Ali tudi vaši najstniki neznansko uživajo v igranju računalniških iger, vendar ste nekoliko v skrbeh, da to morda ni najboljše za njihov psihofizični razvoj?
S tem vprašanjem se srečujemo praktično vsi starši. Homo sapiens se tako neznansko rad igra, da mu snovalci iger uspešno ponujajo vedno bolj privlačne možnosti, da vse več časa preživi v virtualnem svetu.
Igranje računalnikih iger seveda ni slabo samo po sebi, saj ima tudi nekatere pozitivne strani (več o tem). Najstniki v igrah na primer najdejo občutek pomembnosti in pripadnosti, obenem pa celo razvijajo nekatere pomembne veščine kot je sposobnost razreševanja problemov. Po drugi strani pa ima pretirano igranje igric vseeno lahko negativne posledice v slabših socialnih kompetencah, nezadostni fizični pripravljenosti ali celo odtujenosti od realnosti.
REŠITEV: ŽIVE PUSTOLOVSKE IGRE ZA CELO DRUŽINO
Na srečo zaskrbljenih staršev se v svetu pospešeno razvija nov žanr iger, ki je deloma ali v celoti odmaknjen od ekranov. Pri tako imenovanih živih igrah aktivnosti potekajo v realnem svetu, kjer pa je potrebno reševati podobne izzive kot jih srečamo v računalniških igricah. Lahko bi rekli, da žanr živih iger ohranja pozitivne strani računalniških iger, medtem ko izloči negativne.
Dober primer trenda živih iger so take imenovane sobe pobega (escape room) kot je na primer naš Zmajev tempelj v Ljubljani, kjer mora celotna družina razrešiti skrivnost starodavnega templja, za zaključek pa je potrebno premagati čisto pravi podzemni slap.
Poleg “escape roomov” se hitro razvijajo tudi druge oblike živih iger in pustolovščin, ki v sebi združujejo elemente reševanja ugank, iskanja skritega zaklada, igranja vlog in podobno. Na voljo je že kar nekaj poceni ali celo brezplačnih aplikacij, s katerimi lahko sprehod po mestu ali izlet v naravo spremenite v čisto pravo pustolovščino (npr. Nexto, Geocaching). Starši imate danes torej več kot dovolj možnosti, da vaš naraščaj vseh starosti odpeljete na zrak in skupaj z njimi doživite nekaj junaškega.
POLETNA ŠOLA USTVARJANJA ŽIVIH IGER ZA NAJSTNIKE
Če je vaš najstnik resničen ljubitelj iger, pa ga lahko letos prvič vpišete tudi v poletno šolo snovanja živih iger, ki bo potekala v mesecu juliju. Strah pred pretiranim igranjem iger, še posebej med počitnicami, lahko torej obrnete v priložnost, da si vaši otroci izboljšajo socialne veščine (delo v skupinah), trenirajo možgane pri reševanju in sestavljanju ugank, obenem pa se učijo izjemno pomembne vseživljenjske kompetence – aktivnega pristopa k reševanju problemov.
Na poletni šoli snovanja živih iger bomo na trenutke tudi malo resni. Vsak udeleženec bo z dogodka namreč odnesel tudi lastno (analogno) igro, ki mu bo pomagala pri samo-motivaciji, na primer za učenje. Seveda pa se bomo večino časa zabavali s snovanjem čisto pravih pustolovščin. Namesto, da bi gledali v računalniške zaslone in streljali zombije bomo igrali in snovali žive, družabne, socialne, fizične igre, pri katerih bomo v rokah držali pravi rekvizite in se pogajali s pravimi ljudmi.
MAGIČNI KROG
Platon je menda rekel, da v eni uri igre človeka bolje spoznaš, kot v enem letu pogovora. In res je tako. Snovalci živih iger vemo, da ljudje med igranjem dobre igre stopimo v tako imenovani magični krog, v katerem realnost postane bolj barvita, odnosi med ljudmi tesnejši, celotna izkušnja pa bolj zanimiva in bogatejša.
Spoštovani starši. Življenje brez iger bi bilo dolgočasno. Igrajmo se več. Sami, med seboj in posebej z našimi otroci.
