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Author: Sayraphim
Tipping point, the conclusion to The Whispering Society, by Emilie Collyer
Tipping point
by Emilie Collyer
All he did was stop for a coffee.
Tuesday morning, city square. Autumn sunlight bouncing off the little canal they built into the concrete pavers. The smell of promise in the air. Autumn in Melbourne always smells like promise.
His grey suit, nice cut, looking like he forked out a bit for it. Maybe he’s on his way to an interview. He’s nervous. Low self-esteem. The shoes are worn but polished and just a bit too much after-shave scent trailing in his wake. Soapy, with undertones of cigarette smoke. Hands shaking gently as he wraps them around the cardboard cup, flicks the lid off, blows on the coffee.
It’s one of those pretty coffees. The barista has taken care, drawn a delicate swirl in the crema, shaped like a love heart. If the guy had looked closely it might have been warning enough. But only if he’d recognised the symbol. And why would he? He was a regular guy, with ordinary hopes and petty fears, feeling a bit flat on a Tuesday morning, wanting the buzz of a caffeine lift.
He wasn’t one of us.Read More
White Night, Melbourne
Phew! Last night we debuted The Whispering Society as part of White Night Melbourne. We had over 1000 people through our four locations, seeking out signs of the paranormal and sharing their stories over the 12 hours.
For the moment we’re resting up, but we couldn’t resist sharing some photos from the night.
Thanks to our amazing game runners, Madeline Anderson, Jack Beeby, Sam Dowdswell, Jason Cavenagh and Dave Lamb. Also massive thanks to the volunteer staff of the State Library of Victoria who went above and beyond to help out with all our payers and Gwyn Morfey who stepped in as emergency game runner to help out when we were overwhelmed by numbers of players.
Stay tuned for Emilie Collyer’s conclusion to The Whispering Society.
Plays Well With Others – a response by Emilie Collyer
Our Writer in Residence, Emilie Collyer, also wrote a response to the experience of playing games at the Fresh Air festivalin Feb, 2013. We’re proud to present Emilie’s brand new work – Plays Well With Others.
by Emilie Collyer
The problem wasn’t so much in the game. The problem was in the aftermath of the game.
‘Who the fuck is going to clean this place up?’
He was blonde, lean and dressed as a security guard. None of us could tell at that moment who was Halo and who was Human. It was hard enough any time, but straight after a long game judgement was particularly impaired. But he was holding a gun so we gave him the benefit of the fucking doubt.Read More
Believer, a response to Mount Trottoir by Emilie Collyer
Our Writer in Residence, Emilie Collyer, has been hard at it and here responds to the experience of playing Atmosphere Industries’ Mont Trottoir.
Believer
(gotta-fucking-love-them)
by Emilie Collyer
My favourite photograph is the one of us at the top of the mountain. You’re looking like a freakin’ movie star. Fuck you’re gorgeous. And I’m looking like the idiot who’s in love with a movie star. We’re both wearing sunglasses and peaked caps and kerchiefs – is that what you call them? – around our necks. Mine is orange and yours is purple. The sun is shining so brilliant. Behind us are mountains and more mountains. Serious mountains for serious fuckers. Our mountain was humble in comparison. It was only 5,000 metres or thereabouts. You know I should look up exactly how high it was. I have never been happier than in that moment. On that day. Fuck me, you were so beautiful.
We never own anything, that’s what I learned. Things, people, mountains, sunshine, they’re just on loan to us and we can’t ever get away with thinking we can keep them forever.Read More
Fresh Air, 2013 – some photos!
Phew! What a big weekend Fresh Air was! We ran 18 large games, a myriad of smaller games, we had 4 Constructive Play events and a number of playful companies came along to run their own games too. We played with hundreds of people and had a blast!
We saved cities from burning, cracked a safe and sold the loot, had pirate raids and uncivil wars, we made trailers for movies that are yet to be made and took tours of Federation Square, Pop Up Playground style. We made offerings to bovine gods, fed oscine families, made Barbies fly and swim, we made super heroes of ordinary people and illuminated lonely corners of Fed Square.
We’re still sorting through photos, but we thought we’d upload some now for your viewing pleasure! These weren’t all the games on offer, just a couple of photos of gameplay and fun.
- Hummingbirdman Rally by Sayraphim Lothian
- Uncivil Wars by Slingshot (UK)
- Uncivil Wars by Slingshot (UK)
- Midnight in the City by Pop Up Playground
- The Cabinet of Dr Madazpants by Pop Up Playground
- Big One, Little One playing old fashioned games
- A Movie of You by Pop Up Playground
- Gobstopper Job by Serious Business (UK)
- Holy Cow Sacred Udder by Team Hat (UK)
- Tourist Attractors by Pop Up Playground
We’d like to thank and double thank all the people who helped us run the festival – the game runners, volunteers, game designers and other playful peeps who turned up to help as well as the national and international companies how let us run their games and of course, all the awesome people who turned up to play!
Fresh Air Festival: BEST FUN EVER! (Sometime Melbourne review)
Fresh Air Festival
Pop Up Players, Federation Square
8 February 2013
The Edge, Federation Square
to 10 February
Saturday and Sunday: 1.00–4.00 and 6.00–9.00
popupplayground.com.au
Facebook page
It started tonight and runs through to Sunday. And it’s all FREE.Read More
Playing in Public With Pop Up Playground (Wired interview)
Playing in Public With Pop Up Playground
Playing with my kids is probably the finest thing I get to do with my life. From boardgames to roleplaying through to wrestling the youngest on the bed and wandering through Minecraft servers with the older boys. I love to play (what GeekDad doesn’t?). Importantly, GeekDads know that play need not be something that stops at childhood. In Melbourne, Australia, there is an organization interested in helping all adults re-engage with play.Read More
Fresh Air Festival (Concrete Playground article)
Fresh Air Festival
When: Friday, 8 February – Sunday, 10 February
Where: Federation Square, Cnr Flinders and Swanston Streets, Melbourne VIC 3000
How much: FREE
Whether it’s being part of a crowd rooting for a football team, an audience laughing in unison at a comedian’s jokes, or maybe flashmobbing a train station, there’s something special about communal experience. Pop Up Playground’s Fresh Air Festival is all about bringing strangers together through fun, games, and complicity.
A series of activities will take place around Federation Square this weekend, all based around the theme of interaction and improvisation. Some are as simple as a tent where an artwork that has been left for a lucky stranger — on the condition that they make something for the next person to come along and discover. Then there are enormous, communal games that might have you carrying out secret missions, putting out fires, or even escaping a curse.
Fresh Air Fest is an anarchic, hilarious, and inclusive festival of pervasive games — you’re guaranteed to leave with a new friend.
Original article here: http://melbourne.concreteplayground.com.au/event/102239/fresh-air-festival.htm
Drawing Room: Generational games (Radio National interview)
The podcast for our Artistic Director Robert Reid’s interview on Radio National is now online for your listening pleasure. It also features comedian Dave O’Neil talking about the playful (and slighty unsafe) things he used to do in the name of ‘play’ as a child… http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/drive/drawing-room3a-generational-games/4504606
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