UWEs Digital Cultures Research Centre and The Pervasive Media Studio present a very special, one-off lunchtime talk with Ken Eklund.
From World Without Oil to Ed Zed Omega and Evoke (and Future Coast, upcoming), much of Ken’s work enlists the hypothetical context of Alternate Reality Gaming (ARG) to pose questions about social change and societal challenges. He’ll discuss “authentic fiction,” the art of designing for mass participation, and the potential of play in social change.
Game and experience designer Ken Eklund has long been interested in the positive social effects of collaborative experiences and open-ended, creative play. In work such as WORLD WITHOUT OIL, GISKIN ANOMALY and ED ZED OMEGA he explores how contributing to “authentic fictions” ( real-seeming yet fictional stories) engage people directly in real-world issues and have fun collaborating on storymaking, positive solutions and action. Ken has designed games professionally for over 20 years; he lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.