Žiga Novak
oče 2 otrok, direktor Skupine Orehov gaj,
inovator, podjetnik, snovalec živih iger za izobraževanje in zabavo
VEČ O POLETNI ŠOLI SNOVANJA ŽIVIH IGER
Na poletni šoli bomo:
- Preizkušali obstoječe igre, ki jih imamo na polici Skupine Orehov gaj – družabne, team building, escape igre, pustolovščine po Ljubljani
- Se spoznali s teoretični koncepti in metodami “game designa”
- Zasnovali lastno “resno” analogno igro za pomoč pri samo-motivaciji
- Izdelovali lastne igre – kratke “escape” igre in terenske pustolovčine po Ljubljani.
- Obiskali Orehov gaj in odigrali eno izmed iger za skupine nad 10 oseb
This post is primarily intended for people that have little or no knowledge of larp. However, it is NOT an introductory article to live action role playing. If you want to cover the basics, take a couple of minutes and read about larp, nordic larp, blockbuster larp and what it means to be immersed. For the purpose of this post, it will suffice to know that “to larp” means “to play a fictional character in a parallel universe (fictional story) where you are not a spectator, but a spect-actor, co-creating the spectacle”.
This is also not a full account on the Fairweather Manor larp (FM3 larp in short). See the 18 min documentary below. This is my brief story from FM3 and a relatively concise argument on why everybody interested in personal growth should experience a blockbuster larp.As far as the FM larp goes, the first opportunity is between 2nd and 5th of November 2017. But there are many other optionsfor attending blockbuster larps. Hurry up, the tickets for these events tend to disappear rather soon.
My character in the FM3 game. James Coutts, the banker (photo by Karol&Aga).
FM3 LARP BIO
Time period: 1917 (World War I) Main story: Wedding in the Fairweather noble family Larp inspired by: Downtown Abbey TV series Date and place of the event: 3-6 November 2016, Zamek Moszna, Silezia, Poland No. of players: 130 (3 classes: servants, nobles, guests – artists&professionals) Age limit: 18+ Producers: Dziobak Larp Studios – the crazy Danish-Polish connection More about FM larp.
FULL 18 MIN DOCUMENTARY
TOP 7 REASONS TO ATTEND THIS LARP
1. The castle
The Trophy Room, The Green Room, The Black Room, The Fencing Room, The Grand Ballroom, Main Dining Hall, The Orangerie, The Grand Staircase, The Tower, The Chapel, The Crypt, you name it. The Moszna castle-hotel of 99 turrets and 365 rooms feels like if was built for the purpose of hosting extraordinary experiences such as the FM larp.
By the way, most (almost all) events by the crazy Dziobaks take place in Silezian castle-hotels such as Czocha castle (home of the College of wizardry larp) or Ksiaz castle (home of the Convention of Thorns vampire larp). All these castles are nothing but amazing.
FM3 family photo, photography by Jean Paul Bichard. Click on the photo for the entire FM3 album.
2. The larpers
About 80 percent of people attending these larps are experienced larpers and many of them are amazing role-players. The rest are usually good naturals that will do their best and never break their character. This is important because interacting with larpers helps with your immersion even if you are a complete newbie. Special credits for my play (first big larp for me) go to the beautiful bride, the jolly groom, the aging duke, the stern Lord Peter and his shy grand-daughter, the charming psychoanalyst, the professional butler, my lawyer, business partners and friends, to the lovely ladies I chatted with and, finally, to the underbuttler, Mr Watton (third from the right on the picture below). My god, he still gives me the chills (read on to learn why).
The atmosphere and parallel reality of this event is created by the entire crew of 130 people playing the game. And they are all awesome. I cannot imagine an interesting person who would not want to spend 4 days with people crazy enough to be doing this larp . A special thanx to the servants as well. People I talk to about FM3 still raise eyebrows when I tell them than some weirdos are willing to pay good money for the experience of serving other people. Which makes me respect them even more.
3. The rituals
As most extraordinary experiences, this event is centered around rituals. The main ritual was a magnificent wedding in an authentic chapel, but we also attended many other wedding-related rituals such as the stag party, hen party, the wedding preparations, photography sessions and so on. The surreal and very fun experience of attending “fake” wedding rituals is by itself a good reason to attend this larp. It makes it really easy to participate even if you are not ready to be true spect-actor and prefer to have a smaller role.
There are many other “lesser” rituals embedded in the story. The FM larp is also about the ritual formality of the meals (and there are many, many meals during the game) and the awkward atmosphere at the great ball – the grand finale of the event. Perhaps most importantly, FM is very much about the rituals you create in-game with your co-players (such as signing contracts, occultist séances in the crypt, wedding proposals etc…).
