We are delighted to announce the UK Chapter of DiGRA will be launching on 17th June at the Digital Cultures Research Centre, University of West England. The Chapter covers all of the UK, and we have a series of events planned already after two successful preliminary events earlier this year at the London Knowledge Lab, IoE and the Update Show at MediaCity, Manchester.
The chapter has a mailing list, accessible by joining:
http://mail.digra-old-site.local/mailman/listinfo/uk
We encourage everyone to sign on and take part. We are currently also in the process of setting up a webpage on the main DiGRA site, which will reside here: http://www.digra-old-site.local/the-association/chapters/united-kingdom-digra-chapter/
The launch event, entitled ‘Pervasive Provocations: The State of Games in the UK’, at the DCRC at The University of West England, Bristol, will interrogate key issues in Games Studies in the UK. You are encouraged to come along with a short provocation and get involved. Pop-up speakers throughout the afternoon already include Greg Foster (Larking About), Dan Hett (BBC Children’s Gaming), Prof Tanya Kryzwinska (University of Falmouth), with others to be confirmed. The afternoon will be followed by a DiGRA inaugural meeting in the DCRC and a launch party in the Watershed. Please sign up for the event here as places are limited:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pervasive-provocations-the-state-of-games-in-the-uk-tickets-11446255057
The second event will be a DiGRA games track at Fascinate 2014:
FASCINATE 2014 27th – 31st August is an annual conference staged at Falmouth University, Cornwall. It is an interdisciplinary conference investigating the current and future applications of ubiquitous computing technologies in visual and performance arts, games, architecture, craft, design and interactive media. There is a specialist games track focused on the application of art and craft in games (30th and 31st August). This includes a two-day game jam preceding the conference (28th and 29th August). Rex Crowle from Media Molecule and BAFTA winner for Tearaway and Dr Esther McCallum-Stewart will give keynotes for the conference’s Games track. For more details please go to http://www.fascinateconference.com/. There will be a DIGRA UK meeting on the evening of 29th August in the AIR sandpit on the Tremough Campus.
The third event will be held as part of the University of Bedfordshire’s annual Under the Mask conference in November 2014. This year’s conference will provide an opportunity for discussion of Game Policy, Game Regulation, Communities of Gaming and LARPing, amongst others. Details to be announced in June 2014.
In 2015, events will be held by the Universities of Staffordshire and Brighton, although we welcome any associated events or opportunities that might develop this further.
DiGRA UK events are open to all, and you do not have to be a member in order to attend.
The DiGRA UK founding committee:
Dr. Ashley Brown. (University of Manchester)
Dr. Douglas Brown. (University of Falmouth)
Dr. Diane Carr (Institute of Education, University of London)
Prof. Astrid Ensslin (University of Bangor)
Dr. Mark Eyles. (University of Portsmouth)
Dr. Alison Gazzard. (London Knowledge Lab, Institution of Education)
Alison Harvey. (University of Leicester)
Dr. William Huber (Abertay University)
Dr. Ioanna Iacovides (Jo) (UCL)
Prof. Tanya Krzywinska (University of Falmouth)
Helen Kennedy (University of Brighton)
Dr. Esther MacCallum-Stewart (DCRC, University of the West of England and the University of Surrey)
Corrado Morgana (University of South Wales at Newport)
Paolo Ruffino. (Goldsmiths, University of London)
Dr. John Salisbury
Gavin Stewart (University of Bedfordshire)
Siobhan Thomas (London South Bank University)
Nia Wearn (University of Staffordshire)