Playtime In The City – New App To Transform Melbourne

03:23' 21-12-2018

Melbourne will be transformed into a giant ‘playable’ game through a new trailblazing creative project that will combine augmented reality, public art and games design.

Photo: Noise11

Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley today announced the Labor Government will provide $950,000 to support 64 Ways of Being – a free mobile app that will guide users around the CBD and surrounding suburbs, from Braybrook in the west to Elwood in the south.

When using the app, players will see specially commissioned artworks pop up on their screen, including rotating live theatre performances, street art and digital augmented reality elements.

Users of all ages will be invited to ‘collect’ the experiences or join with others in a playful exploration that will showcase the city in a whole new light.

The project, which will be launched in 2020, will be developed with capacity to add new artworks and locations, including regional or international cities, in the future.

64 Ways of Being is the third project to be supported through the Andrews Labor Government’s Creative State Commissions program, which supports ambitious projects that break new creative ground, increase tourism and bring significant benefits to the state.

It was selected by an expert panel from a shortlist of nine projects and joins ground-breaking First Peoples theatre project Bagurrk, a collaboration between ILBIJERRI Theatre Company and Yalukit Marnang, and the hugely successful Wimmera-Mallee Silo Art Trail as the first Creative State Commissions projects.

64 Ways of Being is a collaboration between Victorian artist, educator and coder Dr Troy Innocent, games studio Millipede and performance collective ‘one step at a time like this’.

For more information on 64 Ways of Being, follow the project on Instagram at @64waysofbeing.