The stag party. Photo by Theodore Abbey. Click on the photo for the entire album.
4. The memorable moments
So many of them. In the end, the most memorable are small personal moments that happened in groups of 2 to 10 people. These are my top 5.
Chatting up and embarrassing young ladies and slightly older widows that could not be seen socialising with a charming banker. Taking romantic walks in the park, enjoying the beautiful gardens of the castle and having conversations about everything – from mundane to philosophy.
Selling stocks of the TANK inc., a tank production company (that I invented for the game) to anybody with a thick wallet and economic or personal interest. When I went to Lord Peter’s office for a meeting with him and the Duke I felt as nervous as I would be really handling a multimillion business.
Being heavily (but discretely) beaten by the creepy soldier/underbutler Mr. Watton in the billiard room (with the help of billiard balls and 4 other guys, off course) because I insulted the bride (on purpose, check what it means to play to loose). It is a powerful moment indeed when you realise that things are going to get very violent and you are going to be on the receiving end.
Presenting an imaginary gift to the bride (a crate of finest Indian linen) and groom (a fine horse that he could ride to the nearest officers club begin the frontline).
Climbing the highest tower in the castle in the middle of the night in some great company. Just inventing the story of a ghost along the way.
Irish noble signs a contract to buy 20% of TANK inc. Photo by Theodore Abbey.
Honourable mentions:
Finding the purse lost by the bride. This eventually led to me being seriously beaten by Mr. Watton and his military comrades.
Signing of contracts on selling shares to the TANK inc. company. I managed to raise 800.000 pound sterling, half the cost of building a new Titanic.
The stag party, with Jamsey, the groom, describing servant’s ankles in a semi-erotic fashion. The servants were kept hidden behind a curtain – see the photo above.
A joyride with an old-timer car in an inappropriate company.
A breakfast with the Russian Grand Duchess, outrageously talking to her about finance and trying to sell her hares of TANK inc.
Parlour games, horse show in the park, opera performance in the chapel, an occultist séance in the chilly crypth of the caste, waltzing at the ball
Every time I met a servant in a hall and got a bow.
5.The lightness of being
The lightness of just being there was surprising. Non-larpers often think role playing is a very serious, or at best, geeky affair. In fact, it is much easier than I thought. You don’t really have to prepare a lot or know a lot about the themes or the time period. Until an evening before the game (the game starts Friday morning when you wake up) I had no character, no relations and no costume. Just a desire for improvisation and to have fun. The 1917 war theme was a natural environment for me, to be honest, but knowing about WW1 themes is not necessary.
If you relax, go with the flow and drink a glass or two of wine, you will be fine in any larp. I realised that in order to have fun at FM larp you don’t even have to know names and noble titles of co-players nor you need to understand the family relations. If you are a newbie and with no time to prepare just come up with a character that is new to the family. You will have an excellent excuse to talk with everybody and get a feeling of the entire extended family of 130 people.
Talking politics and love in the Trophy Room (photo by Karol&Aga).
6) The friendships
The entire experience is so overwhelmingly powerful that you will never forget the people you shared it with. It’s not just the people nearest to you in larp. After FM3 I felt like adding every single participant on Facebook. Even those I barely interacted with. Something I would normally never do. And they responded. Co-creating a parallel universe is a team building activity like no other. Fellow FM larpers that might be reading this; I love you and my doors are always open. Footnote: almost two months after the event, these feelings are still there.
7) The change
My bleed has been surprisingly long and intense. I truly feel like I am not the same person anymore. The safety of being in a character in a fictional world gives you unprecedented freedom to become a better and more relaxed version of yourself. If I will become as charming, as chatty, as intelligent and even considerate as Mr James Coutts, the banker; well that remains to be seen:).
On a slightly more serious note. Attending FM3 confirmed 100% what I have felt for about 2 years now. Immersive nordic methodologies, such as larp and edularp, are the best possible tool for implementing transformation: in yourself and your organizations.
Thanx for reading this. Let me know your thoughts below.
If you never heard of larp before, you might want to read this LARP šnelkurs article first (in Slovenian).
