It’s that time again! Larkin’ About will be taking over spaces inside and outside the Contact building as part of FutureEverything on Saturday May 19th, 3pm ’til late. The whole event is free and we would absolutely love you to join us.

The Spring Larkin’ About programme takes inspiration from FutureEverything 2012′s theme ‘FutureEverybody’. These games use the digital world as a springboard for exciting social interactions, utilising the unifying power of technology to engage audiences in mass player experiences and memorable team adventures. Drop in!

Contact, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6JA Registration: 0161 274 0600 / www.contactmcr.com/larkinmcr

Mixtape
by Vee Uye @vee_uye
Ongoing (30 mins) / up to 3 players at a time. Indoor

A retro-audio treasure hunt with a soundtrack that takes you around the Contact building and into the puzzle of our hearts. Players navigate the space with analogue personal stereos and augment the narrative with their own memories.

Key>Board>Game
by Naomi Kashiwagi
Ongoing until 8.00pm (20 mins). Indoor

Ever felt like a game is getting out of CTRL? Want to ESC? DEL? BACKSPACE? Or just SHIFT? Key>Board>Game is a live social game using computer keyboard commands and shortcuts to communicate with others. A fun game for all – Apple and PC compatible.

Circle Rules Football
by Greg Manley, facilitated by Larkin’ About.
3.30pm (60 mins).Outdoor

An action packed new team sport that levels the playing field for long time athletes and newcomers alike. A genius mash-up of Football, Basketball and Volleyball played with one goal in the centre. Oh… and did we mention that it’s played with a giant Yoga ball?! http://www.circlerulesfederation.com

Over 18s only. Players will benefit from wearing comfortable clothes/shoes.

The Thing
a Werewolf variant, facilitated by Mark Kirschstein
4.30pm (60 mins, drop-in). Indoor

Watch out. The Thing, a parasitic life form, is lurking. The Thing assimilates organisms and in turn imitates them, and it’s up to you to to decide who is infected. A social game involving ruthless accusations and fraught defences in a quest for survival.

Remote Applause Game
by Sturgeon’s Law
5.30pm (30 mins). Indoor

We can navigate digital entities through virtual environments, but what if on the other side of the screen were a real person in another city? And what if you had no mouse, no right click, and only one tool with which to help her complete the tasks; your applause?

7:Candles
by Vee Uye
6.00pm (60 mins). Outdoor

Even the brightest of lights can be enhanced by the smallest of flames. Take a candle and find a phrase. Bring joy into forgotten space.
7:Candles is played in the streets surrounding Contact and across Twitter. A photo-based treasure hunt involving teamwork, candles and interpretative tasks.

Conquers
by Larkin’ About with Greg Foster & Chris Howker
7.00pm (45 mins). Indoor

You are part of an ambitious and determined group of territorial hunters. Conquer the territory of your opposition and mark it as your own. Be caught and you’ll be sent back to your base. Conquers is a team game involving dice rolling, mapping, stealth and live streaming.
Developed at Manchester GameJam with MadLab.

The Way of the Garden
by Trouser & Trumpet
8.00pm (90 mins) / for up to 24 players. Outdoor

[{One for the feet, under takers, lovers and Private investigators}]

A reputable and inconspicuous firm is looking to hire vigilant individuals to investigate, collect and observe. Through the use of technology and problem solving you will ensure the needs of our clients are met.

Over 18s only. The Way of the Garden is a chase game – players will benefit from wearing comfortable clothes/shoes.

Part of FutureEverything2012
www.futureeverything.org
 
Download the full programme here: larkinaboutprogramme_May19th
 
Join the Facebook Event here.
 

 
The Larkin Agents just want to say a huge thank you to all the players, designers, hosts and actors that made it down to our Larkin’ About at Contact event of Saturday 3rd Dec. This was the first of our regular events as resident company at Contact and we are super pleased with how it went.

