For those of you who do not know, I am a confessed addict to BBC iplayer. And there is nothing more tempting than a good documentary on BBC4. Last night I watched the second episode of Games Britannia. The series traces the development of games throughout British history, from mysterious druid board games to Monopoly and beyond. For those of you living in the UK, here is the link:
And there is something I want to share with you… Bear with me.
Half way through last night’s episode presenter and historian Benjamin Woolley discussed the subtle, almost stealthy political role that games can play. I quote:
“In the years leading up to the First World War, in 1909 an apparently conventional race game was published. It was titled 'Pank a Squith', and it encoded a radical political message. It represented the escalating battle between Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the women’s suffrage movement and her arch enemy Prime Minister Herbert Asquith. The aim of the game was to get a woman into that bastion of male oppression and exclusion, the Houses of Parliament. Her path was strewn with obstacles such as imprisonment and ridicule, and opportunities such as financial sponsorship and public support. Each player had to pick their way through this political mine field.”
Half way through last night’s episode presenter and historian Benjamin Woolley discussed the subtle, almost stealthy political role that games can play. I quote:
“In the years leading up to the First World War, in 1909 an apparently conventional race game was published. It was titled 'Pank a Squith', and it encoded a radical political message. It represented the escalating battle between Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the women’s suffrage movement and her arch enemy Prime Minister Herbert Asquith. The aim of the game was to get a woman into that bastion of male oppression and exclusion, the Houses of Parliament. Her path was strewn with obstacles such as imprisonment and ridicule, and opportunities such as financial sponsorship and public support. Each player had to pick their way through this political mine field.”
Woolley then talked to Andrew Sheerin, the designer responsible for the satirical board game ‘War on Terror’ (http://www.waronterrortheboardgame.com/). I quote Sheerin:
“I think games are ideally suited for exploring current events, and particularly very difficult and complex subject matters. And it sets up a conflict around a table, but a safe conflict. You are not having a political debate, which can turn personal, but you are having a staged conflict and through that you come to a resolution.”
Now, why would I mention this to you? I am aware that we have not yet outlined the particular activities involved in i am small THE WORLD IS BIG (I am enjoying the mystery at the moment, so watch this space for more info in the future). The one thing I can tell you is that it is not anything close to a board game. However, I think that Sheerin’s statement is relevant to the project nonetheless. Through this piece we are tackling a number of current events that are certainly difficult and complex. So, who are the players? Well there will be a core of selected collaborators who will be engaging directly in the activity. That said, the audience will not be relegated to simply spectate, but will be able to ‘join in the game’ in different ways. So, what is the game? As I said above we don’t want to give much away just yet. What I can tell you is that it will not follow a conventional set up like the games discussed in Games Britannia or the games that Sheerin is referring to. With that I mean that the rules of engagement are not based on a conventional structure where two or more parties directly confront each other (as it might be in chess or Trivial Pursuit). In our ‘game’ the conflict is not between the different ‘players’. Instead the conflict lies in the tension between the activity and the time dedicated to it. In a way, i am small THE WORLD IS BIG is a race against the clock. The different ‘players’ (collaborators and audience alike) will directly and indirectly engage in an communal activity that is set to take place over a finite duration. Jointly, as a team, we have to get it done –or rather, as much as we can. How much will we achieve? Will we ‘save ourselves’ in time? What role will you play? i am small THE WORLD IS BIG is a challenge to us all, it is a safe space we can use to practice/rehearse/play-out many of our current challenges and conflicts. Will we arrive at any resolutions?
Well, that’s up to each and every one of us…
Pablo
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