GameRT board members have participated on the advisory committee for Engage Beyond Our Walls, a Libraries as Hubs for Game Design IMLS initiative. The project currently has an open call for participants. If you have questions about the program or the application process, please contact playfulcitylab@gmail.com. GameRT does not make any decisions about applications and does not run this project. See the call for participation below for more information.
Open call for aspiring Neighborhood STORYTELLERS and Outdoor GAME MAKERS in 20 cities and towns to co-create experiences tied to local history, public libraries, monuments and public art. Applications due Sept. 29, 2023 – selected projects can unlock $300 in project funding. Libraries and/or their partners and community groups can apply.
Successful ideas in recent years include scavenger hunts for murals by mobile phone, “text with a sculpture” that brings a monument or cultural asset to life, and audio tours featuring community voices. See examples on our website. The authoring tool we will use is called Hive Mechanic, and it does not require any programming experience to use; it was made by the Game Center at American University in collaboration with the DC Public Library.
This is “low tech for everyone!” By joining this program, libraries and/or their collaborators will make neighborhood games and outdoor stories. Urban, tribal and rural projects are all welcome.
We especially recruit proposals for ideas to collaborate with a library – such as a neighborhood group that wants to build a mural hunt that starts at the library, or libraries that hope to co-create something with the community. Selected projects will receive coaching from experienced game designers, and join a national cohort.
Our information session by Zoom on Sept. 21st is one way to answer your questions, or you can email us using playfulcitylab@gmail.com. Our open call is available at: https://www.hivemechanic.org/workshops-for-libraries/recruiting1/