We are proud to have hosted the first (to our knowledge) game of Circle Rules Football in Manchester at the start of the evening, with a little help from Dave Hat of Team Hat fame. We’re hoping that with a little practice and a few more games, we might even take on the Bristolians in the near future. Watch out!

Jana Wendler made a stunning game design debut with Spy School, a game which we’re certainly hoping to see a lot more of in the future.

UniverCityCulture ran Histonauts, a QR code game that took players around the Manchester University campus and delved into the past of famous academics linked to the university. For the results of Histonauts and some game images, head over here.

Sturgeon’s Law ran Improv Avatar during which players used twitter to deliver lines of dialogue to four actors in order to create a scene. Points were scored when actors performed specific actions that were unknown to them and not directly referred to in their received dialogue.

Vee Uye ran MixTape, a player/designer collaboration in which players hunted for cassettes tapes around the building that contained monologue delivered over specially selected songs. For more on MixTape, head here.

Greg Foster ran Moral Kombat, a high energy spectacle that used the Mortal Kombat videogame structure and two very convincing actors to allow audience members to confess their crimes and battle to win forgiveness for their confessed sins.

Finally, Larkin’ About ran an additional chase game called Spirit of Spring, in which players headed out into the night in order to collect from the spirits of the seasons the sacred ingredients of the 9 Herb Charm, a potion that had the power to save the Spirit of Spring and rescue us all from deadly Winter. Unfortunately for the players, they were being pursued…relentlessly!

Special thanks to the Whitworth Pub and Big Hands for allowing us to invade their venues during this final game. Much appreciated!

Thanks also, of course, to Contact who gave us the space and support to pull off our event so succesfully.

The talented Albino Mosquito helped to document the evening so keep a look out for stills and videos from the event on this site.

For a lovely write up of our event from one of our attendees, head over to Musing From Manchester.

We’ll keep you posted on our next event at Contact, likely to be in May next year. In the meantime, if you’d like to submit an idea for a game for it, please do get in touch at larkin.about2009@gmail.com.

Stay playful,

Tricia, Aowyn, Crofty & Vee
 

 

Larkers! Here’s the program for Larkin’ About at Contact. Tell everyone!

Circle Rules Football
by Greg Manley (facilitated by Dave Otridge)
5.00pm (60 mins)
Outdoor

Former ‘Best in Festival’ at the Interesting Games Festival, Circle Rules Football is an action packed new team sport that levels the playing field for long time athletes and newcomers alike. A genius mash-up of Football, Basketball and Volleyball played with one goal in the centre. Oh… and did I mention that it’s played with a giant Yoga ball?!

http://www.circlerulesfederation.com

*Over 18s only. Players will benefit from wearing comfortable clothes/shoes (with grip if raining) that they can run around in, but this isn’t a necessity. Plenty have thrived in jeans and shoes before.

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Mixtape
by Vee Uye
Durational (30 minutes)
Indoor

Mixtape is a retro-audio treasure hunt with a soundtrack that takes you around the Contact building and into the puzzle of our hearts. Players navigate the space with analogue personal stereos and augment the narrative with their own memories. For 3 players at a time.

Mixtape. n: a compilation of favourite pieces of music, typically by many different artists, recorded on to tape or another medium by an individual.

This is a playtest and feedback is most welcome!
@vee_uye

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Histonauts
by UniverCityCulture
6.00pm (60 mins)
Outdoor

Become a Histonaut. Take your team on a smartphone-guided journey through the University. Solve the mystery before the other teams do.

Tinyurl.com/UniverCityCulture
@UniverCityCulture

*If you have an iPhone/Android/Blackberry with a QR reader app (search on your app store/market), please bring it fully charged! If not, worry not, we’ll put you in a team with someone who does.

