Game On Portfolio: Curatorial practice to create cummunitas

The Game On program is an extended co-curatorial project focused on site-responsive practice with the Brisbane game developer community. Our intent is supporting community building via the development of ‘communitas’ – unstructured community where all members are considered equal contributors and participants. Communitas is a phenomenon associated with communities in acute moments; creating elusive yet bonding scaffolds. Game On arose in response to an emergent shift in business models and the effects on the local community as Australian-based US companies working in hierarchic and closed models disappeared and an entrepreneurial network of micro-businesses emerged. A strong community and sense of communitas was considered vital for the survival of the sector. The co-curatorial program focuses on facilitating mutual support and grass-roots membership, with community as active collaborators and participants. A sustained annual program of events including game jams; public festivals, public talks, and networking events, has produced evidence of communitas. Communitas is considered powerful but also ephemeral and resistant to production. This research shows that it is possible to create a sense of Communitas - ‘collective joy’, via site-responsive co-curatorial practice. The importance of this is demonstrated by increased and sustained community engagement; recognition from funding organisations i.e. Screen Queensland; broadcasting and hosting from key local cultural institutions (Powerhouse, State Library Qld, 4triple Z). The emergence of communitas is encouraging as a model for curatorial practice in similar community contexts. As a non-hierarchical phenomenon, it has the potential to foster sector growth and creative outcomes.