Playful Interventions Workshops (2015)

Play intervention workshops were held at Centre for Contemporary Photography as part of The Art of Play exhibition. This exhibition is part of a Young And Well CRC partnership and an Australian Research Council Discovery, Games of Being Mobile.

The workshop ran for two hours. Participants were shown examples of face-to-face games that reflect upon digital gaming and transform or intervene spaces in creative ways. For example, PacManhattan, Flash Mob Freeze/ Starwars, B.U.G (Big Urban Games), Multiple Massively Thumb Wrestling, Chocomel Experiment, Hovergarden to name a few. To warm up they played Multiple Massively Thumb Wrestling (by monochrom).

Students firstly reflected upon the digital games they liked and why. They then worked in teams to TEST, PLAY and PERFECT a site-specific game. The game involved “Smugglers” smuggling and building Lego while “Inspectors” sought to find the hidden Lego. Students worked together in groups to problem solve and make a PLAYABLE game. This required students to consider what skills and experiences playing involves and how it can reflect a sense of well-being, place or community. Each group had a designated photographer/ documentary maker. They made stop motion animation videos (my create app) or comics (comic maker app) of the play activities.