Fictional history frames in an intercultural larp
Les cadres de l'Histoire dans un jeu de rôle grandeur nature interculturel
Résumé
Many larp workshops aim to harmonize player cultures, norms and expectations for their engagement in fiction to flow seamlessly and as safely as possible (Koljonen, 2020). In an historical and physically heavy larp like Legion: a Siberian Story (Rolling, 2014), the authored representation of a national story encounters players’ representation of the past (Mochocki, 2021). This presentation relies on an empirical monographic study of participation and learning during Legion through a socio-anthropological lens, by participant observation as well as players and designers interviews (Freudenthal, 2020). Informal situations of learning like leisurely play remain little studied through this lens and need specific concepts and methodology to further academic knowledge of what learning can occur during play and how to elicit it (Schugurensky, 2000; Hammer et al., 2018). Drawing on fiction theory (Schaeffer, 1999; Caïra, 2011; Korthals Altes, 2022), we will discuss the relationship created between players and the historically-inspired fiction, and how the intercultural context of play affects this dynamic. Doing so, this new analysis aims to provide sociological insights on the emotional and cognitive processes at work during the intercreative improvisation specific to larps (Caïra, 2007; David, 2016). Conclusions suggest to focus research on direct observation and interviews of the players rather than the design in order to further study the socio-cultural complexities of maintaining the social frame of play as a group.
