Nordic Larp

Tag: Events

  • The Blue Ribbon Collective

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    The Blue Ribbon Collective

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    Blue ribbons tied with a safety pinTowards the start of Knutepunkt 2017 in Norway, we organized a workshop, High on KP, for people who were interested in avoiding or limiting their drinking of alcohol during the conference. The reasons for this choice were varied; perhaps they were drawn to using drink as a social enabler, or they felt social pressure to drink.

    This attracted a good mix of people. Some interesting personal stories and strategies were shared. We were also joined, and went on to be approached later, by a number of people who didn’t drink at all themselves but who wanted to help and support those who were avoiding alcohol.

    The project was informed in part by our related work on alcohol at larp and at larp-related social events, and the problems that can sometimes arise from it. It became apparent from responses to our survey that social pressure making people drink more than they were comfortable with was one of the factors causing adverse incidents.

    Two men display the blue ribbons pinned to their badges
    Members of the Blue Ribbon Collective at Knutepunkt 2017.

    As part of the project, we introduced the blue ribbon badge. This symbol is a light-hearted homage to the ribbon worn by those who took the temperance pledge in the 19th century, although our aims for it are rather different. This is what we intend wearing a blue ribbon to signify:

    1. I am sober;
    2. If you would like to stay sober, or to drink no more than you have done already, I can support you in that resolve.

    We anticipate offering blue ribbons and running workshops at future KPs – if organizers are happy with that. And we would be glad to see them being used at other social events where alcohol is generally part of the social structure. They’re not official emblems and don’t have anything special about them; any length of blue ribbon, held by a safety-pin, will send the same message.

    Finally, we should add – to avoid potential misunderstanding – that this project is absolutely not about trying to discourage people from drinking, or to shame drinkers, or to reduce the amount of alcohol at KP. It is simply meant to help people who don’t want to drink, or who don’t want to drink too much.

    The Blue Ribbon Collective

    Blue ribbons tied with a safety pinMoving forward, we are developing a Blue Ribbon Collective of participants who are interested in staying sober at events and helping others with alcohol-related issues. Anyone can be a part of the Collective: that just signifies being aware and supportive of our work. Then if someone chooses to wear a blue ribbon pinned to their clothing at a particular larp event, that signals their sobriety (at that event) to others. Being part of the Collective does not mean you should feel under any pressure to stay sober, or to wear the ribbon. Feel free to contact us if you would like to be included on the list.

    Current members of the Blue Ribbon Collective:

    Frederik Vindal Andersson

    Johannes Axner

    Sarah Lynne Bowman

    Banana Chan

    Jon Cole

    Liz Gorinksy

    Harrison Greene

    Charlie Haldén

    Sanne Harder

    Cleo Hatting

    Mo Holkar

    Kjell Hedgard Hugaas

    Torgrim Husvik

    Antti Kumpulainen

    Janusz Maxe

    Morgan Nuncio

    Stephanie Nudelman

    Tuomas Puikkonen

    Tadeu Rodrigues

    Pedro Rodríguez Marín

    Francesco Rugerfred Sedda

    Liv Kristine Slyngborg

    Susanne Vejdemo

    Melissa Whitlock

    Mila Ould Yahoui

    If you’re interested in the blue ribbon, or in the project generally, or would like to help in future, please get in touch!

    (Edited on 6th March 2019 to clarify details of the Blue Ribbon Collective.)

    Cover photo: A blue ribbon pinned to the lapel of a black leather jacket. Photo by Sarah Lynne Bowman.

     

  • Larp Writers Summer Retreat 2014

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    Larp Writers Summer Retreat 2014

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    Swedish larp organizer group Berättelsefrämjandet will run a retreat for larp writers in early June:

    We want to gather creators, critics and scholars of larp for an extended weekend of gaining insight and inspiration to create better larps. We will discuss, reflect on and produce larp ideas in an organized manner.