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Spy School
by Jana Wendler
6.30pm (60 mins)
Indoor

So you want to be a spy? You want hidden microphones, shadowy meetings, secret codes and the occasional car chase, plane jump and “surprise encounter” with a red-haired mysterious Russian actress / an athletic model-turned-special agent (choose according to preference)? Well, forget all that. This is Spy School, and it’s back to the beginnings, my friend. Can you sneakily mark your opponents? Can you even figure out who is on your team? We will find out in this test of observation and sublimity. Only the best will be allowed to continue…
@janawendler

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ImprovAvatar
by Sturgeon’s Law
7.00pm (30 mins)
Indoor

ImprovAvatar pairs each player with a professional actor, who will serve as the player’s alter ego, speaking the lines written for them by the player. Each writer/actor team will have to collaborate with the other teams in real-time to create a winter-themed scene; in addition each team has a set of tasks to accomplish and forfeits to avoid to earn points.

http://sturgeonsotherlaw.blogspot.com/

Actors: Jack Coverdale, Janelle Goodridge, Sharon Lancaster, Jack Leng

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Moral Kombat
by Greg Foster
8.15pm (30 mins)
Indoor

For millennia mankind has sought out the best and most effective ways to deal with the immoral parts of it’s societies. Over the centuries those that have done wrong in the eyes of ‘the people’ have been subjected to a variety of techniques, all designed to ultimately purge culture of it’s immoral doings. This evening – we’re going to introduce you the technique fit for the digital age, something that will finally deal with those accused of debauchery, degeneracy and depravity. It’s time to enter the court…of ‘Moral Kombat‘…FIGHT!

*Moral Kombat contains scenes of graphic violence which some may find unsettling.

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Spirit of Spring
by Doldrum
8.45pm (75 mins)
Outdoor

It’s Winter in Manchester. The days are short, the nights long, and an icy grip has a hold on the city. But there’s something different about this Winter…it might never come to an end. The Spirit of Spring has been kidnapped. You must find out what has happened and save it if you can. If you fail, the city will remain locked in winter, forever. Beware! There are forces out there who to ensure Spring is never found. You’ll have to move fast to avoid them. You have allies too. Listen carefully, and trust in good.

*Spirit of Spring costs an additional £3 to play – only 30 tickets available so book fast at www.contactmcr.com/spiritofthespring. Over 18s only. This game is not for the faint-hearted, and involves being chased, so please wear comfortable shoes and have a phone on you incase you get lost.

Add yourselves to our Facebook event page for more details and updates!

 

 

 
Tickets for our December 3rd event at Contact are now available.

Larkin’ About’s take-over of Contact is comprised of 2 separately ticketed events so make sure the you book for both if you want to attend both.

The main event Larkin’ About @ Contact runs from 5 – 8:45pm and is free.
Book online here.
 
The additional chase game Spirit of Spring starts at 8:45pm and is a mere £3. Book online here. Only 30 tickets available for Spirit of Spring so book fast!

Alternatively, call the Contact box office to book your tickets on 0161 274 0600

Planning to come along? Add yourself our Facebook event page.
 

 

 

3rd December, 2011. 5-10pm Contact, Manchester.
Main Games: FREE! Additional chase game: £3.

Reinventing Manchester’s playtime, Larkin’ About hosts a series of gaming events through the year. Players will be chasing and racing, searching and collecting, and code-breaking and puzzle-solving in a series of games through the Contact building and beyond.

Larkin’ About’s first event at Contact as Resident Company sees highlights such as an amalgamation of sport and theatre in Circle Rules Football, Greg Foster’s Moral Kombat, where players battle out their morals through computer games, Improv Avatar by Aliki Chapple where ‘actor-avatars’ react to a script being written in real-time, and the first performance of last year’s Playspace commission – Duplex Gaming by Deanna Borland-Sentinella.

The end of the evening sees an additional chase game – can you save the spirit of Spring from eternal darkness? A souped-up reworking of an old Larkin’ game, Spirit of Spring isn’t for the faint hearted.

The main event Larkin’ About @ Contact runs from 5 – 8:45pm and is free.
Book online here.
 
