Â鶹´«Ã½AV

How do seemingly impossible ideas become world-changing creative projects? From broadcasting music to the moon to sending cultural missions into space, internationally acclaimed artist and activist Dr Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian is bringing their radical approach to innovation to the University of Â鶹´«Ã½AV for a special public talk on creativity, ambition and turning bold ideas into reality.

On Wednesday 22 April at the Sallis Benney Theatre, the talk, titled “Dreaming the Impossible… and then what?!”, will explore what it takes to transform ambitious ideas into real-world projects, offering insight into creative risk-taking, interdisciplinary practice and designing for more inclusive futures.

Dr Hayoun-Stépanian has worked with organisations including NASA, the United Nations, and the SETI Institute, and has presented projects at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions including The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the British Film Institute.

Their recent work includes a world-first public installation broadcasting human heartbeats and music to the moon from Piccadilly Circus in London. They said: “This talk is about what happens after imagination, how we move from dreaming radically different futures to actually building them, collectively.

Dr Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian by Greta Stepanyan, produced by Maxim Saakyan at the Armenian Institute-London.

“I’ll be sharing my work designing experiences at the intersection of science, politics, and culture, and exploring how we can challenge through creative practices power structures, decolonise institutions, and create more pluralistic futures. It’s really about asking: once we dare to imagine the impossible, how do we make it real? Join us! and I look forward to meeting everyone!”

The free public event is organised by the University of Â鶹´«Ã½AV’s Sustainable Design MA programme through the Sustainability in Design academic theme of the Centre for Design History, reflecting the university’s commitment to championing creativity, sustainability and socially conscious innovation.

Dr Sally Sutherland, Course Leader for the Sustainable Design MA programme at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½AV, said: “We are incredibly fortunate to be hosting Nelly at Â鶹´«Ã½AV. Their work sits at the intersection of creativity, activism, science and radical imagination in a way that few practitioners can match. 

“This event is about inspiring our students and wider community to think differently about what creative practice can achieve, especially at a time when imaginative, socially conscious thinking has never been more important. Nelly’s work strongly aligns with our values around sustainability, inclusion and building socially just futures. We hope this event creates a space for creativity, hope and connection while showcasing the kind of bold thinking we encourage through our Sustainable Design MA course.”

The talk is open and free to attend for students, researchers, creatives and members of the wider Â鶹´«Ã½AV community with an interest in design, innovation and the future of creative practice.

It will take place on Wednesday 22 April from 2pm to 3pm at the Sallis Benney Theatre on the university’s City campus. offering attendees a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of the world’s most boundary-pushing creative voices.

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