Spit City

Spit City
Name	Spit City
Location	Het Wilde Weg
Date	2023/07/23-2023/07/24
Time	14:00-18:00
PeopleOrganisations	Elio J Carranza
Type	HDSC2023
Web	Yes
Print	No

An experiential Pen&Paper game, Spit City is played with pen, paper, and dice. The ruleset is inclusive of queer trans*feminist and crip perspectives. It invites players to world a geography and their own in-game identity. The possibility of one collective identity with several players is encouraged. The only physical remnant of a playthrough is a sketched map, which captures the players’ decisions on what is traced and how it is recorded. The process assimilates the approach of feminist cartography, which is multidimensional, multiscalar, and anchored in the body. Spit City facilitates the emergence of a queer pleasure-positive ecology, other-than-human intimacies, and a carnal role play experience for 2 to 7 players.

The only tools involved are the ruleset, dice, and pens.

Extra: If everyone can bring something to draw with, could be crayons, pencils, pens, even aquarell, that'd be amazing. <3

In terms of "exploring alternative (sustainable, non-extractivist, equitable) social imaginaries", I felt compelled to apply with this game. For me, hosting playthroughs with different groups in the last months has been such a tender experience that I would love to share with a group of people personally interested in the topics mentioned in the open call of Hopepunk Summercamp.

One full playthrough takes from 4-6h. We take regular short breaks and the time is split in two sessions on two days.

The first part of the game consists in deciding for an in-game identity together and setting a framework of environmental conditions like for example: it is always dark; the air pressure forces us to move quickly and we have to stay underground most of the time; we eat stones; etc. - the framework is almost entirely open in the beginning and the direction depends a lot on what each player brings to the table.

Once these basics are established, time is divided into 6 Spit Cycles. Each one of those allows players to perform various activities guided by prompts articulated in the rulesets, chosen by chance through throwing the dice. During the play, the drawing of the map continues and expands.

Access

We will draw on a big piece of paper and we will be talking. In case anyone has access needs, you are invited to reach out to me in advance and I can adapt the set-up accordingly. We will discuss the amount of needed breaks together, but if there are needs that are clear beforehand, please reach out and let me know. We will play in English language, ideally outside if it is warm enough. It is possible to sit on chairs or seats around a table, but we could also sit on pillows, blankets, lie in the grass, depending on what feels best for the group. It is easy to change or move around as well.

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Bio

Elio J Carranza is a german/argentinian non-binary trans artist, currently based between Berlin and Amsterdam. Their work stretches between experimental moving image, games, text, and sculpture. In their practice, they apply material technologies, collective fiction storytelling, and image production software for the purpose of developing (play) ecologies that visualize and complexify queer, trans*feminist, crip, and more-than-human dissident intimacies. Furthermore, they are passionate about critical pedagogy and are invested in matters around autonomous healthcare. Their work has been shown in New Jörg, Vienna, Austria; Casa Plan, Valparaiso, Chile; URRA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Public Space, Belgrade, Serbia; GOLD & BETON, Cologne; Germany, and more.