School of Arts, Design and Architecture / Aalto University
Helsinki, Finland

3-7 February, 2020

CIRRUS Nordic-Baltic Network of Art and Design Education
http://cirrus.artun.ee/

Below, info on the workshop to be arranged at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture of the Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland as a collaboration of three art universities and countries: Aalto Arts – https://www.aalto.fi/en/school-of-arts-design-and-architecture (main organizer), Iceland University of the Arts – www.lhi.is and VDA Vilnius Academy of the Arts, Lithuania – www.vda.lt

In addition to students from this year’s host (the Aalto University), five students from Iceland, five students from Lithuania and five students from other Nordic/Baltic countries are able to participate. The CIRRUS network will pay travel and accommodation costs.

If you want to participate, please email tarja.nieminen@aalto.fi by DECEMBER 1, 2019 a brief statement of why you wish to participate and an overview of your skill set as it relates to the topic. We are particularly interested in participants with animation skills and/or experience working with pervasive gaming / augmented reality. The results of the selection will be communicated by 31^st of November and for those selected also information on travelling arrangements.

Tentative travel dates:

Saturday 1st February or Sunday 2nd February –
Sunday 9th February, 2019

Workshop description:

Urban Space Gaming
Level: BA/MA
Duration: 5 days

2 ECTS credits

Tutors: Tarja Nieminen (Finland), Sam Rees (The UK, Iceland), Lode Coen (Belgium), Ausra Lisauskiene (Lithuania) and visiting lecturers

URBAN SPACE GAMING

In terms of civilization history, games and gaming represent one of the oldest means of human communication and interaction, and at the same time, they are more contemporary and relevant than ever.

The key element in gaming is involvement: games are social, so players interact meaningfully with each other and games often help to bridge the communication/conversation gap. Games are not only “games” but also go beyond their immediate purpose: they embody living popular tradition

due to their ability to renew and adapt to new times and new customs. The workshop is relevant, not only because of its adaptable topic, but also educationally when considering current notions of designer´s roles as a content developer, author, producer, activist, and collaborator, and agent of change.

The workshop theme is communication and intervention in public space
by means of participatory games and act of playing – in other words, it looks at the gamification of urban and social design. In the workshops, the participants will create concepts for different kinds of participatory games taking place within public spaces.

The overall aim of the workshop is to generate interaction between students and
the local people as well as between the people and their surroundings.
The aspects to be taken into consideration are:
1. Public space intervention,
2. Interaction among people and between people and spaces,
3. To encourage people to improve their physical environment,
4. Explore ways to communicate e.g. on cultural and historical awareness, as well as social issues
5. Public space appearance improvement by means of art and design, and
6. Alternative ways of mapping, guiding or way finding.

The main output of the workshop will be a number of game concepts, game mock-ups or in some cases actual games played out in the urban environment. The final presentation should involve dynamic visualizations of the concept to showcase clearly the intent and possibility of the project.

Some of the final game concepts may be transferable, but some of them will probably be more site specific. Ultimately, there will not be any preconceived notions of the kind of the game participants should design – the concepts could include for example, games which involve growing things, games which expand in time, games which utilize augmented reality or games which use other pervasive gaming strategies. In addition to the presentation of the final game/game concepts, there will be a blog created,
showcasing the results of the workshop online.

(More info will be provided to those who will participate).