The Politics of Play is a workshop with a focus on enabling collaborative networks in the city through the medium of play. The workshop takes the form of an exchange and collective learning experience divided into 3 parts;

1. Introductions/ Warm-up
2. Observation/ Collection/ Field Research
3. Discussion/Implementation/ Play

Goal of workshop:
To make a game based on observation and site.




1. Introductions/Warm-up:
Introductions via gameplay and sociograms to map the social relationships within the group. Discuss the politics within play and the play within politics. Perform exercise/brainstorm of these variations. Workshoppers are asked to bring games and examples of art projects/situations that foster collaboration. The games will be played and deconstructed in terms of rules and game play. One of the most exciting parts of playing a game is breaking the rules or customizing the game.

Reshuffle/Customization/Open Source:
We will look at the rules and playing pieces brought forth and discuss how these games and their rules can be altered and played out to foster sociability or engage with people in the city sphere.


2.Observation/Collection/Field Research:
Workshoppers are broken into four groups. Each group recieves a thematic suitcase equip with observation tools. Each group is assigned a quadrent of the surrounding area to observe. The goal of this phase is to meet people in the assigned quadrent, interview people, document the area according to the suitcase theme and find patterns or needs that might lend themselves to the medium of play/game.

General Points to Observe:
Rules/ Exchange/ Import/export/ Currency/ Goods/ Service
Location
The workshop takes place in a city. A map of the surrounding area is broken into 4 small quadrents.
What are the borders of this area?
Who lives here?
What is the history of this place?
What kind of transportation dominates?
Is it pedestrian friendly?
What types of recreation occur?

Suitcases:
Each group will get a suitcase containing observation supplies:
-Custom map of a quadrent of the surrounding area.(4 quadrents total)
-Cards to note observations
-Stickers to make logos + to stick on map to indicate type of observations.
 
     
Suitcase Missions:
Groups go out into city for one hour to collect things to put in suitcase.
Each suitcase will has a theme: Economic, Environmental, Cultural, Social/ Anti-Social. (see below) Groups will be asked to focus their observation on their assigned theme.

To collect:
-Rules! All games have at least one rule, so do politics of course.
What are the rules that people play by in the neighbourhoods?
-How do people interact, restrict, collaborate, silently expect...also with objects: use, destroy, ...
-Found objects, posters, trash
-Public input, interviews, votes (use your suitcases!)
-Photos (one person in the group should be photographer)

*If something is bought it should be towards a worthy observation, we hope no one will spend money and focus on all objects being found.

Situations: Breaking the Rules
What are the moments that people decide to break rules in public (now i take the right to destroy, kick others out of the way on the tram, throw trash on the street, poison pigeons, scratch cars..)
 
     
 

 


3. Discussion/Implementation/Play:
The third part involves the presentation of findings during Observation phase. Each group will present and discuss similarities, overlap and possible collaboration. Groups will development a game based on their observations.
Building materials will be available for props, playing pieces, costumes...

Making a game:
Starting from the thematic observations think about what people should
experience when playing?
What issue/theme should be addressed within the game?

Format:
Board game(fixed site using existing architecture)vs. Spacial game exetending over a defined area.

Rules:
What are the rules?
Point system?
What are the props?
How many players?
Using the suitcases as board/ physical border/ props itself
Do people win?
Can everyone win?