Games Garden Party
Welcome to the Games Garden Party!
You are cordially invited to join a branching conversation, a chance to test some demos and a moment to plan for the next one! This is a space to hang out, share ideas and explore a playful side of community forming.
Games Garden Party has two strands, a relaxed unconference (inspired by Jo Summers’ Underdeveloped and Mattie Brice’s Lost Levels) and an informal micro-exhibition. Over an afternoon we'll host a series of conversations led by you! Alongside that we want to offer a space to show a handful of games. Things that might not get a chance to be seen otherwise, things that don't fit the mold.
UNCONFERENCE:
Games Garden Party is a chance to share experience and grow our communal knowledge. This means, there is no set programme structure, and everyone who attends is invited to speak or run a discussion if they wish. Primarily it’s an opportunity to get together in a fun way and chat about what we’re interested in.
Sessions are 20 minutes and you can run a session on whatever you want. Present a question you want to delve into, share a project you are working on, play a game, lead a walk, give gardening tips. It’s an opportunity to widen our understanding in unexpected ways. On arrival you can propose a session and everything will be added to the programme.
It’s intentionally informal and low tech. There’s no need for powerpoint presentations, or complicated props. This is a space to share on equal footing and to open up new conversations. There is no expectation to stay at a particular talk/activity for the whole time and nobody will judge you for switching between talks. The idea is to create an inclusive environment and to allow all participants to have the best time possible, taking in sessions that inspire and enrich.
MICRO-EXHIBITION:
We’ve got a little space to show a handful of games for the day. Are you working on something that you’d like to demo or an idea that needs playtesting? This might be the place! We also want to set aside a set of unconference slots to have a bit of a discussion about the games on show. It could be a moment to get some detailed feedback, or to talk about the wider themes you’re exploring.