The additional chase game Spirit of Spring starts at 8:45pm and is a mere £3. Book online here. Only 30 tickets available for Spirit of Spring so book fast!

Alternatively, call the Contact box office to book your tickets on 0161 274 0600

Planning to come along? Add yourself our Facebook Event page or email larkin.about2009@gmail.com for more information.

Stay playful!

 

 

 
Have you got an idea for a pervasive game? Larkin’ About will be running a program of games at Contact Theatre on December 3rd, 2011, and we’d like to provide an opportunity for both new and experienced designers to showcase their work.

Email us if you have something you’d like to submit or for more information on the event. We’d love to hear from you. Closing date for applications is October 15th.

Ludocity is a great resource to see what games are already out there. They also have a helpful Game Design Guide for those new to the field.

We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
 

 

We might have been a bit quiet online over the past few weeks but it’s all steam ahead for the Larkin’ Agents. Here are some new dates for your diary. Join us wherever you can!

Wythenshawe Garden City Festival

17th Sept, 2011. Wythenshawe, Manchester. FREE!
We’ll be running a treasure hunt style puzzler as well as partaking of the delicious foods on offer!

Gate Crash!
2nd October 2011. PlayARK, Cardiff.

Somewhere in Cardiff the greatest party ever is taking place. Rumours of royals in attendance have meant the authorities have been employed to keep a top secret lid on things. You haven’t been invited and you have no idea where it is, but you really want to go. You are going to have to Gate Crash.

But it’s not as simple as just turning up. You’ll need to solve riddles, jump through hoops, prove your allegiance, morph into something altogether, even travel through time into a tipsy-turvy world where nothing is what it seems. Don’t be late.
 

Larkin’ About at Contact.
3rd December, 2011. Contact, Manchester. FREE!

Players will be chasing and racing, searching and collecting, code-breaking and puzzle-solving in a series of games through the Contact building. Includes the winner of last year’s Playspace Commission Duplex Gaming by Deanna Borland-Sentinella.

 

image by jeffedoe



Three lost souls wander the city with a terrible knowledge in their minds.
The end of the world is nigh.


Find the Harbingers before their message is silenced by doubters.
Help them by searching your heart for answers to the questions they pose…

All hands and feet will one day still. What final act must you fulfil?

Before the final silence falls, what song will you declare is yours?

The end of days arrives with haste. What precious food would you last taste?

Use the hashtag #ApocalypseMcr in your answers and the Harbingers are certain to heed you.

Harbingers is a pervasive event designed by Larkin’ About for the Lost & Found Festival at Contact Theatre, 6th-11th June, 2011.

Harbingers is also a trailblazer event for the impending Apocalypse. 16th July, 2011. All over the city.

Cast of our recent game 1940s inspired game Black Market Played at the Northern Quarter Street Party 29th April 2011

Gate Crash at igfest.

We’re running our new game Gate Crash at Bristol’s awesome igfest. Gate Crash will run between 4-6pm both the Saturday & Sunday. Book your tickets here.

Location: Bristol
Date: 28-29th May 2011.

Harbingers.

Larkin’ About will be running a trail blazer piece called Harbingers for our impending Apocalypse event. Harbingers will take place on the Metrolink, in Manchester City Centre, and at Contact Theatre during Re:Con’s Lost & Found Festival.

Location: Manchester
Date: 6-11th June 2011.

Insider Festival.

We’re off to Inshriach House near Aviemore, Scotland for the Insider Festival. We’ll be running a series of Victoriana-inspired pervasive games. Book tickets here.

Location: Inshriach House, nr Aviemore, Inverness-shire.
Date: 17-20th June

Apocalypse.

It’s the end of the world as we know it. On 16th July, the Apocalypse comes to Manchester. Join us for a series of pervasive gaming events, happenings and performance and maybe, just maybe, we can all save the world.

#ApocalypseMcr

Location: Manchester City Centre
Date: 16th July 2011