Welcome to chart2050: a website that reflects on the history of animal advocacy in order to imagine a different future—for ourselves and other animals. Chart2050 consists of two elements: “Martin’s Act at 200” and chart2050. Watch this video for more details.

“Martin’s Act at 200” is a six-part audio documentary, produced by the Culture & Animals Foundation and written and directed by Alex Lockwood. It describes the legacy of the Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act, sponsored by Member of the British Parliament Richard “Humanity Dick” Martin, which was signed into law on July 22, 1822, and is widely considered to be the first piece of animal welfare legislation from a Western political body.

Martin’s Act led directly to the founding of the first SPCA, and kickstarted the animal advocacy movement in the West. This site contains twenty interviews with historians, philosophers, cultural critics, and activists, who tell the story of Martin’s Act and the ups and downs of animal advocacy over two centuries.

Drawing its inspiration from the British Chartist movement of the 1830s and 1840s, which presented six demands for political reform, chart2050 is an invitation to imagine the next three decades of animal advocacy, and for communities around the world to consider what their demands might be, given the realities of the climate and biodiversity crises and the need to protect democracy, enhance resilience, and foster environmental justice. To find out how you and your community can create your own “Animal Charter,” for 2050, click here.