Claus Raasted, 36, from Denmark, is the world’s leading expert on larp tourism, that I first met at the Knudepunkt larp convention in February 2015. A larp business owner and an author of 17 books on larp is perhaps best know for his work on College of Wizardry, a Harry Potter based 3-day larp experience in Poland that has been heavily featured in the global media (such as USA Today, PEOPLE ,Time etc). He raised more that 160.000 USD in a successful Indiegogo campaign for the project. Reading his Facebook feeds, it sure feels like his ambitious dream of buying a castle for his larp projects is becoming ever more real.
Claus is one of the most captivating speakers I’ve ever met.
Claus briefly spoke to us in view of the forthcoming conference on Gamification in tourism that will take place in the Walnut Grove, Ljubljana, Slovenia on 23rd of September 2015. Claus believes Slovenia is full of many interesting possibilities in gamified and larp tourism. As a keynote speaker at the conference (targeted at Slovenian tourism developers in municipalities, public agencies and private companies) he will share his experience in developing experiental tourism products with local communities in Denmark, Poland and elsewhere.
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What is gamificiation of tourism in the eyes of Claus Raasted?
To me, gamification of tourism means adding an extra layer to the tourist experience. It can be a competitive layer (“Visit these seven Slovenia castles in one week and win a prize”) or a narrative one (“Stay at the beautiful Hotel Grad Otočec and be part of a 14th century adventure”). I am mostly interested in the narrative layer
How does larp tourism fit in this picture? Can you give us examples?
Larp tourism is a prime example of creating a narrative layer. Instead of trying to get tourists to visit the Snežna ice caves, make them play the roles of a Polar Explorer Expedition that suddenly finds out itself lost deep underground. Instead of showing off a location and its history, use a location as as setting for an event. Then after the participants have experienced it on their own, tell them about its history.
Which project are you most proud off? Can you explain how the local community is benefiting from this project?
The project I am most proud of is College of Wizardry in Poland. No larp before it has gotten the same amount of global attention, and it is more or less impossible to calculate the worth of the press coverage for the wonderful castle of Czocha. Suddenly it’s not just a beautiful Polish castle, but one which people from all across want to visit and experience. There are even people who visit the castle BECAUSE of the events held there, even though they’re not present for the events themselves. To many people all over over the globe, it’s now “the Harry Potter castle in Poland
Do you have a caste that needs content? Claus will probably have a good and realistic idea on how to tackle the problem.
What’s the potential for using larp technology in the non-larping environment? Can larp add value to existing tourism products (food, drink, accommodation, attractions etc).
One of the advantages of larp is that it’s a 360 degree illusion, and can incorporate everything. It takes the physical world and builds a fictional story on top of it, and be engaging participants in that story, the actual events/locations/activities gain more meaning. A dinner of centuries-old vampires in an old medieval castle is still – at its core – a dinner at a castle, but it has much more meaning to the participants due to the narrative layer. An Agatha Christie style murder mystery on a ferry is still a boat ride, but it is a much more interesting one than just travelling by sea
Why are experts in gamifying tourism still completely unaware of larp tourism and potential for larpying tourism experiences?
Larp in its present form is a very new storytelling medium, and because many larps have their roots in the somewhat hard-to-explain hobby of roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons, it is only slowly gaining recognition as both a powerful art form and an excellent form of entertainment. Just like computer games have only risen from their somewhat nerdy past in recent years, larp is also struggling to get rid of its “Orcs, Elves and Lightning Bolts!” images. Not that there is anything wrong with playing orcs and elves. It can be a lot of fun. But just as movies are more than action movies and books are more than romantic novels, larp is much much more than most people know.
What are the future trends in games, larp, tourism?
Globalization is one of the most important trends. I usually say that it’s easier to make a submarine larp if you have a submarine, than find a submarine because you want to make a submarine larp. Larp is on the rise globally, and while we’re beginning to see the beginnings of “luxury larps”, there is still enormous room for growth. These are experiences that sometimes change peoples’ lives and define their identity. Yet we are still only beginning to scratch the surface when it comes to serious larp tourism. Today, you can get the 300€ ski trip, the 1.000€ ski trip and even the 5.000€ ski trip. We’re just beginning to see the rise of the 300€ larp. This is just the beginning.
Last, but not least. What would you suggest to Slovenian tourism developers?Slovenia is home to some beautiful locations. Larp tourism is a way of giving those locations special meaning. For many of our participants at College of Wizardry, Czocha Castle is now like a second home, and several of them have since vacationed there with friends, lovers and family. Larp tourism is a way of creating powerful, personal experiences that last a life time. My humble opinion is that that’s worth something.
