In May, the games will be officially unveiled at a Bentway event.

Compensation will include a $600 honorarium per participant, plus meals and transportation.

[button size=” style=” text=’Apply to Be a Participant!’ icon=” icon_color=” link=’https://forms.gle/RjVW5FPH3kwDmR6n8′ color=” hover_color=” border_color=” hover_border_color=” background_color=” hover_background_color=” font_style=” font_weight=” text_align=” margin=”]

Submissions are open until February 28. Artists will be confirmed in early March. Selected participants must be available for all on-site sessions, and the launch event. Creators from non-gaming backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1580788041896{margin-top: 40px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Inspiration

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]What kind of games will you be making? They’ll be non-digital. They’ll need to be playable with no supplies at all, or only those that people commonly carry around. They’ll need to be simple enough to be fully playable after reading the instructions off of a sign. They’ll need to be accessible enough to be played by the wide range of visitors who pass through the space.  

We’re not after deep strategy or rich immersion here. The goal is to encourage playful exploration The Bentway, and an engagement with the issues it presents, as an urban experiment that knits together seven neighbourhoods and serves as a public space in the heart of the city. Think about poem-like games that evoke a mood, explore a thought, or examine an interaction in a focused way.

Of course, the games will also need to be fleshed out and playable, since they’ll be seen by thousands! That’s why we’re making sure to facilitate playtesting sessions during the design process.

Still not sure what we’re looking for? This project was inspired by initiatives like the ones included in the list to the right. Check out the links, get inspired, and don’t forget to apply by February 28![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Playlist

Six for Bricks
by Hand Eye Society

Casual Games for Protesters
by Molleindustria and Harry Giles

Tiny Games
by Hide&Seek

Games For People
by Pat Ashe and George Buckenham

A Small Book with Games In It
by Gloam Collective

Games for Walkers
by Harry Giles

Casual Games for Casual Hikers
by Aitch Giles

Games at Dorset Park
by Hand Eye Society[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1580788062957{margin-top: 50px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

FAQ

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_column_text]What will the final game installations look like? 

We’re working out the specifics of the exact format. However, the final game instructions will be passed onto a graphic designer who will produce some form of signage, which will printed and posted in the space. The visual footprint of this project is important to all parties, so expect something cool!

What’s the final deliverable? Am I expected to help out with creating the actual installation? 

Participants just need to produce final game instructions in text form. We’ll take it from there. Here’s an example of our past game jam completed for Evergreen Brick Works that was turned into a zine!

What’s the process and time commitment like?

Participants will be on-site for one “game jam”-ish day, where you’ll explore the site, talk to Bentway staff, and riff on ideas with one another. Several weeks later, you’ll meet up again on-site for a few hours to playtest your ideas. And several weeks after that, you’ll meet up one more time to do a final test and finalize their games. You are expected to do some of the conceptual design and development on your own time in between sessions.

You’ll also need to be on-site for the launch weekend, where you’ll be asked to show off your game to groups a few times each day.

Travel and food for the on-site sessions will be covered.

I have more questions!

Send us an email at info@handeyesociety.com![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1580788367679{margin-top: 50px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

In Partnership With

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MEET THE JAMMERS

PUBLIC ZINE LAUNCH

        

This program is part of Game Curious at Evergreen Brick Works, a free, public event series that uses game design and playful media as a lens to explore interconnected systems of urban sustainability, food security, arts/culture, history, and technology. Based on our popular Game Curious initiative, programming will take place on-site at Evergreen Brick Works in the Don Valley over the course of one year, activating different areas and audiences throughout the changing of the seasons.

Spring Jam 2019

Ah, spring. A time for cherry blossoms, sweater weather, and game jams!

You may ask, “But what is a game jam, anyway?” Think of it this way: Say you took an artist, someone who knew how to program, and a designer, and told them to make Super Mario in 3 days. That’s the traditional definition of a game jam as we know it.

This jam is different. We’re looking for 6 artists, thinkers, and dreamers from various disciplines, who have the ability to distill current challenges and future dreams into small, poetic game-like experiences that go beyond the digital screen. Inspired by projects like Casual Games for Protesters (Molleindustria and Harry Giles), Tiny Games (Hide&Seek), and A Small Book with Games In It (Gloam Collective), selected participants will tour Evergreen Brick Works in the Don Valley to learn about its history and various initiatives. They will then spend another 2 days in April designing playful, bite-sized interactive works based on the interconnected networks of natural and urban systems at the site. The final game concepts will be documented in the form of a digital and printed zine, designed by Chris White and illustrated by local artists.

Details

We are looking for 6 game jammers and 6 zine illustrators, no game-making experience necessary. Submissions are open until February 28. Jammers and illustrators will be confirmed early March. Selected jammers must be fully available for all three on-site days, and the zine launch.

