A conversation on personhood: animals, law and performance

Date: Wednesday 25 April 2018, 13:00 – 15:00
Location: Charles Thackrah SR 5 (1.05)
Cost: Free
Download: Outlook, iCal

The Centre for Law and Social Justice are delighted to host artist-in-residence Jack Tan.

During his stay we will be hosting a roundtable on animals and personhood to facilitate dialogue across disciplines.

The conversation will feed into Jack’s upcoming performance and art instillation commissioned by the Compass Festival Leeds where he will revive the medieval animal trials. Jack will appropriate Leeds Town Hall as the site of a fictional Department of Animal Justice, a branch of the Ministry of Justice. Town Hall users will encounter what appears to be a working Animal Court evidenced by signage, information leaflets, posters, court heritage displays, an animal court website, etc.

This will culminate in a day of live hearings of ‘naughty animals’ belonging to and nominated by local animal charities, farms and breeders. The accused animals will be prosecuted and defended by barristers, and before a Judge or Recorder according to specially adapted Criminal Procedure Rules.