Video games are incredibly immersive and exciting forms of storytelling that can help explore challenging themes, and build empathy through enabling players to play in the first-person and make choices. With nearly 3 billion players globally, there are endless possibilities in terms of formats and mechanics, as well as emerging formats such as VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality). Counterpoints Arts is very excited to be exploring this space through our PopChange initiative.
Creating new game narratives that explore migration and displacement
In partnership with Code Coven — a games industry enabler and accelerator driving change—, and producers Karla Reyes and Marzena Zukowska, Counterpoints Arts is producing a series of PopChange Game Jams.
‘Game jams’ are experimental spaces that bring together people interested in game design to make a video game from scratch in a short time. PopChange Game Jams bring together people with lived experience of migration and displacement, creatives from across our network (including musicians, writers and artists), social change activists and game designers. Our aims are to enable more people from our network to gain skills in game development, and platform new and exciting game ideas that have potential to inspire change in how migrants and refugees are understood and valued.
Care Jam
We have already hosted one jam — Care Jam — in December 2021, in a cross-Atlantic partnership with Caring Across Generations, National Domestic Workers Alliance and Code Coven. Care Jam was a week-long game jam held online that focused on caregiving and the people who do it, looking to challenge stereotypes with exciting narratives. Almost 200 people from all over the world participated in Care Jam, a huge number with lived experience as a carer, care worker or someone who receives care. Eleven experimental games have been published as the official Care Jam collection that people can play and test online. Throughout 2022, we will be partnering with a number of events to exhibit the games produced and further explore the conversation around care and gaming.
Upcoming Refugee Week Game Jam
In June 2022, the PopChange Game Jam partners will be hosting a very exciting Refugee Week Game Jam, which will seek to broaden the types of games and narratives that feature displacement. We will shortly be announcing details for this so stay tuned.
If you are interested in more information or to partner with us on game jams or gaming, contact Marcia Chandra, Creative Producer, or get in touch with us here.