Live Panel Session at IF: MK International Festival - Encountering Urban Wildlife

During the first wave of the Covid pandemic, the lack of traffic, noise pollution, and the renewed interest in urban gardening raised awareness around the presence of bird life in urban environments. Moving forward, how can we relate differently to animals in the city? What new kinds of relationships can we form with urban wildlife? The interdisciplinary panel focuses on our relationships with animals in urban spaces, specifically interactions between birds and humans in city centres.

This live virtual panel reflects on our relationships with wildlife in cities in response to Marco Barotti’s Woodpeckers that are installed in public spaces around Milton Keynes during the IF Festival 2021. The panel opens up conversation between environmentally engaged academics, educators, activists, birders, and the public.

Chair:

Carla Benzan (OU Art History)

Panelists:

Judy Ling Wong, CBE (Artist and Environmental Activist)

Ashley Beolens (Birder and Photographer)

Dr Jan van Duppen (Research Fellow, OU Design)

Professor Graham Harvey (OU Religious Studies)

Gordon MacLellan (Environmental  Educator and Activist)

For further information and tickets, visit the IF: MK International Festival website.