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• Torien Cafferata, Simon Fraser University / It’s Not A Box Theatre

There is something mad about every play space. Ludology teaches us that play itself can often look “mad” out of context, but within the social construct of any given play-world there are delicate systems and norms guiding our behaviour. It is within these magic circles where new subversive ideas and relationalities can be explored among players—we see these in everything from performance art to improv to clown to the design of games and playgrounds. Understanding how our play spaces can not only benefit from a neurodiversity paradigm but in fact rely on it for radical creation is critical in an age of increased interactivity and interpassivity. The methods and tools in this workshop are suited to performers, directors, performance designers, game designers, and any artist yearning to create (or critique) participatory art.

keywords: performance, interactive, ludology, neurodivergent, Mad Arts

type of session: workshop