GEElab invites to 1st Games for Change ANZ Festival, 15-16 Nov

Please visit: gamesforchange.org.au

At the 9th Games for Change Festival in New York, we have announced that the GEElab & RMIT's School of Media and Communication are hosting the 1st Games for Change Australia-New Zealand Festival, to take place the awesome new Design Hub of RMIT University on 15 & 16 November 2012 and curated by GEElab's Steffen and Marigo. The Festival website lists our amazing set of speakers as well as the planned program - and you can register there, too! We are happy to report have we confirmed keynote addresses by Games for Change pioneer Heather Kelley as well as by game design legend Keita Takahashi (of Katamari Damacy fame).

Inspiring change through games
 
We are producing an extraordinary experience for the City of Melbourne that will showcase and provide interactive experiences on how individuals and organisations can learn from the power of digital games and play to achieve positive social, educational and business outcomes.
 
This is an international event curated from the best in our region and around the world. The focus of the festival is to provide an experience to connect participants in the spirit of promoting, learning and collaborating. There will be an exciting cross section of participants, presenters and facilitators from a range of industries including games development, the arts, design, film makers, multimedia producers, professional business services, marketing, health, education, not for profit, government and the private sector.
 
As an organisation, Games for Change has been in operation in New York since 2004, and focuses on the power of digital games to address key social issues such as heath, education and sustainability in order to produce a positive impact on our society. Games for Change is an international not-for-profit organisation that has license holders in the US, Europe, Latin America and Korea. Australia has successfully secured a license through RMIT University and this will enable us to represent our region (Australia, south-east Asia and New Zealand) in promoting the vision and values of games for social good.
 
A community of innovative organisations
 
RMIT University GEELab is the licence holder for Games for Change Australia-New Zealand, and we are partnering with innovative organisations in education, government, NGOs and in the corporate sector to support the growing interest in digital games, game thinking and play and to showcase how games can be used to deliver positive social outcomes in our communities.
 
The festival will be a catalyst for (a) informed content to support the growing interest in games, game thinking and gameplay that is emerging in our communities, business and government, and (b) to use the event to showcase how games can be used to deliver positive social outcomes using the City of Melbourne as a platform or ‘playground’.
 
 
We are really excited to serve as Games for Change's partner in the region, and are currently programming an extraordinary ‘game-changing’ urban festival experience that will showcase the power of games and other forms of inspiring entertainment to bring about social, educational, organizational as well as entrepreneurial and philanthropic change.