By Paul Bulencea and Roman Egger (Books on Demand, Norderstedt, 2015, ISBN 9783734759673).
My life would probably turn out a lot different if I had the chance to read this book 10 years ago. For a start, I would probably not have felt the need to do a 3 month research project at Leeds Metropolitan University in 2007, trying to discover a missing link between two concepts that everybody in tourism talked about: stories (heritage) and extraordinary experiences.
Later that year, I would be much better prepared in facing the audience at the Slovenian Event Management conference, trying to convince them that this holy grail of tourism (and event management) is no other than the concept of PLAY. Ever since then, my work as an event manager and creator of experiences would be much easier. My learning curve in creating and experimenting with engaging experiences would surely be much steeper.
This book comes highly recommended for anybody that wants to create a better, more engaging and financially successful tourism experience. While the book is not really a blueprint for creating experiences (is such a book really possible?), it will certainly give you a very valuable insight into concepts, ideas and good practices that you should be aware of. In fact, just browsing through the book will give you plenty of ideas on how to create a new tourism product or improve an existing one.
The book will also give you a very broad insight into the entire body of knowledge that is relevant to designing memorable tourist experiences. A huge body indeed, since useful concepts arise from so widely diverse fields such as design thinking, the video games industry, gamification movement, motivation theories and last but not least, the positive psychology and the PERMA model (Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment.
The core of the book is an original model presented by the authors: the memorable experience design (MED) framework that presents a summary of the design process and properties combined with theories, tools and techniques related to gamification and experience design. They are all based on the positive psychology and place at their centre a target of the experience – a user of tourism services with his preferences, values and attitudes .
The MED framework includes concepts and models that I have been successfully using in my work in creating experiences, including but not limited to:
- The ideas by Pine and Gilmore on experiential and transformational economies. For example, P&G have argued in their widely quoted 1999 book The Experience Economy that a truly extraordinary experience combines elements of education, entertainment, aesthetic and escapism.
- The concept of the Hero’s Journey, created by Joseph Campbell, adopted by Chris Vogler and extensively used in the Hollywood movie industry. And excellent concept for creating good dramaturgy for events, games and other experiences that you (can) provide for your guests.
- Most relevant game mechanic elements that can be used to create a fully gamified tourism service or to gamify an existing process in marketing, loyalty management or any other interaction with a tourist (mechanics such as boss fights, new levels, rewards, surprise, instant feedback etc.).
The only thing that is missing from the book is what we actually still miss in tourism: not just case studies of tourism products with gamified elements but more examples of truly gamified tourist experiences that would combine local stories and game elements to create an engaging (tourist) experience.
I sincerely hope that this book will prove to be a big kick in the butt for all tourism developers worldwide, both in public institutions and private companies. For one thing is clear. Gamification is by far the best chance for any tourism provider to stand out from the crowd.
In short, well worth the read. Looking forward to the next edition, full of more case studies that we will create in the next couple of years.
Žiga Novak has been designing games and gamified experiences in tourism for the last 10 years. Most recently, he has focused on creating escape rooms and escape projects for bigger, mostly corporate groups that include elements of live-action-role-playing (larp) and sensoric theatre. Žiga runs a group of companies that includes a unique event venue (The Walnut grove), a creative-event-management-team building agency (The TeamBuildingLab) and a consulting firm for developing experiential tourism (Martin Krpan Institute). Žiga can be reached at info@ziganovak.com.
Paul Bulencea, a co-author of the book, will speak at a boutique conference on Gamification in tourism (perhaps the very first conference under that name) that will take a place at the Walnut Grove, Ljubljana, Slovenia on 23rd of September 2015. The event is organized by the Martin Krpan Institute, primarily as a motivational event for Slovenian tourist developers to embrace the huge potential of gamification and include it in the next generation of the EU financed development projects. People attending the conference have the opportunity to buy the book for 50% of the price. Write to info@martinkrpan.org for more information on the conference.
PP prezentacija s seje Komisije za turizem (Skupnost občin Slovenije, Orehov gaj, 26.3.2015), na kateri smo se med drugim pogovarjali o tem, kako igrifikacijo izkoristiti za izboljšanje slovenske turistične ponudbe.
Po prihodu z igrifikacijske turneje na Danskem sem bolj za šalo kot zares poslal e-masovko na vse moje kontakte v turizmu z naslovom: Kaj lahko igrifikacija turizma stori za vas? Sprva se je zdelo, da bo odziv pričakovan. Ničen. Potem pa se je začelo dogajati nekaj čudnega. Klici z občin, razvojnih agencij, galerij in medijev. Vse kar naenkrat zanima, kaj se v tujini dogaja na preseku igrifikacije in turizma.
