What can craft do? 6 talks making the case for creativity during COP26
4 November 2021
Avoid the blah, blah, blah and tune into these
4 November 2021
COP26 is well underway, but with so much to read, watch and listen to, it’s hard to know where to start. With only a week left of the summit, we’ve picked out a selection of craft-focused talks, panel discussions and presentations that make the case for creativity in the fight against the climate crisis.
Ancient Knowledge and Modern Thinking: Climate Perspectives in Folk Art
Indigenous artists join experts from the Open University and the Glasgow Life organisation to explore the ways in which art and science can come together to inform the future of climate action.
Examining three works of art from Glasgow Museums’ World Cultures collection, the artists will discuss the meaning and process behind each piece, shedding light on creative practices from India, Ecuador and the Arctic respectively.
13:00 – 14:30 GMT, 7 November
Healing hands: Could makers help regenerate the earth?
As the climate crisis accelerates, sustainable design is no longer enough – we need to restore the damage humanity has done to the planet. In this talk, hosted by Crafts magazine, meet the trailblazers of regenerative design, who are nurturing the environment through their craft.
Hear from Mexico-based designer Fernando Laposse and New York-based textile artist Shradha Kochhar – makers whose work crosses into the world of agriculture, encouraging the reintroduction of indigenous crops that improve the soil. Also on our panel will be Carole Collet, a professor in design for sustainable futures at Central Saint Martins and founder of its upcoming master’s degree in regenerative design. The talk will be chaired by Crafts editor Malaika Byng.
17:30 – 18:45 GMT, 8 November
Materials and designs being tested inside the studio of Olafur Eliasson. Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson Artist Olafur Eliasson will join an event named Arts and the Imagination, as part of the official COP26 programming. Pictured is his installation, 'Our Glacial Perspectives' in South Tyrol. Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson
Projects that use design to inspire social innovation will be presented at this roundtable discussion, hosted by the Design For Social Innovation and Sustainability Network (DESIS).
Chaired by professors Francesco Mazzarella and Spyros Bofylatos, the event will be filled with inspiring examples that showcase the ways in which the circular economy, craftsmanship and social enterprises enable more resilient and self-sufficient ways of living and working, and how this can contribute to the fight against climate change.
16:00 – 18:00 GMT, 11 November
5×15 at COP26 – arts and the imagination
This event, hosted by composer Brian Eno, highlights the importance of bringing artists into the climate emergency conversation.
On the last day of COP26, Eno will be joined by a whole host of artists, each with very different practices, to explore the ways in which art and culture can help us to talk to one another about the climate crisis, and how creative practice provides a space for imaginative and innovative ideas to be tested.
12:00 GMT, 12 November
London College of Fashion’s research department
The wider fashion industry is now waking up to the impact it is having on the environment, with many designers searching for innovative materials, employing alternative supply chains, and slowing down their schedules. But is it enough to tackle the industry’s huge problem with waste?
With that in mind, this symposium aims to address one primary question: can waste be permanently designed out of the fashion lifecycle? Spread across three hours, the event will be divided into blocks of presentations followed by question and answer sessions.
17:00 – 20:00 GMT, 16 November