PLAY14 on the next level [PR1]

The culture of gaming
Creative Video Gaming Festival returns to Hamburg in 2014 – extended to four and a half days
Doing, seeing, talking, celebrating –and all that with computer games? For the initiators of PLAY14, these are no contradictions but rather expressions of gaming culture. At the festival, guests can see what digital games have to offer these days: From 16th to 20th of September 2014, Hamburg city center will turn into a playground for “Creative Gaming”.
Hamburg. Computer games are a waste of time and make you fat, stupid and lonely? The Festival PLAY14 opens up a new perspective on the digital gaming world and demonstrates that computer games play an important role in education, art and the economy these days. In four and a half days, experts will show how much creative diversity and motivational incentive are to be found in computer games. Poetry and gaming? Go surprisingly well together, as this year’s Poetry Slam will show, where wordsmiths shine as Games-Flow-artists. Are computer games suitable vehicles for artistic expression? That’s exactly what a new interactive exhibition during the festival is about: On show is unique “gaming”-art that invites the viewer to participate and experiment.
The sound of digital games in the heart of the city
The festival is located where digital games arrived a long time ago: in the heart of society. Hence, the festival too will take place in the middle of the city: On stages and squares in the city center, in theatres and museums, clubs and cinemas and many other places in central Hamburg. A huge spectrum of cultural activities to do with digital games will be on offer. A main thematic focus in many workshops and also the exhibition will be “music and sound in digital games”. Here, for example Gameboys will be turned into musical instruments, and visitors will gain insight into sound designs for computer games.
International play-conference
For the first time, the extensive range of workshops, exhibitions and presentations will be accom­panied by a conference. International experts from education institutions and the games­in­dus­try as well as politicians will be exchanging ideas in discussions and workshops. The PLAY-conference will be dedicating itself to the culture of digital games and discuss sociopolitical and educational aspects of computer gaming.
Computer games in school and family
The PLAY14 has a lot to offer for school classes and teachers. Countless workshops on computer games provide a pleasant change to everyday school life and demonstrate how schools too can work with computer games. With one-day workshops on popular games such as “Minecraft” or “Let’s Plays”, the media educators easily capture the students’ attention with subjects they are already familiar with from their leisure time. Together with the pupils, they then proceed to push the limits of the possibilities offered by digital games. Teachers can already register for workshops, trainings, lectures and performances in schools on “creative gaming” – or simply find out more.
 
Festival-Saturday will offer many activities for families. Here, parents can try out their children’s game worlds and kids can test their gaming skills in real world play areas. In addition, there will be many information events and hands-on-activities.

Background:
PLAY14 is geared towards pupils, teachers, students, researchers, people from the games industry and those interested in culture and arts. First and foremost however, people from Hamburg of all ages and interests are invited to find out about the many possibilities computer games offer – and to try them out!
PLAY14 is a joint project of many partners in the city of Hamburg. It is organized by jaf – Verein für medienpädagogische Praxis Hamburg e.V. in cooperation with spielbar.de, platform of the Bundes­zentrale für politische Bildung/bpb on computer games and the JIZ –Jugendinformations­zentrum Hamburg der Behörde für Schule und Berufsbildung, coordinated by the Initiative Creative Gaming e.V.
Since 2007, the Initiative Creative Gaming e.V. organizes training, workshops and a yearly nationwide festival on the artistic and educational aspects of creative computer gaming. The Initiative promotes an alternative and artistic approach to computer gaming and therefore opens pupils, parents and teachers new perspectives and strategies for a productive and critical reflection of the medium. At the same time, through its events, the Initiative offers fascinating insights into careers in the games industry.
Further Information
For further information or photo requests, please contact Tina Ziegler
Tel.: 0174.4440454 or 038821.889888 tina.ziegler@creative-gaming.eu / www.play14.de