition.

Productions

Climate Emergency Interactive - a teaching tool to prompt conversations about the climate emergency and what we can do about it, both politically and creatively
Fabulae Naturae :a draped display of 3 x 60 foot banners by Studio Orta which hung at the Granary Building, to highlight species loss in the UK.
Earth Quest. An eco-inspired journey across the Barbican Centre to explore the role of creativity in climate action
Earth Days: Collective experience programmes in the name of social and ecological justice for 2022, 2023, 2024
A social impact evaluation of Earth Day: Appetite for Justice (PDF 4.9MB) with Doc Society
Takeovers at Kings Cross' Canopy Market. supporting designers and artists who support socially-minded, environmentally driven design.
A Movement in the Making, 2023 - a film by Paolina Stefani.

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**

Collaboration

We take part in nationwide climate campaigns such as COP and Earth Day and we promote and celebrate annual environmental campaigns. Day to day, we work with teams embedding climate justice into our research and Knowledge Exchange and with our student Climate Advocates.

Our partnerships and collaborations include organisations across arts and culture, civil society, higher education, and scientific research sectors:

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.

Want to collaborate? Get in touch.

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

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.

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, UAL Welcome, when students join or rejoin at the beginning of the academic year. Welcome tells students about the ways in which sustainability is central to everything we do. This covers our green buildings, energy use, and joining Climate Emergency Network.

We also induct students online with an e-induction (PDF 1.75MB). They’re orientated when they check in and get resources to learn about sustainability at UAL.

We host Climate Circles to mark the changing in seasons and align our collective vision with nature’s own rhythms. A different member of our community facilitates each seasonal event or gathering. These artist-led meetings offer a place to share news, meet like minded creatives, plan activity and support each other.

Ongoing work

Building the Climate Emergency Network as a movement of staff and students advocating for change.
Working with educational, cultural, government, industry and civil society partners to advocate for change.
Developing collaborative and multi-disciplinary approaches to campaigning, advocacy and movement building.