This interdisciplinary conference and object-led-learning workshop will explore the interconnectedness of humans and nonhumans.

These interconnections are explored through research and practice in academia and are engaged daily in our human lives. The impacts of these interconnections are being rendered increasingly visible via the effects of global economies, the growing impacts of climate change, and the predictions of possible futures following the sixth mass extinction.

The theme of Interconnectedness will be explored through presentation panels, an owl pellet dissection workshop led by Sarah Fortais, keynote speaker presentations, and a roundtable discussion. The panels will be exploring questions such as: How can we as humans visualise and experience the nonhuman? How does your research implicitly or explicitly engage with nonhumans? What is the added benefit or utility to your research from nonhumans? How do nonhumans influence your research? Is there a reciprocal influence? What are the differences between ‘nonhumans’ and ‘others’ and how does your research engage with a philosophy of ‘others’? What can we learn from the nonhuman? What changes in your research by engaging with the nonhuman? How do the sensual capacities of the other translate into human technologies [e.g. echolocation]? What religions or mythological frameworks encompassing nonhumans influence or inform your approach to research? What are the boundaries of the human/nonhuman (animal transplants, chimerism, technological developments, legal rights, cyborgs, intellectual property rights . . .)? What is the role of zoons in research (human/nonhuman/technological collaborations)? How do varying definitions of human impact research ethics? What methodologies might we employ to identify and ethically interact with the nonhuman? What are the processes of negotiation with the nonhuman in research? What are the impacts on output? What are the relationships between humans and nonhumans yesterday, today, and tomorrow?

Confirmed Keynote Speakers: Dr. Volker Sommer (UCL, Anthropology) and Dr. Jon Day (KCL, English)

Roundtable Panelists: Dr. Sharon Morris (UCL, Slade), Dr. Volker Sommer (UCL, Anthropology), Dr. Jon Day (KCL, English), and Dr. Kristen Kreider (Goldsmiths, Fine Art)

UCL researchers, including graduate students, from all fields and disciplines are invited to submit proposals for brief 10-minute presentations on a topic related to the theme of Interconnectedness.

For more information, contact: Dawn Gaietto at dawn.gaietto.14@ucl.ac.uk and Sarah Fortais at sarah.fortais.13@ucl.ac.uk

• Download the call for papers

• Register attendance on Eventbrite

Location: UCL, Darwin Building, B05

Start: May 25, 2018 09:00am

End: May 25, 2018 08:00pm