Carnival of Crisis: alternative summit to COP26 mobilises creative action in response to climate and ecological emergency

University of the Arts London (UAL) Climate Emergency Network presents Carnival of Crisis: Mobilising Creative Action in the Age of Emergency. The event series runs parallel to the COP26 Climate Summit and reflects UAL’s commitment to tackling the climate emergency. This includes a bold pledge to achieve net zero by 2040 – 10 years ahead of the UK Government mandate – and placing climate justice as central to becoming a social purpose university.

Carnival of Crisis will bring together students, staff and alumni from across UAL’s six colleges, with some of the UK’s leading cultural institutions, including several events in association with Glasgow School of Art, located in COP26’s host city. Events tackle a range of subjects from conscious consumerism to how the climate emergency intersects with issues of race and equality. They are dynamic and interactive, showcasing the innovative contributions being made by the creative sector, which is not recognised in the programme of the COP26 Climate Summit. Carnival is an opportunity for creative changemakers to demonstrate the power of imagination, innovation and collaboration to bring about climate justice.

Carnivals are traditionally times of apparent excess and exuberance which lead to a transformative period of reflection and renewal. UAL’s Carnival of Crisis will lead to follow-ups on the ideas and collaborations formed during the month.

James Purnell, President and Vice-Chancellor of UAL, comments:

“Carnival of Crisis will show how creative changemakers can help bring about climate justice. Culture should take its place alongside social, economic and environmental interventions as one of the main pillars of sustainability.”

UAL will unveil an ambitious new Climate Action Plan following COP26. Like Carnival of Crisis, it will confront climate justice: acknowledging the role of political-economic systems in accelerating climate change and its unequal impact on people around the world. It will address UAL’s commitments and pledges across four key strands: academic discourse and action learning; governance through purposeful policies; co-designing a climate justice movement; and ecosystem infrastructure.

The climax of Carnival will be Parade for Climate Justice on 10 November. The event will take place at Chelsea College of Arts’ Parade Ground. The UAL community will be joined by Carnival partners, co-producers and contributors to demonstrate the collective power of the creative industries, cultural and education sectors in disrupting norms and tackling the crisis. Featuring installations and artworks such as Helen Storey’s Dress for Our Time, Lucy Orta’s Nexus Architecture and Antarctica World Passport, and Manifest Data Lab’s Climate Projections. There will be speeches from special guests, including high-profile speakers, students and UAL leadership.