Gaming Social Justice 2

‘Let the children once see clearly the gross injustice of our present land system and when they grow up, if they are allowed to develop naturally, the evil will soon be remedied.’ Lizzie Magie, inventor of The Landlord’s Game, The Single Tax Review 1902, p.56

The inaugural GSJ event in November welcomed over 40 academics, designers, activists and gamers came together to sample five games with themes from climate change, delivery drivers, inequalities and revolts, to queer life in early 18th Century London. From an open space, conversations on the day and feedback, participants wanted a community, supporting each other to design and use games to engage with social and political issues in the classroom and beyond. 

GSJ2 will provide a forum for play-testing games and a roundtable on designing and teaching games about and/or for social justice.  

All welcome, whether you have experience of play-testing or not, whether you want to join in the discussion at the roundtable or just listen and observe. 

Refreshments will be served.

The event is supported by the Research Impact Lead’s Team and the Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries.

Provisional programme:

15.00-15.15 Welcome and organise play-tests

15.15-16.45 Play-tests 

16.45-17.00 Short break

17.00-18.00 Roundtable: designing and teaching games about and/or for social justice  

-What are some of the unique challenges of designing games about social justice? 

-How effective is teaching or using games to discuss social justice?  

-What are the settings for teaching games about and/or for social justice, within and beyond formal education? 

-What next? Future collaborations might include the creation of a community of practitioners, research projects, applying for further funding for these endeavours. If so, what need to be done, by whom, how and when?

After 18.00 we may move to another venue, hang out and network.

Organisers: Dr Wing-Fai Leung, Tubah Sarwar