    The retreat starts Thursday afternoon 5 June and ends after lunch 8 June 2014. It will cost around 900 SEK (€100) including lodging, food, materials and transportation from and to the nearest bus stop. It will be held in a cabin near Gothenburg, Sweden.

    Read more and sign up on the website:
    http://beratta.org/retreat/

  • Short Presentations of Larps and Projects for 2014 and 2015

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    Short Presentations of Larps and Projects for 2014 and 2015

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    At Knutpunkt 2014, a bunch of larps, festivals and events was presented. It was hosted by Magnar Grønvik Müller

    The video is unfortunately cut short in the end.

    Short and sweet presentations of upcoming larps, larp festivals, larp conventions and other interesting events.

    (more…)

  • Larpwriter Summer School 2014 Open for Applications

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    Larpwriter Summer School 2014 Open for Applications

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    The 2014 edition of the Larpwriter Summer School is now accepting applications. This is how they describe the project:

    We believe larp can change the world. That it’s harder to disrespect, have prejudices against, or start a war with someone when you have been in their shoes. By creating international networks, sharing experiences and reflecting upon them we believe larp can promote understanding and create a better world to live in.

    The goal of the Larpwriter summer school is to create this international network and to empower it’s participants with the experiences and the tools they need to create their own roleplaying games and larps.

    The Larpwriter summer school is designed to take participants with little or no larp experience to the level where they have the tools and enthusiasm to organize their own larps.

    Besides the learning, the Summer School is a magical place of new friends, late-night swimming and good times.

    Read more and sign up here:
    http://larpschool.blogspot.se/2014/03/open-for-applications.html

  • Fastaval 2014 Sign Up Open

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    Fastaval 2014 Sign Up Open

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    Sign-up for Danish roleplaying and larp festival Fastaval has now opened.

    Check it out on their website:
    http://www.fastaval.dk/tilmelding/?lang=en

  • Larpwriters Winter Retreat 2014

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    Larpwriters Winter Retreat 2014

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    Bjarke Pedersen is organizing a retreat for experienced larpwrights to exchange experiences and ideas about larp theory. He has this to say about it:

    It came to me: If I could gather some of the brightest minds of larp for a weekend of talks, we might all leave the retreat better at understanding our craft, and where it will take us in the coming years. Perhaps it could also help us make Knudepunkt better. We could use this time to think and verbalize new thoughts, try out new ideas and figure out pedagogical ways of inviting people who haven’t been around for decades into the larp design conversation.

    The retreat will take place in Denmark, 13-16 February 2014. Read more here:
    http://bjarkep.com/larpwriters-winter-retreat/

  • New Larp Festival in Palestina

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    New Larp Festival in Palestina

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    Beit Byout is the first larp festival in Palestine! It will be held in Ramallah from Thursday, October 3 to Saturday October 5, 2013.

    This is what the organizers have to say:

    The Festival
    Beit Byout will be a festival with a number of larps from Palestine and the Nordic countries. In addition there will be some workshops that can help you explore how to play or make larps.

    Who can join?
    We welcome all Palestinian, Nordic, Belarussian and Czech larpers. If you want to join, fill in the Sign-up form.
    If you have never larped before, this can be your first larp!

    Week in Palestine
    Before the festival there will be a possibility for visitors from abroad to spend some days in Jerusalem, Ramallah and sourrounding areas. We will organize some tours and you will have time to explore on your own.

    Organizers
    Beit Byout is organized by a group af Palestinian and Nordic larpers and The Peace and Freedom Youth Forum in cooperation with the Norwegian organization Fantasiforbundet.

    First rounds of sign-up closes on Friday July 26 2013. Read more at their website:
    http://www.beit-byout.blogspot.com/p/festival.html

  • Nordic Larp Calendar

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    Nordic Larp Calendar

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    Nordic Larp Calendar is a way to find out what is happening in the larp world. We’re working on adding some more appropriate fields and opening up a page for public submissions, but until then you can email us information on larps and events to add on: contribute@nordiclarp.org

    You can find the calendar at the link below. Please note that you can click the title of an event to get more information.
    http://nordiclarp.org/calendar/

  • Prolarp 2013 – “Solving Problems” – Sign-up open!

