Modelling the Future Rights of Nature in South Yorkshire

Supporting Organisation(s):
Arts Catalyst and Dark Matter Labs & LawyersForNature,
Chair/Other Speakers:
ames Lock (Opus Associates).

Part of the 2023 Festival of Debate, this panel discussion explored the legal and cultural potential of granting personhood to South Yorkshire’s landscapes. Chaired by James Lock, the event brought together artists, lawyers, and researchers to discuss shifting our relationship with the River Don from one of extraction to one of mutually assured flourishing.

This session showcased the River Dôn Project, a collaborative effort to protect our local ecology through legal innovation and creative practice. David Cotterrell, a lead researcher and artist, presented his interactive installation BIDE, which used live hydrological data to personify the river’s fragility. Working with Lawyers for Nature and Dark Matter Labs, Cotterrell explored how transdisciplinary art can bridge the gap between abstract policy and foster ecological empathy.