Founder and Artistic Director of Kinetika
Ali Pretty is a cultural activist and internationally recognised artist who uses walking, talking, and collaborative making as radical tools for connection and change. Her work transforms public environments into a shared platform where communities can address challenging issues such as climate action, peace, reconciliation, and inclusivity. Through artist-led walks, she mobilises people, landscapes, and stories into living artworks that spark dialogue, celebrate identity, and inspire action. These journeys are shared on an international stage, connecting local experiences to global conversations.
Ali is building on three decades of leading Kinetika (1997 – 2027) – the internationally renowned arts organisation she founded to unite communities through silk-based designs and large-scale public spectacles. She has spearheaded and collaborated on numerous large-scale events for diverse audiences worldwide, WOMAD (1989-1992), the Atlanta Olympics (1996), the Athens Torch Relay – London (2004), the Beijing Cultural Olympiad (2008), the FIFA World Cup in Abu Dhabi (2009), the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant (2022), and the Cultural Olympiad for the Paris Olympics (2024). Since 2012, Ali has developed transformative walking arts projects in collaboration with diverse communities. Her innovative approach combines walking, talking, and creative making to foster connection and bring people together. She has led impactful walks across Wiltshire, the Isle of Wight, Lincolnshire, Essex, and Thurrock. In Thurrock, Ali established T100, a dynamic year-round programme of walking, talking and making activities. This innovative place-making model has been successfully replicated in India, Ethiopia, Chile, Costa Rica and Lebanon.
She served as the Artistic Director of Silk River, a project commissioned by the British Council as part of the UK/India Year of Culture in 2017. Ali served as the Artistic Director of Beach of Dreams, a UK-wide coastal arts festival supported by Arts Council England and Historic England. Currently Ali is curating the global solidarity walk. Walk with Lebanon, Mountains of Hope. April 3-May 3 2026 https://kinetika.co.uk/portfolio/mountains-of-hope Ali is on the International Board for the World Trails Network and chairs the Arts and Culture Task Team.
In 2028, Ali will launch the Kinetika Fellowship Programme. This initiative will empower women and girls worldwide to become leaders in their communities, using the arts as a catalyst for change.