[DiGRA UK] Report from Workshop

[Esther MacCallum-Stewart]

Hi all,

Here's the report from the workshop last week (and apologies for the
horrible formatting! If no one objects, I will put this up on games network
in the next couple of days. We also still need to gather people, on the
newsgroup here, and on the Facebook page. Please share these details on
your social media networks.

I will also put a mail up asking people to nominate themselves for area rep
or other positions (and thus sit on the board). Again this mail will go to
here, to the Facebook page and on to Game Network, although discussion
about this should take place here rather than on public forums or the main
DiGRA newsgroup.

Esther




*DiGRA Launch event ‘Pervasive Provocations: The State of Games in the UK.*



The first event and meeting of the Digital Games Research Association UK
chapter was held on 17th June at the DCRC, Bristol. Thirty people attended
a lively session on the future of gaming in the UK, and the role that DiGRA
can play in this development, followed by a DiGRA meeting and launch party
in The Watershed. The following briefly summarises the workshop. A separate
report of the DiGRA meeting will be available via the DiGRA UK newsgroup
(please sign up here: http://mail.digra.org/mailman/listinfo/uk).



The opening session ‘Pervasive Provocations: The State of Game Studies in
the UK’ began with three challenges to the ways that games are understood.
Greg Foster  (University of Salford) demonstrated some of the ways in which
games can move into the public domain via his pervasive media group, The
Larks.  Steve Martin from Auroch Digital discussed ways in which games can
be used to represent serious issues, and how they can start to change our
existing perceptions of political and social events of note. Finally, Mitu
Khandaker-Kokoris tore up her original provocation (although it’s available
on her blog here
<http://mitu.nu/2014/06/17/provocation-and-meta-provocation/>, thankfully!)
discussed the importance of using game design responsibly, and
understanding the consequences that this entails.



In the following sessions, each group then used these provocations as an
entry point into a wider discussion about games, gaming issues in the UK,
and ways in which DiGRA could help. Gaming, Game Studies and the games
Industry are developing in maturity and complexity at an unprecedented
rate, and inserting ourselves as a valid organization into these structures
is vital.



DiGRA UK should:



Use the language of the medium of games to:



-       create a safe, inclusive and welcoming space for gaming
professionals, academics and practitioners at all levels.

-       act as a springboard for creativity.

-       Understand the nuances of gaming from different perspectives

-       Forge links between academics, industry and games professionals

-       Recognise that gaming is a medium with its own discourses.

-       Broaden the focus on games beyond analog aspects.

-       Address contemporary issues within gaming such as public/player
engagement, the increasing sophistication of the audience, diversity and
inclusivity, relationships between industry, academics and professionals

-       Appreciate the multifarous nature of games and Game Studies, by
acknowledging the importance of aspects such as games for art

-       Legitimize gaming through good practice, awareness and endorsement



The second workshop dealt with effective ways that DiGRA UK can achieve
some of these aims:



Encourage and support:



-       safe and inclusive environments

-       promote diversity and equality throughout all aspects of gaming

-       games as a valid medium for art, learning, research and practice

co-creativity and collaboration between members and other members of the
gaming community.

-       The demystification of gaming in areas where it might not be fully
understood or appreciated.



Facilitate:



-       a strong network throughout the UK which includes gamers,
professionals, academics and other interested parties at all levels

-       sessions which involve playful learning and praxis

-       outreach with groups that include the industry and governmental
bodies, where possible

-       engagement with these groups through their inclusion in events and
discussions within DiGRA UK.

-       an evolving knowledge base, through both events and a virtual
presence

-       support and inclusion of research students.

-       A hub from which to collate existing communities and research
groups, in order to strengthen the validity of Game Studies as an academic
discipline.

-       playfulness
-- 


Dr Esther MacCallum-Stewart

Senior Lecturer: Games, New Media and Online Communities (The University of
Surrey)
Research Fellow (Digital Cultures Research Centre, UWE)
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