Hi Everyone,
A dear friend of mine is a PHD Candiate at the University of Toronto and is doing this study for her thesis. The participants have to be local or in the Toronto area. If you are interested or may know of anyone in the area that is interested please feel free to forward the following the information below to them.
Cheers,
Sandra Poczobut
PROJECT DETAILS AND DESCRIPTION
I am a University of Toronto graduate researcher who is seeking adult study participants living in Toronto, ON - game designers, artists, or creative individuals to participate in a game design workshop (a Game Jam). I am seeking individuals who identify with a disability, a chronic illness, emotional trauma, or any other health-related issue (ex: addiction, PTSD, mental illness, eating disorders, Autism/Asperger's, ADHD, etc.) who are interested in making a personal game about their experiences.
“How does it hurt?” Authoring the autopathography in DIY digital games is a social justice research project that examines the creative design processes of designers authoring the autopathographic digital game. In the context of literary writing, Couser (1997) defines the autopathography as an “autobiographical narrative of illness and disability” (p. 5).
My study aims to give voice to neurodiverse and ability diverse communities through feminist and social justice minded research – involving participants in game creation through a facilitated and fully accessible game design workshop (a Game Jam) to be held at University of Toronto, as well as subsequent individual, in-person interviews.
This study delves into the creative game design processes and experiences of game designers or artists who author the autopathographic game during the Game Jam, as well as more in-depth interviews after the Game Jam.
This project is not focused on medically therapeutic approaches to games research. Rather, the intent is to explore the expressive and transformative power of Do-It-Yourself game design as a highly personal form of interactive storytelling that also challenges negative attitudes about disability, illness, and human difference.
The timeframe of this project is Summer/Fall 2014.
If interested, please feel free to contact me confidentially and I will provide more details. Willing participants can withdraw from this project at any time.
Researcher:
Sandra Danilovic, Doctoral Candidate
Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
Phone: (416) 997-8147
Email: s.danilovic@mail.utoronto.ca or sandanilovic@gmail.com
If interested, you may also contact my Research Supervisor:
Dr. Patrick Keilty
Faculty of Information
Claude Bissell Building, 140 St. George Street, Room: BL 614
Toronto, ON M5S 3G6
Phone: 416-946-3809
Email: p.keilty@utoronto.ca