In dogaja se marsikaj, kar še pred petimi leti ni bilo mogoče. Ne gre namreč samo za priložnosti, ki jih ponuja larp (live-action-role playing) za oživitev objektov, popestritev dolgočasne gostinsko-turistične ponudbe in privabljanje bogatih Skandinacev. Gre tudi za uporabo sodobne tehnologije v povezavi z igrami v resničnem okolju. Za t.i. “pervazivne” igre, ki bodo dostopne vsakomur, ki ima pametni telefon ter se želi zabavati učiti na drugačen način.
Eksplozija na kvadrat
V zadnjih petih letih je svet doživel eksplozijo znanja in tehnologije na dveh ključnih področjih za turizem in organizacijo dogodkov. Prva eksplozija je revolucija pametnih telefonov, vsem na očeh in pri vsakomer v žepu. Druga je eksplozija znanja na področju teorije in tehnologije t.i. »živih” iger, kamor lahko umestimo vse žanre larpa (live action role playing) in sorodnih iger kamor spadajo tudi t.i. “pervazivne” igre.
Ta revolucija je bistveno bolj očem prikrita in v svojih temeljih precej subkulturna, toda v svojih žariščih kot sta Copenhagen in San Francisco je pravzaprav že v mainstreamu. Danes se lahko marsikje po svetu že udeležite iger, ki potekajo na meji med realnim in fiktivnih svetom. Iger, v katerih plačujete mesečno naročnino, da ste lahko tajni agenti, iskalci duhov ali mladi podjetniki, ki opravljajo misije v resničnem svetu pretkanem s plastjo fiktivnega.
Uff. Kaj torej je “pervazivna” igra?
To je pravzaprav težko razložiti. Morda je tako igro še najlažje pojasniti kot nekaj kar se nahaja med iskanjem skritega zaklada (kar vsi poznamo) in filmom »The game« (Igra), ko je Sean Pean svojemu filmskega bratu Michaelu Douglasu podaril igro, ki je bila konec koncev tako transformativna, da je »človek, ki je bil nekoč slep, zdaj spregledal«.
“Pervazivne” igre so danes še kako v zraku tudi med upravljalci turističnih atrakcij kot je Harry Potter World in destinacij kot sta San Sebastian in Regenburg. V Sloveniji jo kot fizična oseba žal še ne morete preizkusiti, že danes pa jo lahko naročite kot organizacija v kontekstu svojega teambuildinga, konference ali promocijske kampanje.
Nekaj malega za vse, ki me sprašujete, kaj sem cel teden počel na Danskem in vam ne morem povedati v enem stavku. Kaj za vraga je larp?
Larp =
- Live Action Role Playing – igranje vlog z namenom doživetja, zabave, pripovedovanja zgodb, izobraževanja in ustvarjanja skupnosti.
- Novi medij in neverjetno orodje za transmedijsko pripovedovanje zgodb, ustvarjanje doživetij in transformacijo.
- Zabava, ki združuje najboljše elemente igranja videoigric, gledanje filmov, uživanja v glasbi in igranja iger v živo.
- Metoda za spodbujanje participacije, vključenosti in občutka so-ustvarjanja pri komuniciranju z vsemi vrstami deležnikov.
- Izjemno orodje za spodbujanje razumevanja in empatije – v terapevtske, izobraževalne in razvojno-organizacijske namene.
- Presenetljivo naravna oblika človeškega izražanja, ki ni nikakršen bav-bav. Ves svet je oder in mi smo vsi igralci (Shakespeare).
- Dokazano učinkovita izobraževalna metoda za posredovanje vseh vrst sporočil na izobraževanjih, treningih in interaktivnih muzejskih postavitvah.
- Skupnost zelo različnih posameznikov (od geekov, hobby larperjev, šolnikov, do futuristov, poslovnežev, marketašev itd…), ki imajo skupen imenovalec pravzaprav le v enem – v prepričanju, da larp lahko spremeni svet.
- Paleta različnih žanrov: Nordic larp, Fantasy larp, Edularp, Pervasive larp, Chamber larp, Steampunk larp itd.
