Climate Cartographies is committed to exploring the longue durée of climate change at heritage sites by deploying cartographic thinking to create new maps that capture unexplored relationships within our environment through different modes of representation. The program in Warsaw explores spaces of heritage as constructed worlds through gamification, not merely as neutral and passive archives of environmental changes. It examines the agency of these sites as contributors and agitators within the climate change discourse.

The site of Faras serves as a point of departure for the Polish archaeological excavations in Sudan in the early 1960s, as part of the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia. The discovery of the cathedral and its vibrant wall paintings was celebrated from Khartoum to Warsaw, where they were relocated and became intertwined with narratives of nationalism.

The paintings also reveal the value assigned to these objects and the evolution of heritage discourse in relation to the infrastructure, both visible and invisible, that is required to maintain heritage. Drawing from sites of memory and sites of history, the participants are invited to collapse this divide whilst thinking about climate in different timelines and the different agents that contribute to its production.

The program is led by Suha Hasan and Teaching Assistants Joanna Lalowska and Aakarsh Singh, Contributors to Playful Cartographies include Abdulla Sabbar, Adrian Chlebowski, Agnieszka Wujec, Ala Younis, Alfred Twardecki, CENTRALA, Charlotte Joy, Dorota Michalska, Janek Simon, Kaja Kusztra, Kuba Snopek, Kyrill Kunakhovich, Mariam Elnozahy and Rado Ištok, Robert Konieczny, Tomasz Michalik, WXCA and others to be announced soon. The program was developed in consultation with Dobrochna Zielińska and the team at the Faculty of Archaeology at the University of Warsaw.

There are full scholarships and partial scholarships available for applicants. The program is open to current architecture and design students, PhD candidates, post-docs, and young professionals. Students will have the opportunity to present their work to the public on the final day of the program in a session entitled Gift to Warsaw.

KEY FEATURES OF THE WORKSHOP AND LEARNING GOALS

• To cultivate a critical understanding of the historical and theoretical debates relevant to climate change 
• To develop a critical understanding of the nature of cultural heritage and the challenges that are posed on them by climate change
• To inspire students to gain confidence in their practice and explore new modes of design representations
• To engage in discussion around professional architecture practices that are involved in designing for heritage sites
• Seminars that are organized around the site of Faras, heritage discourse in Warsaw in the 1960s, and Game theory
• Technical workshop on using sound for spatial design
• A field trip to multiple heritage sites in Warsaw
• Submission of a final project and a notebook
• A public program that will enable more people to attend and engage with the discussions carried out at the school
• Studio visits to provide feedback to the participants

Fees

A non-refundable £60 deposit is required from all applicants upon application and will be deducted from the total fees below:

• £800 — Standard Programme Fee (including a 1-year AA Digital Membership worth £60)

• £740 — AA Member Fee

• £592 — AA Full-time Student Fee

• £689 — Fee for Full-time students of Melbourne University (including a 1-year AA Digital Membership worth £60)

Fees do not include flights, food or accommodation, but accommodation options can be advised. Students need to bring their own laptops, digital equipment and model making tools.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Partial scholarships will be available to students who previously participated in Visiting School Climate Cartographies. Please follow Scholarship Application process + email Visiting School Office stating what year you participated in the VS Climate Cartographies.

Applications

• Click "Apply" button on THIS webpage.

• Create an account or log in, then complete the online application form. Pay the £60 deposit to proceed.

• Log in to your Application Portal to finalize full fee payment and monitor your application status (step-by-step guide on using the Application Portal)

Deposit payment holds your place on the course but does not confirm it. A CV, Portfolio or Cover Letter are not required for standard applications. Full-time AA Students and Melbourne University Students must register with their university email to automatically apply the reduced fee. If you cannot apply online, contact the Visiting School Office.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

• Click "Apply" button on this webpage.

• Create an account or log in, then complete the online application form. Pay the £60 deposit to proceed.

• Log in to your Application Portal to finalize full fee payment and monitor your application status (step-by-step guide on using the Application Portal).

• Upload your CV and Portfolio to your Application Portal (step-by-step guide on using the Application Portal).

You will receive an email confirming whether your scholarship application is successful. Only £60 deposit payment is required before the outcome of your scholarship application is received.

Deadline for Scholarship standard applications is 20 July 2025.

Eligibility

The workshop is open to current students in the fields of architecture, design, curating, art history and related subjects in the humanities, phd candidates and young professionals.

Visas

All participants travelling from abroad are responsible for securing any visa required, and are advised to contact their home embassy early. After full payment of course fees, the AA School can provide a letter confirming participation in the workshop.

Insurance

All participants are responsible for securing their own travel and health insurance. Please ensure that your travel insurance also covers your personal belongings i.e. laptop, equipment, tools, passport etc. The AA takes no responsibility for lost/ stolen property.

More information: 

https://www.aaschool.ac.uk/academicprogrammes/visitingschool/climatecartographies