[button size=” style=” text=’Click here for more information, FAQ, and application form!’ icon=” icon_color=” link=’http://handeyesociety.com/game-curious-spring-jam/’ color=” hover_color=” border_color=” hover_border_color=” background_color=” hover_background_color=” font_style=” font_weight=” text_align=” margin=”]

Jam Sessions: April 5 to 7 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Zine Launch: Sunday, June 16

Compensation will include a $500 honorarium per game jammer, plus meals and transportation. Zine illustrators will be paid $200 per image.

Partners

Game Curious at Evergreen Brick Works is a Toronto Arts Council (TAC) Animating Historic Sites program in partnership with Evergreen. TAC is the City of Toronto’s funding body for artists and arts organizations. Since 1991, Evergreen, a Canadian charity and international thought leader, has provoked bold action in transforming public landscapes into thriving community spaces with environmental, social and economic benefits.

Have you ever heard of people talking about games and wanted to know more? Already in the industry, but want to learn about different perspectives and experience games from another angle? Interested in how game design can go beyond digital screen-based work to intersect with nature, urban renewal, and food? We got you.

Game Curious at Evergreen Brick Works is a free, public event series that uses game design and playful media as a lens to explore interconnected systems of urban sustainability, food security, arts/culture, history, and technology. Based on our popular Game Curious initiative, programming will take place on-site at Evergreen Brick Works in the Don Valley over the course of one year, activating different areas and audiences throughout the changing of the seasons.

For updates and more information on the individual programs planned throughout the year, check out our Game Curious at Evergreen Brick Works page, subscribe to our newsletter, hit us up on Twitter, or contact us at info@handeyesociety.com with questions. Don’t be shy, come play for yourself!

Spring

A game jam—no, you can’t eat it, as much as some games do look delicious—typically means getting a group of people to work collectively or solo to make an interactive project within a limited period of time. But this is no ordinary game jam. Six selected participants will tour Evergreen Brick Works to learn about its history and various initiatives. They will then spend a weekend in April designing playful, bite-sized interactive works based on their observations. The final game concepts will be documented in the form of a digital and printed zine, designed by Chris White and illustrated by local artists.

Say hello to our jammers!

[button size=” style=” text=’Click here for more information, FAQ, and our jammers!’ icon=” icon_color=” link=’http://handeyesociety.com/game-curious-spring-jam/’ color=” hover_color=” border_color=” hover_border_color=” background_color=” hover_background_color=” font_style=” font_weight=” text_align=” margin=”]

Dates: April 5 to 7 (Jammers Only) / June 16 (Public Zine Launch)

Location: TBD

Audience: 6 jammers and 6 illustrators selected via submission process. The zine launch is open to the public.

Summer

An all-ages event where participants interact with technology that reacts to touch, heat, water and more! A more hands-on approach to learning how tech can be used to facilitate curiosity, exploration, and wonder. A collaboration with Little Dada.

Dates: [Update: POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER]

Location: Children’s Garden

Audience: Drop-in, children and families/all-ages.

Fall

Have you ever seen a game so delicious that you wanted to eat it? Well, now’s your chance. Inspired by projects like Jenn Sandercock’s Edible Games Cookbook, this workshop gives participants the opportunity to utilize different kinds of food and use it to create a game that you can eat.  This is a fun event where you can learn elements of game design as well think about how we interact with food beyond mere consumption. Bring an empty stomach just in case!

Dates: Oct 9 and 23, after work hours

Location: FIDO Kitchen

Audience: Pre-registration required, ages 13+.

Winter

An interactive experience created by artists Julia Gingrich, Rehka Ramachandran and Kara Stone reflecting on time and climate change. Rocks Die? investigates the Anthropocene, the material and the virtual. It consists of a quilt made of used plastic, dipped in water and then frozen, with materials such as flowers and notes written by participants in advance surrounding it. The pieces are hung, letting the ice drip off them and revealing what is inside.

Dates: Dec 28-31

Location: TBD

Audience: Drop-in, all-ages.

Partners

Through research, design and collaboration, Evergreen moves sustainable city building ideas into action. We believe that flourishing cities are created through the alchemy of placemaking—holistically improving the intersections and interdependencies between people + natural + built worlds. This is evident in our work designing school grounds; building community programs; collaborating on transportation, housing, and water issues; and imagining and developing the Evergreen Brick Works social enterprise.

Since 1991, Evergreen, a Canadian charity and international thought leader, has provoked bold action in transforming public landscapes into thriving community spaces with environmental, social and economic benefits. At the core of our work is the belief that involving people directly in the process of restoring the health of local ecologies and their communities positively affects the attitudes and behaviours that lie at the core of the sustainable city.

Toronto Arts Council (TAC) is the City of Toronto’s funding body for artists and arts organizations. Since 1974, TAC has played a major role in the city’s cultural industries by supporting a very broad range of artistic activity. From the emerging artist to the most established, from celebrated institutions to arts that challenge convention, TAC is typically the first funder to offer support. Today, TAC grants lead to exhibitions, performances, readings and workshops seen annually by over 9.5 million people. Through our ongoing funding, TAC cultivates a rich engagement between artists and audiences.  We are proud to reflect Toronto’s vibrancy through the diversity of artists, arts communities and audiences that we serve.