- Osnovna metoda poučevanja na danski šoli, ki je izšolala že 9 generacij 13-15 letnikov (v 2015 se odpira že druga larp šola na Danskem).
- Osrednja metoda, s katero se danska cerkev spopada z upadanjem zanimanja za udeležbo na birmi.
- Kruh za več globalnih podjetjih, ki se ukvarjajo izključno z dobavo oblek, orožja, maske in drugih rekvizitov za t.i. fantasy larperje, npr. http://www.epicarmoury.com/
- Hobi za tiste, ki radijo več dni skupaj preživijo v priljubljenih karakterjih iz Harry Potterja, Lord of The Rings, znanstveno-fantastičnih in vampirskih filmov.
- Novi žanr umetniškega izražanja za pisce, ki bi svoje sporočilo v družbo radi posredovali na inovativen in interkativen način.
- Nova oblika turizma – mednarodni blockbuster larp dogodki (npr. http://www.cowlarp.com/) nastajajo po celem svetu. Več sto vstopnic se proda v nekaj minutah.
- Priložnost, da Game of Thrones doživite in izživite v živo. Pripravlja se mega projekt, s katerim bo larp še bolj prodrl v mainstream.
PP prezentacija z nedavne delavnice na CONVENTI 2015, kjer sem skušal odgovoriti na vprašanje, kako lahko uporabimo metodo igre za povečevanje vključevanja in participacije na vseh vrstah dogodkov.
One way or the other, we humans are all about having fun. When we are enjoying ourselves we are simply better people – friendlier, more creative and receptive to new ideas. But what is fun really about? Sure, it’s about luxury and things that we love, but at the bottom line fun is about humour, experience and play. Put these three elements into one equation and no events will ever be boring and ineffective.
Anatomy of humour
Forget about the unfortunate misconception that humour cannot be studied or learned. It’s quite the opposite. There are literally hundreds of insights that any student of edutainment can learn from studies of humour and apply it to one’s own work. For a start, take a quick glance at the main humour theories (such as superiority, incongruity, release and verbal theories) and explore new ways of how you can put people in a good mood with simple tricks that have been proven to work. Keep in mind that creating a humorous event or educational session is not just about booking a funny speaker or a stand-up comedian as a host. It’s more about taking a closer look at one of the formulas that stand-up comedians use for writing jokes and apply it to your event (e.g. the THREES formula).
Four realms of an experience
Perhaps the most rewarding way to approach edutainment is through the lenses of an (extraordinary) experience. After all, organizers of events, even if it’s a seminar with the most boring of topics, should care about creating a good experience for the guest. Thanx to Pine&Gilmore it’s easier than it sounds. In the famous 1999 book on The Experience Economy they showed us that any outstanding experience has to touch each one of the four experience realms: entertainment, education, aesthetics and escapism. What this means is that every special event should be a sort of edutainment. It also means that any experiential event is more than just learning through fun and entertainment – it’s also about active participation, play and immersion in the event, ideally with as many senses as possible.
Social lubricant no.1
Some say it’s alcohol, I say it’s play. It’s no secret that people love to play games. Just look at the video games industry, which surpassed both the movie and music industries by 2007. Play is far from being just the domain of kids and teenagers. Grown-ups play games all the time too. We play with our roles, identities and choices. We play (and watch people play) sports and board games and all sorts of other games, including the very popular games of chance. We go to see plays in a theater and play with possible scenarios for the ending. We even call an important person or a company »a player«. People play games without even realising – just ask any student of transactional analysis (TA). All in all, it’s seems pretty sad that the only places where we don’t really play is at school and work.
The gamification buzz
Marketers and educators have only recently recognized that games are probably the most effective lubricant for penetrating human minds. What we have not is a buzz called gamification, which stands for using play and game as a method to engage a person or a target group with a specific goal in a non-game context. Much of the inspiration for gamifying comes from sports and video games, like collecting points, earning badges and rewards. Naturally, the idea behind is not entirely new. We have been collecting points and rewards at supermarkets, at corporate teambuildings and elsewhere. Nevertheless, gamification is a fancy new word that is getting a lot of attention worldwide and there are many exciting opportunities to be explored beyond collecting points.
