After an exciting and intense week, teams participating in Care Jam 2021 (2-9 Dec 2021) produced 12 new game concepts which explore multi-dimensional narratives of care work and caregiving, and help to reimagine a world where care is collective, visible and valued.
Care Jam was the first game jam to bring together game developers and people touched by care—people with disabilities, ageing adults, family caregivers and care workers to design gaming experiences that uplift stories of care and the people who do it.
For Counterpoints Arts this was part of our PopChange project exploring how the power of pop culture can be harnessed for social change in order to shift the way we talk, think and feel about migration and displacement in the UK. While Care is an issue that touches everyone’s lives, there is a high proportion of migrants employed in the sector, so it seemed very relevant to our priorities.
Led in partnership by Caring Across Generations, Code Coven, Counterpoints Arts and National Domestic Workers Alliance, the jam was a supportive and creative space to develop game concepts with potential to challenge harmful stereotypes, build empathy and educate on the complexities of care.
Launched by a roundtable discussion featuring ground-breaking care activists and game developers sharing inspiring stories and ideas, this jam was unique in being led by lived experience — from speakers, to sensitivity consultants to participants.
Over 190 people forming 24 teams registered for the week-long game jam, and submitted games were reviewed to ensure they reflected one or more of the published themes. After review of all submissions ensuring they met the brief, 12 games are now available as part of the final Care Jam 2021 public collection on itch.io exploring topics such as collective care, parenting, care worker’s lives and care homes.
Visit our PopChange website to read the full story and find our more about the games.
Image: ‘Missing in Margate’ by Team Oops, video game produced at Care Jam 2021
