“In The Treaty of Finsbury Park 2025, we are catapulted several years into the future where all the species of the park have risen up to demand equal rights with humans. After much unrest, it has been agreed that a treaty will be drawn up, designating these rights, but first humans must learn to better relate to and understand non-humans so they can cooperate better together. Thankfully there has been a new invention - The Sentience Dial - which allows humans to tune into all the flora and fauna of Finsbury Park.”

In the Public game of Interspecies Assemblies we plan the first ever Interspecies Festival of Finsbury Park.

The Festival will be a gathering for all species to showcase our histories and cultures, our interests and expertises. Like a World’s Fair or an Olympic Games, it will be a place of discovery, marvels and broadened horizons. But it can only be planned if humans collaborate with all the species of the park to present ideas.

Assemblies are powered by the Sentience Dial.

Before joining the Assemblies The Sentience Dial allocates each of us a mentor representing one of 7 species based in Finsbury Park. These include a tree, a bee, a goose, the grass, a squirrel, a stag beetle and a dog. We are then guided through a process to develop our own game character based on what we learn, and ultimately to represent our Species Mentor.

Which feats of strength, agility, endurance, healing, dance navigation, speed or song will we showcase to grow cultural understanding and celebrate the biodiversity of Finsbury Park?

It’s up to all of the players of The Interspecies Assemblies Game.

The Interspecies Assemblies will take place in person in Finsbury Park and online from Autumn 2021 to Summer 2022

By planning together the Interspecies Festival human people learn about the lives and needs of others. They learn how to connect more deeply with all the species of the park through the creation of a festival for all.

Join the Interspecies Assemblies!

How Do We Play?

The Interspecies Assemblies is a live action role play game or LARP*.

We join the Interspecies Assemblies to represent our Species Mentors and speak our minds.

In an online meeting, we voice the views and proposals of our Mentor Species. We wear a mask at all times and no human faces are seen at the Assemblies.

Before the meeting players are matched to their Species Mentors and build a connection with them, using the Sentience Dial to respond to some questions - this takes about 10 minutes.

Finally, players enjoy the Assembly Rehearsal where they learn to don their masks, inhabit their more-than-human selves, and excel in the game.

Who Can Play?

Anyone can play the Interspecies Assemblies game if they have access to a computer, and internet connection.*

Players can be from anywhere in the world. If a player is from Finsbury Park or the surrounding area they can help everyone else understand more about the location. If a player is from another part of the world they bring wisdom from their locality and help us find our common cause.

*If you don’t have easy access to a computer or internet but live near Finsbury Park, we’d love you to join us for the live assembly in the park August 2022.

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What Is A Live Action Role-Play?

A Live Action Role-Play or LARP is a form of make-believe game where participants play characters who interact to pursue goals within a fictional setting

We create a new reality by asking each other questions about our characters' lives, memories, opinions, needs.

There are 2 rules in this kind of game

1. We act as we imagine our characters would and stay in character at all times.

2. We are kind, generous and supportive of each other as we create a new world together.

Play can be intense, funny, fascinating and sometimes a bit awkward. Characters can disagree with each other but they don't question the reality of the character's existence. Sometimes the characters in our fictional worlds are delightful, sometimes unpleasant (as people are in the actual world). Unpleasant things may happen to them or between them. If any player becomes uncomfortable for any reason they can take a break by turning off their mic and camera. They are also free to leave if they decide that it is not for them. Game hosts will be there to support players.