Thursday 24 October, 6-8pm
The Old Rum Store, Chippendale

With roots that can be traced back to the crime serials of Victorian London, 1980s network TV movies of the week, and of course the public’s enduring thirst for tabloid news, the true crime boom hasn’t exactly occurred in a vacuum. 

We might not like to admit it, but we’ve been fascinated by tales of real-life for forever.

Serial. Making a Murderer. Teacher’s Pet. These series have been streamed and downloaded by millions of avid listeners. This latest iteration of true crime is widely accepted as more than entertainment. Due to its capacity to influence public opinion and alter the course of justice, we’re convinced that it’s meaningful content.

But is it?

The genre has established its own formula – the victim who was “loved by everyone”, the dogged detective, the slick-grimy production values – and viewers are beginning to find themselves in an ethical quandary.

When content makers use real people’s lives and deaths to drive audience numbers, questions of accountability and exploitation become harder to ignore. Are these tragedies and crimes ultimately just grist to the mill? Why are we drawn to stories that prioritise criminals over victims? Should watercooler content have this much influence over legal proceedings? Join us as we investigate true crime.

Speakers:
Associate Professor Rebecca Scott Bray, Criminology
Dr Samuel Shpall, Philosophy
Gina McKeon, Journalist

sydney.edu.au/arts/outsidethesquare
#outsideusyd

Making a Killing: The ethics of true crime

Thursday 28 November
The Old Rum Store, Chippendale
Many commentators believe 2019 is the year veganism will finally go mainstream.

Driven mainly by a mounting millennial awareness of animal and environmental welfare, more than 2 million Australian adults now live completely meat free.

With the health benefits of plant-based diets endorsed by Hollywood stars and commissions of scientists alike, the rise of synthetic “meat” and supermarkets selling vast ranges of vegan-friendly products, a lifestyle that was once casually dismissed as “extreme” is now chic, more accessible and widely practised than ever.

Advocates say shifting from the farming of animals for meat to the factory production of synthetic alternatives could significantly reduce the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, and largely end the cruelties of industrial farming.

Is a vegan diet sustainable? Is an exclusively plant-based diet really better for the planet? And does synthetic meat stand a chance? 

Join a leading diet researcher, an agri-food and environmental expert and a political scientist committed to animal welfare as they consider what the rise of veganism might mean for us all.

SPEAKERS:
Dr Peter Chen - Media politics, Australian politics, public policy
Dr Alana Mann - Media & Communications
Dr Nick Fuller - Obesity, Nutrition

#outsideusyd
sydney.edu.au/arts/outsidethesquare

The Rise of Veganism: The end of animal farming?

It’s our version of Q&A. Our sharpest academics and graduate experts tackle a range of tricky issues with an audience who comment and ask questions using their phones. There's drinks. There’s food. It’s fun.

Outside the Square—Q&A, our way