People

Dr Innocent connects people and place through urban play. Working with the city as a material, his work traverses the analog and digital spaces we live in. His approach to 'reworlding' is speculative design in action as it reconnects, reimagines and regenerates the creative, cultural and social diversity of our world. Innocent is creator of 64 Ways of Being, an innovative augmented reality platform for listening, playing and exploring cities through new eyes, and leads a three-year study on post-pandemic impacts of creative placemaking. Innocent is currently based at RMIT University where is Director of the future play lab in the School of Design.

N’arweet Carolyn Briggs AM is a Boonwurrung senior elder and Elder in Research at RMIT University. She has been involved in developing and supporting opportunities for Indigenous youth and Boonwurrung culture for over 50 years.

Jarra Karalinar Steel is Multidisciplinary artist from Melbourne Australia, based in Melbourne’s south in Euro Yuroke (St Kilda) on Boonwurrung country. She is known for her Melbourne Art Tram, powerful poster art, large-scale public installations, LED Wurrung works, augmented reality, digital art, emu egg engravings, and commemorative signage.

Carlo Tolentino is a creative director, and a multimedia, interactive designer. He has worked in a wide range of creative industries across advertising, video production, art, and theatre. Carlo has exhibited multimedia work for The National Gallery of Victoria and has designed and performed live visual projections in large venue music concerts, and art festivals.

Uyen Nguyen is an animator, designer, researcher and academic investigating the playful potential of sound in animation, games and interactive installation.

Dale Leorke is currently a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies at Tampere University, Finland. His research uses ethnographic methods to examine the intersection of games, creative technologies, public spaces and public institutions. His books include Location-based Gaming: Play in Public Space (2018), Public Libraries in the Smart City (2018), Games and Play in the Creative, Smart & Ecological City (2020) and Openness in Practice (2021). His other research and publications can be found at dleorke.net

Dr Matthew Riley is a designer, academic and researcher with a practice in playable art, mixed reality games, public art and interactive media. Recently his work has predominately responded to or been situated in natural and non-urban settings and has been recognised internationally in various exhibitions, events, publications and conferences in London, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Finland, Portugal, Japan, France and New Zealand. He is part of the YOMECIPLAY collective developing experimental games and artworks that explore making and listening to sound as a form of play.

Chad Toprak is an award-winning experimental game designer, independent curator, and a first generation Turkish Muslim immigrant. He champions and encourages the making, gathering, and playing of experimental and physical games in social and public spaces. Chad is 1⁄2 of Melbourne’s experimental videogame curator duo Hovergarden, and was the Director of Freeplay (2017–2021). He was named in Develop Pacific’s inaugural 30 Under Thirty list for 2018 and was awarded a 2021 Australian Game Developer Award. Many of his works have been exhibited at festivals and galleries across Australia and around the world.

Helen Kwok is a multimedia artist and designer who creates playful installations, experimental games, and public play activations. Her practice often blends the physical and digital, crafting experiences that extend beyond the screen. Helen has worked with the City of Melbourne, Moreland City Council, Bunjil Place, Moomba Festival, National Gallery of Victoria, and State Library Victoria on playful projects that encourage play in social and public spaces. She has showcased her work at festivals, conferences and events both locally and internationally. Helen’s work can be found at helenkwok.net