future play library

narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services
141 Therry St Melbourne

Friday, 4 October
10am-7pm

Games and play are reshaping libraries as essential social infrastructure. Ranging from industry keynote to panels on experimental play design and participatory workshops, narrm ngarrgu Library is transformed into a world of creative play providing opportunities for connection, playful experimentation and creative mentoring to instil a sense of belonging and public ownership of place.

Historically, the library has been associated with play through its classification as a ‘third place’: somewhere to relax, socialise and experiment outside of the demands of work and home. However, beyond their role as recreation and refuge from busy city streets, public libraries are home to a quiet revolution connecting games and play to broader policy and urban development agendas.

This event brings together librarians and gamers, people and place, designers and playmakers, researchers and enthusiasts, families and communities, to sample some possibilities for the future of play and have a voice in social change for collective urban futures.

EVENT PROGRAM

Presentations and Talks

Event Space
Level 1

Welcome and introduction
Troy Innocent and Phil Minchin
10:00-10:30am

Werewolf social deduction game
12:00pm-2:00pm

Introduction to tactical miniatures gaming
2:00-2:30pm
Panel – Playful creators in conversation.

Aramiha Harwood (RMIT Future Play Lab), Letoya Muraru (GUCK Indigenous Games), Jason Tampake (Amble Studio), Leon Obrenov (Melbourne Megagames)
4:00pm-4:50pm

Panel – Play in libraries
Dale Leorke & Daniella Wyatt (authors - The Library as Playground: How Games and Play are Reshaping Public Culture), and Lucas Li (Game Therapy Network)
5:00pm-5:50pm

Play Space Activations

Meeting Room 1
Level 1

Playful creations – makerspace, cosplay, minis and more
10:00am-2:00pm

Miniature painting workshop
11:00am-12:00pm

Arkenforge demo
2:00-2:30pm

Playtesting – try out games in development and talk to their creators!
2:30-5:30pm

Meeting Room 2
Level 1

Enhanced Tabletop Roleplaying Games signups
10:00am-12:00pm

Enhanced Tabletop Roleplaying Games session 1
12:00-2:00pm
 
Enhanced Tabletop Roleplaying Games session 2
3:00-5:00pm


Multipurpose Room
Level 3

Quiet play – Lego, quiet/solo tabletop games, puzzles
10:00am-2:00pm
 
The Adaptation Game – playing through climate change in a future Melbourne
2:00-5:00pm
 

All Day Play

Study area
Level 1
Self-serve tabletop games

Public PCs
Level 1
Self-serve online games - student/local indie/explorable explanations