So the party gets it’s own post impressive, but it was also long and a lot happened. And the post also ended up being rather long, how did that happen?
– The theme for the parti is the seven deadly sins and the four virtues. But I opt to just put on my suit and a tie I have wanted to show off for a long time, (my Rosettastone tie).
– Walkover, straight away meet people more of the lovely but all melted together by now greeting, lose talking and so on. I remember surprisingly many recognising my tie, which is nice.
– But people in general talked about each others costumes, which is understandable as there were many beautiful, cool or just funny costumes.
– Meet Signe talk about the Summer School. She has signed up, and hopes to get in, later in the evening I put in a good word for her. It’s strange but having been there you want as many others to have that experience as well.
– Meet Stuart also from the summer school, pretty much the first time I see him at KP. We start talking and somehow end up talking about doing a larp book, a kind of follow up to “Larps From the Factory”. We both love that book but also feel that more are needed or that book will become too much a representative of nordic larps, which is sad as there is so much more.
– We talk about useing the summer school as the starting point, there’s a lot of great games made there via the Larporatory, and many of the participants have since made games on their own. Also there have been played great games there as part of the curriculum, such as the legendary “White Death” and isn’t it time that got published?
– We corner Martin, one of the organizers, and talk with him enthusiastically. He’s wearing a lions mask and makeup and remarks: “it’s hard to take myself seriously like this.” But we don’t mind, we don’t care, we want to do this. During the conversation he also tells us that the summer school organizers would be willing to support such a project by covering some transport costs.
– As he leaves, we continue and talk about broadening the scope. Stuart suggest the title: “The Chamberlarp Revolution.” I’m sceptical because that takes the focus away from the summer school (my inner journalist wants a clear angle), but he remarks: “and is that a problem? why limit ourselves?” I can’t think of an answer to that, and the more I have thought about it, the more I agree, that could be cool. Use the summer school as the starting point and foundation but widen the scope to the whole chamberlarp scene.
– Later I walk past Stuart talking to Trine and Lizzy, some of the people behind “Larps from the Factory.” I’m dragged into the conversation, and we get a lot of good advice on the idea and a lot of support. Lizzy even offers to let us use her network of american proofreaders. This project is slowly getting harder and harder to say no to.
– At this point Trine looks at me and says: “don’t feel pressured to do this, only do it if you really want to do it.” I know I want to do it, but do I have time for it? It was great of her to say it, kind of someone reminding you of the opt out rule during role play. I now know that if I do it, it will be my own choice.
– At the beginning of the party Claus had introduced the theme and that around the place all the sins and virtues was represented in different ways. I only managed to find some of them.
– At the back of the Bazaar was a huge table filled with candy, that must have been gluttony, and the big high school reunion like photostage would be pride, where me, Signe and Rhiannon had some rather spontaneous pictures taken in front of I think three flashing cameras, very Hollywood.
– A relaxing cuddle puddle was sloth where I spend a few minutes relaxing but couldn’t keep still so of I went again. But that is all I found, did any find the others?
– Later me and Signe discover a blues dancing room in mordor, slow music and a lot of very stylish dancing. And thats the second time I had to help out a girl, this time Signe just wanted away from a guy dancing a bit too awkwardly. And I even experience a girl asking my to dance. I love dancing, but am not very good at it, but did my best, and it was nice being the one being asked.
– When at KP you see someone sitting down in a circle, you join in, something strange might be happening, so when I saw Piotr organizing people in a circle I joined in. It turned out someone had challenged him to do a spontaneous workshop, so he did one on flirting. Some good bits, but need work, but high five for doing it.
– That was interrupted by the sound of rhythmic clapping, Erik Fatland had started up a ritual workshop. That was crazy, disorganised, spontaneous and very very fun. I’m so glad I joined in on that.
– Wow writing this, I can see that that one party was so full of all these little happenings all the time. This is a great crowd. If someone does something mad, others join in rather than just looking at it with a frown.
– While walking around I suddenly hear singeing and see a group of the College of Wizardry is recording a song for the larp in an empty hallway.
– At some point I had a break by talking to Morten and Frederikke, who run the local larp campaign “Fladlandssagaen” in Hobro where I recently moved to. I’ve wanted to join in, but never having done campaign larps before, I’m not sure how. We talk for a good bit and decided I’m going to join their npc crew. I’m looking forward to that.
– Later me and Frederikke talked about her concussion, how it was to be her, a young but sometimes a bit too admired girl in the larp community and also about her work, bringing more young girls in to larp. It’s so important for me to have these conversation with people, I need more different aspects on life. It’s why I became a journalist. It’s why I role play.
– She has also signed up for the summer school, so later I brought her and Åslaug together so they could meet, those two needed to meet. I would never have done that, but here at Kp: You. Just. Do!
– Later I joined the dance floor with some of the belarusians such great people.
– It was getting late, people slowly going home, walk around a bit suddenly hear folk music. In a corridor someone was playing and sing folk music, this is a mad place, I keep telling you that. Join in on that as well. It really brought me back to my time in scotland.
– At very late I see green haired Petra sitting by herself. I join her and we end up talking for a long time. We are both in the same situation, educated in journalism but drawn to other things. It was a brilliant, strange talk that still haunts me. I the: “I know what I should do not sure I dare it” kind of way.
– The party slowly fading out, I roam around a bit and finally decide, that that was it for me. when I go to bed the time is 7.40 so that must have been a night well spent.
Tomorrow sunday and maybe even a bit monday. Let’s see. This has been great yet hard to write, and I have spent way too much time on it. But I have enjoyed it a lot. This has kept my KP experience going for longer.
– Keynotes theme this time is: Roles, first of is legendary Erik Fatland, whom I mostly know from his work with ritual workshops, something I want to use a lot more. His breakdown of what is a character is rather good. A role play character is never a whole person, but rather: an alternative pattern of thought, a different public identity, a different set of relationships, an alternative pattern of movement, an alternative voice and language, an unique reason and goals within the game.
Sadly next was my last co-creative session. Looking through the options this caught my eye: “Using video in larp”, and having an idea for a larp that would use film clips I stopped reading and went to that.
