In this episode of Playopolis we return to a conversation from Melbourne Design Week 2020 with Boon Wurrung elder N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs, Dr Olivia Guntarik, Seb Chan and Dr Troy Innocent exploring urban play from a diverse range of perspectives. Starting with the ways that First Peoples connection to place create ways of being that enable reimagination, reconnection and reconfiguration of the world.

Following that is an interview with anti-discplinary artist and creative director of PlayReactive Lee Shang Lun. We return to talking about the role of The Situationists in reshaping cities and urban life and hear about Every Game in This City – a podcast about playing every escape room in Kuala Lumpur.

Episode 2 show notes

Find out more about National Reconciliation Week happening 27 May – 3 June.

N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs is a senior Boon Wurrung Elder and is the chairperson and founder of the Boon Wurrung Foundation

Dr Olivia Guntarik is a new media theorist and creative practice researcher at RMIT University

Seb Chan is Chief Experience Office (CXO) at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image

Dr Troy Innocent is an artist gamemaker and urban play scholar

Lee Shang Lun is an anti-disciplinary artist and playful designer.

00:21 Introduction
02:23 First people’s connection to place
05:03 Reinserting the indigenous voice into the city
07:56 How does design shape life?
08:28 Urban play for adults
11:34 Two ways of being: citizen vs custodian
12:53 Post-human urban play
14:42 Urban play in Melbourne
15:28 Staying true to Country

17:10 64 Ways of Being game developer: Geoff Walker

22:25 Anti-disciplinary artist Lee Shang Lun
23:55 Playfulness and Telephone project
26:50 Play in the city
27:23 Escape rooms, ‘Every game in this city’ podcast
28:55 Earth Rise One
30:15 Experimental design in escape rooms
32:03 Urban play for adults
34:23 Détournement with Follow Me project
36:20 Credits

Image: N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs at Federation Square in Melbourne