Simulations and role plays
Despite all new technologies, real-life (educational) games have the biggest potential for immersing people in educational events. This method is relatively simple – provide a realistic scenario, an immersive setting, write roles for to the guests and run the simulation with a facilitator. People will generally love to play, because playing with roles and scenarios is perhaps the most immersive and rewarding type of play there is. This method of edutainment is not entirely new either. Generations of students of international relations and politics have enjoyed Model UN simulations. Business simulations have long been recognized as a very effective teaching model at business schools and at corporate trainings. Murder mystery events, at the more experiential level, have also been around for quite some time. But with gamification in the air, now is the time to take these concepts to a new level.
Future of play
It seems that talking about play, games, simulations, even role playing is finally entering the mainstream in many non-game environments such as marketing, HR and education. Many people in business have finally come to recognize that play is a very cool activity for children and adults alike. Soon perhaps, engaging in serious role playing as an adult will no longer be viewed as geeky or inauthentic, but as a very interesting method of having fun, exploring emotions and learning. As for the future, keep an eye on the concept of LARP (live action role playing), the most immersive and complex game people engage in. LARP has relatively recently spread from the USA to the rest of the world and developed into some very interesting sub-genres, such as the Nordic LARP, and most interestingly for our topic, educational-LARP (edu-LARP).
Knudepunkt is an international conference about Nordic Larp held in Denmark 12-15th February 2015. During four days about 500 likeminded people from all over the world will discuss, develop and experience larp theory and design.
Žiga Novak is an entrepreneur, lecturer and facilitator, specialising in using play as a mehod for developing teams and creating engaging experiences.
Si želite dogodek, na katerem bi se dobro zabavali in se obenem veliko naučili o za vas pomembni temi?
Ste imeli že celo vrsto delavnic na temo kompetenc, ki jih potrebujete za vaše delo, vendar od njih niste veliko odnesli?
Ali vaša ciljna skupina potrebuje vedno nove in boljše veščine za prezentacije in javno nastopanje?
Trailer:
Predlagamo vam Powtoon-building – novi »edutainment« program, na katerem boste:
- Poslušali “šnelkurs” ali sodelovali na daljši delavnici na temo kompetenc, ki so pomembne za vas in vaše poslovanje (od 20 minut do 2 dni).
- Na hitro izvedeli vse o izdelavi video prezentacij s pomočjo brezplačnega programa Powtoon (od 20 minut do 8 ur).
- Izdelali video prezentacijo – npr. izobraževalni video za eno (ali več) ključnih kompetenc, ki je pomembna za vaše poslovanje (prodaja, pogajanje, motivacija itd).
- Tekmovali v izdelavi prezentacij med več različnimi skupinami, ki jih izžrebamo ali določimo v vaši ekipi.
- Sproščali kreativno energijo, iskali inovativne pristope za izzive v vaši organizaciji, utrjevali ekipne vezi in se obenem dobro zabavali.
- Pridobili znanje za izdelavo video prezentacij z brezplačnim programom Powtoon, ki ga lahko koristno uporabite v vsakdanjem poslovanju.
- Zasnovali video izdelke, ki bodo prijeten in koristen spomin na dogodek.
Trajanje programa: 3-4 ure (5 ur z večerjo)
Primerno za skupine od 10 do 100 ljudi.
Kdaj je Powtoon-building idealna zbira za vas?
- Kot alternativa klasičnim delavnicah za razvoj kompetenc.
- Kot zabaven in koristen zaključek seminarja ali konference, na kateri ste ciljno skupino (npr. prodajne, managerske ali druge ekipe) izobraževali za eno izmed vaših ključnih kompetenc.
- Kot alternativa večernega zabavnega programa – delavnica lahko poteka pred in med večerjo.
- Ko nimate dovolj časa za druge daljše programe.
Imate na voljo vsaj 6-7 ur?
Priporočamo vam, da se podobnega izziva lotite z video kamero!
Poleg “escape roomov” se hitro razvijajo tudi druge oblike živih iger in pustolovščin, ki v sebi združujejo elemente reševanja ugank, iskanja skritega zaklada, igranja vlog in podobno. Na voljo je že kar nekaj poceni ali celo brezplačnih aplikacij, s katerimi lahko sprehod po mestu ali izlet v naravo spremenite v čisto pravo pustolovščino (npr. Nexto, Geocaching). Starši imate danes torej več kot dovolj možnosti, da vaš naraščaj vseh starosti odpeljete na zrak in skupaj z njimi doživite nekaj junaškega.
. A special thanx to the servants as well. People I talk to about FM3 still raise eyebrows when I tell them than some weirdos are willing to pay good money for the experience of serving other people. Which makes me respect them even more.
