As a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the British Council has transformed PlayUK festival of innovation and interaction between art and technology. In the coming months, by providing free access to an exciting mix of online content, PlayUK has moved from physical to online continuing focus on UK game industry.
PlayUK 2020 is series of live digital events and everyone is invited to learn about the UK scene and connect with professionals from the games industry. Over the course of the next five months, we will be producing weekly video content, as well as monthly live sessions, and anyone with an interest in the games industry and creative economy can tune in. Take a look at the video content already available here.
Our next live session is titled Ghosts, Islands and Gulls. Adapting Dear Esther as a Site-Responsive Performance on Inchcolm island. In this session Mona will discuss the practicalities of adapting a video game as a live performance, the challenges and opportunities of working with both physical and digital spaces and bodies, and Scottish weather. I would highly recommend playing Dear Esther in preparation (if you haven't already) as most of the session will focus on adapting particular game environments, mechanics, sounds and narratives.
Meet our PlayUK speaker, Mona Bozdog!
Mona is a designer and lecturer in Immersive Experience Design at Abertay University. She has a background in playwriting and dramaturgy, but became fascinated with the potential of cross-disciplinary practice (video games and contemporary performance) during her doctoral studies. Her PhD, Playing with Performance/Performing Play, was a collaboration between Abertay University, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and The National Theatre of Scotland. Her research is practice-based and focuses on the convergence of contemporary performance practices and video games, particularly designing hybrid forms of storytelling, performative games, mixed-reality and immersive experiences and games for public spaces and heritage sites.