DESIGN THAT MOVES
Kinetika unites communities through exceptional silk-based designs and public spectacles that inspire social action and enrich local environments. Guided by a vision to pioneer community-driven art and design, we aspire to ignite enduring positive change, cultivate cultural diversity, and empower resilient, sustainable communities worldwide.
Our 27 years of experience champions an adaptable and accessible approach to co-creating designs in silk. Our methods engage and empower diverse communities, enhance social cohesion and foster a sense of pride and belonging.
Flagship projects include Thank You Dance for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant (2022); Silk River a British Council commission for the UK/India Year of Culture in (2017); T100 Festival a walking, talking and making outdoor arts festival in Thurrock and En Flag as part of the Cultural Olympiad for the Paris Olympics (2024).
Founded in 1997 by Ali Pretty, Kinetika is a charity and a National Portfolio organisation of Arts Council England. We are committed to fostering creativity and artistic expression while recognising our responsibility to the environment. Learn more about our environmental impact.
Kinetika Design Studio – our commercial arm has been commissioned to design and create bespoke silks for ceremonies forming part of high-profile events including the Atlanta Olympics 1996, FIFA World Cup Ceremonies 2009, the Closing Ceremony of the Paralympics for London 2012, the Milan Expo and The Royal Opera House Deloitte Festival in 2015, The Platinum Jubilee Pageant 2022.
Commercial Portfolio
Kinetika People – our charitable arm is known for its high-quality engagement work around place-making. We run outdoor participatory programmes, annual walking arts festival, T100, school workshops and artist training schemes. We aim to nurture emerging artistic talent, engage communities, and raise aspirations wherever we work, creating a new sense of place and possibility for all those who live there.
Kinetika’s Project Work
Our values
| Authentic
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We are genuine, investing time to build foundations of trust within communities underpinning all that we do together.
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| Ambitious
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We are driven to change lives, making this happen by openly sharing innovative models of social action to transform England’s cultural ecology
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| Empowering
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We believe in people power, magnifying our impact by moving people through design to build new creative communities.
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| Inclusive
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We value the collective power of individuality, energising and enriching our work by bringing diverse backgrounds and cultures together.
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| Ethical
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We are agents of positive change, always striving to ensure that our communities and environment are better tomorrow than it is today. |
About Ali Pretty, Founder and Artistic Director
Ali Pretty is the Founder and Artistic Director of Kinetika, established in 1997 to unite communities through extraordinary silk-based designs and public spectacles that inspire social action and enrich local environments. Prior to founding Kinetika, Ali had a distinguished career in carnival arts and a deepening commitment to community engagement.
Ali has spearheaded and collaborated on numerous large-scale events for diverse audiences worldwide, including 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).
Renowned for her artistic direction and hand-painted silk designs, Ali’s work is celebrated for its unique style and its ability to foster community engagement, leaving lasting legacies.
Since 2012, Ali has developed transformative walking arts projects with diverse communities. By combining walking, talking, and large-scale silk designs, her work brings people together. She has led walks in Wiltshire, the Isle of Wight, Lincolnshire, Essex, and Thurrock, where she founded T100. This innovative place-making model has been successfully replicated in Ethiopia, Chile, and India. 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. Currently, Ali serves as the Artistic Director of Beach of Dreams, a UK-wide coastal arts festival supported by Arts Council England and Historic England. This year-long creative programme, culminating in the 2025 festival, explores and activates the unique heritage, cultures, communities and climate futures of the UK’s coastlines.
Ali is a member of the International Board for the World Trails Network and chairs the Arts and Culture Task Team.