PlayAway

Gabe is an LKAS PhD funded researcher at the University of Glasgow and Vice Editor of Press Start Journal. Gabe is researching the effects of Fantasy in single-player, narrative-driven video games. Their project will explore whether its effective use facilitates affective engagement with digital fantasy worlds and whether this digital affect has the potential to impact the emotional wellbeing of players in their off-screen lives. Gabe’s research will develop a new kind of reader reception theory by investigating whether literary analysis of video games has practical applications and corresponds with the experiences of players. The end result will make available a fuller understanding of the affordances, implications and impact of the Digital Fantastic.

Website: digital-fantastic.com
Twitter: @DigiFantastic

The University of Glasgow’s Games & Gaming Lab promotes cross-disciplinary research into Games and Gaming, from Tabletop to Electronic media, from Children to Adults, and across time periods from Ancient to Modern, Fantasy, and Futuristic. Find out more about the Lab at gamesandgaming.gla.ac.uk or follow us on Twitter @UofGGamesLab.

Website: gamesandgaming.gla.ac.uk
Twitter: @uofggameslab

Dr Matthew Barr is currently Programme Director for the Graduate Apprenticeship in Software Engineering at the University of Glasgow and co-founder of the Ada Scotland Festival. Matt previously convened the University’s first Game Studies course and founded the international student game studies journal, Press Start. He is co-Director of the University’s Games & Gaming Lab, and serves as Vice Chair of British DiGRA and as a Trustee and Director of the Scottish Game Developers Association. Matt also sits on the BAFTA Scotland Committee and currently serves as the Games Jury Chair. His book, Graduate Skills and Game-Based Learning, was published by Palgrave in 2019.

Website: matthewbarr.co.uk
Twitter: @hatii_matt

Foxdog Studios, Lloyd Henning and Peter Sutton, are computer programmers turned live performers. They create comedy shows that put the audience in control of interactive games and DIY gadgets. Their live show, “Robot Chef”, was a sell-out at the Edinburgh Fringe and had viewers cook sausage and beans by controlling a robot on their phones (a highlight being firing a hotdog from a cannon).

The pandemic has turned their stage shows into interactive online pieces, streamed live weekly on Twitch, including “Escape The North” which was featured as part of the Guardian’s coverage of comedy streaming.

Mona is a Lecturer in Immersive Experience Design at Abertay University. Her research is practice-based and focuses on the convergence of contemporary performance practices and video games, particularly designing hybrid forms of storytelling, performative games, mixed-reality and immersive experiences and games for public spaces and heritage sites. Mona is currently working on a series of projects that investigate the potential of games for capturing, preserving and sharing lived experience and oral herstories.

Twitter: @MonaBozdog
Website: performingplay.co.uk

Yann Seznec is an artist whose work focuses on sound, music, physical interaction, games, and building new instruments. Recent projects include residencies at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Floating Cinema in London, Playable City Lagos, and Timespan in the Scottish Highlands. He has performed at The Roundhouse London, Mutek Montreal, Melbourne Recital Hall, Liquid Rooms Tokyo, Köln Philharmonie, Fak’ugesi Johannesburg, and more. Much of his work involves building custom instruments such as musical pigsties, slinky instruments, candle-based sound installations, electromechanical mushroom spore reactors, and more.

He is founder of BAFTA-winning creative studio Lucky Frame. In December 2015 he received the British Composer Award for Sonic Art for his 2014 Edinburgh Art Festival work “Currents”.

Yann has been Game Designer in Residence at the MICA Game Lab in Baltimore, Maryland, since 2019. This residency runs until August 2021.

Website: yannseznec.com
Twitter: @yannseznec

Brian is a writer, games and narrative designer, serial entrepreneur and university lecturer. He started his career in the games industry at the legendary Scottish studio DMA Design, as a writer designer for games including Grand Theft Auto, Body Harvest and Tanktics, before discovering a talent for PR, communications and marketing.

Brian joined Rockstar Games in New York as it’s first ever Global PR Manager, before moving into the emerging mobile games industry with the pioneering Scottish publisher Digital Bridges (eight years before the iPhone was launched…)

Brian went on to found the communications agency Indoctrimat, which worked with over 150 clients in the video games, mobile, digital technology, creative industries, education and public sectors.

Since 2009 Brian has lectured at Edinburgh Napier University, focusing on the transformative power of interactive media within the creative industries.

Brian is the founder and director of the Scottish Games Network in 2004 and has established himself as an expert in the use of applied game technologies and ‘gamification’ techniques within the arts world. He’s a regular contributor to the media, tech ecosystem and government, whenever they need to know more about this ‘games thing’.

Website: scottishgames.net/tag/brian-baglow
Twitter: @flackboy

Elena is passionate about blending learning and fun into meaningful entertainment. She founded Yaldi Games, a startup game developer working on their first title: “Wholesome – Out and About”, an open-world life simulator about nature, cooking and crafting. 

Website: yaldigames.com
Twitter: @yaldigames
Facebook: @wholesomegame
Instagram: @yaldigames

Civic Digits Theatre Company blends digital technology, gaming and live performance to create innovative and interactive theatre, and questions what it means to be a digital human in the 21st century. At the heart of everything we do, is our aim to create a digital future where we all can flourish. We aim to be an intersectionally-feminist organisation and we want to encourage young women to explore STEM subjects and careers.

The company was founded in 2018 by award-winning playwright Clare Duffy, after a chance meeting with ethical hacker, Rupert Goodwins. Civic Digits’ first production is The Big Data Show, telling the story of the first prosecuted hack in the UK (which was by Rupert Goodwins).

For more information on Civic Digits and The Big Data Show, visit:

Website: civicdigits.com
Twitter: @civicdigits

Carla completed her PhD in microbiology at University of Glasgow that focused on developing novel antibiotics from gut bacteria. Following her PhD Carla worked at several universities and museums designing interactive games and educational apps on antibiotics, infectious disease and science. She now is founder and CEO of Game Doctor Ltd, a Scottish company that develops data-driven games  for use in health interventions and education.

Website: gamedrlimited.com

Twitter: @gamedrltd

Instagram: @gamedoctoruk