URBAN SPACE GAMING
workshop (Nordplus intensive course)
Iceland University of the Arts, Reykjavik, Iceland
4-8 February, 2019

Workshop to be arranged at the Icelandic University of the Arts, Reykjavik, Iceland, 4th – 8th February, 2019 as a collaboration of three art universities and countries: Aalto Arts – www.aalto.fi(main organizer), Iceland University of the Arts –www.lhi.isand Vilnius Academy of the Arts, Lithuania –www.vda.lt

Five students from other CIRRUS member schools can participate in the workshop. The travel and accommodation costs will be paid by organisers. Both BA and MA students can apply.

If you want to participate, please email tarja.nieminen@aalto.fi by 12th of November 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. Applicants will get information on the selection by 19^thof November.

Students selected to participate in the workshop will get information on travel and accommodation arrangements with the acceptance message.

Travel dates will be:

Saturday 2nd February – Sunday 10th February, 2019

 BRIEF

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).