A Talk by Liz Smith
The Omnicrisis: Power, Truth and Division
This talk explores the idea that we are living through a single interconnected ‘omnicrisis’.
“The Omnicrisis is a deeply moving and important presentation that I am incredibly proud to have supported bringing to Derby Museums, Liz’s work is compassionate and well-crafted but never shies away from the harsh realities we are currently facing. The event gave us the opportunity, not only to welcome new audiences to the Museum, but to provide a space for conversations and discussions I have held with me since the day.”
Dan Webber, Derby Museums
The Talk
In this artist talk, filmmaker Liz Smith brings together clips from her documentaries, including The Line We Crossed, The Conspiracists, I Am Gen Z and Nowhere To Go, using deep-dive documentary storytelling to enter the worlds of people on different sides of some of the most contested issues of our time. It also draws on unpublished footage filmed during development, and on a film currently in production about what is happening to women’s rights.
Her work seeks to humanise these issues by moving beyond headlines and revealing the fears, pressures and lived experiences that shape how people think, act and believe.
At the heart of this omnicrisis is a deeper question of power. Who gets to define reality, whose voices are heard, and how division is produced and sustained in a fast-moving digital landscape that amplifies information at scale, erodes shared truth, and is being reshaped by the transformative power of AI and expanding systems of surveillance.
Format
Structured as a narrative lecture, the talk weaves together film and personal insight to examine the breakdown of shared truth and to ask: how do we begin to bridge the gap between these divided worlds?
The event will be followed by a moderated discussion and audience Q&A.
It is envisaged as a two-hour event, to give ample time for discussion and Q&A afterwards, and can be delivered in an hour and a half if needed.
The talk suits museums and galleries, universities, festivals, and organisations working on rights, media and public life. It requires a screen, projection and sound.
Presented
Derby Museum & Art Gallery
Derby · 17 October 2026 · Commissioned by Derby Museums
The discussion was moderated by Dr Phil Burton-Cartledge, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Derby and author of The Party’s Over: The Rise and Fall of the Conservatives from Thatcher to Sunak.
→ The event at Derby Museums