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    Prolarp 2013 – “Solving Problems” – Sign-up open!

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    We’ve written earlier about Prolarp, the proposed conference for larp professionals organized by Danish larp company Rollespilsakademiet. Now you can sign up for the worlds first conference for larp professionals on their website:
    http://rollespilsakademiet.wix.com/prolarp-2013

  • Prolarp 2013 – A Pitch for a Professional Larp Conference

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    Prolarp 2013 – A Pitch for a Professional Larp Conference

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    Claus Raasted of Danish larp company Rollespilsakademiet has published a pitch for a conference aimed at people who work professionally with larp. There is no website yet, but here is the pitch in it’s entirety:

    Prolarp 2013 – ”Solving problems”

    a pitch for a professional larp conference

    More and more of us work with larp
    Not so very long ago – 10-15 years – it was totally unheard of to work professionally with larping. Some probably did it, but they were mighty few and spread out thin. Today, this is very different. More and more people make their living (or some of it) by doing larps or larp-related things. Researchers, game designers and pro larpers are just a few of those for whom this is true.

    We need a place to talk
    For many of us, the annual Knudepunkt events in the Nordic countries are the best place to go if we want to learn and swap experiences as professionals (or aspiring professionals). But Knudepunkt isn’t a conference for larp professionals, even though it attracts its fair share of them. And that’s just as it should be. This does mean that we’re lacking a meeting place, though. A place where it’s understood that if you’re there, you’re interested in larp not only as a hobby, but as a profession (or as a spin-off of your profession).

    The time is right (now)
    We don’t have any solid numbers on how many people would be interested in coming to a conference held by professionals, for professionals, talking about professional things. But we’re quite sure that the number is high enough to merit starting up an annual one. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do!

    Welcome to Prolarp 2013
    On november 15 – 17, 2013, Rollespilsakademiet is going to hold the first Prolarp conference. Where we’re going to do it, what the prices will be exactly and how big it’ll be are not yet set in stone, but these are the dates we’re going for and this is what we want to do. We hope you want to come and help us make this a reality, because we think this is something that’s needed.

    The basic idea of Prolarp
    One of the things that’s struck us at times, is that it’s often the small, informal spaces that lead to the biggest gains in understanding. For this reason, Prolarp will not be a long series of talks and debates in big groups, but will mainly feature idea swapping, problem solving and strengthening of personal networks. We’ll have talks and debates, of course, but we’ll mostly try to get people talking about what actually interests them and see if others can contribute to solving their problems.

    Solving problems
    For this reason, Prolarp 2013 will have the tagline ”Solving problems”. Many of us have experiences with a vast array of differing larp-related situations, and often others have stood exactly where we are now before – we just don’t know it yet. So we’re inviting you to a conference where the main focus is talking to people, sharing experiences and solving problems. We’re confident that there are enough of them around that we
    won’t run out quickly!

    We want your help
    Right now, we know who’s going to carry the main burden of getting this done (that’s us) and we know who we want to attend (that’s you). What we don’t know yet are specifics, and that’s why we’re asking for help.

    Maybe you know of a cheap conference hotel in Prague where this could be hosted? Maybe you have ideas on how to sell the idea to sponsors or want to write applications? Maybe you just have some good thoughts on who we should invite that we haven’t thought of.

    No matter what, we want your input
    If nothing else you can always say ”Cool, when can I signup?” or ”That’s a horrible idea, it’ll never work!”.

    Claus Raasted
    On behalf of the Prolarp 2013 organizers
    raasted@rollespilsakademiet.dk
    +45 22 34 24 80

    Read the original PDF here:
    http://www.rollespilsakademiet.dk/prolarp2013/prolarp2013_pitch.pdf