Hi, I am Maria, a game studies & interactions researcher, a playful facilitator, and a cultural manager. I am currently the artistic director of
For a full list of my skills, papers and projects, check my , my pages, and . If you have questions or an amazing idea I would love to hear from you @ msaridaki@gmail.com
I have a PhD in inclusive playful interactions and digital games from University of Athens, a post-doc on for women in vulnerable social groups and an Msc in Information Management where I researched friendly interactions in MMORPGs. I currently work on XR, playful interactions and magickal rituals, while researching urban game design funded by Creative Europe.
I am passionate about temporary spaces of change and I have been teaching at different universities (e.g. applied gaming, facilitation, trust & communities, game design, game based learning, urban games, digital storytelling, new media), organising and facilitating workshops, experiences and events on behalf of large educational and cultural organisations, as well as grass-root communities. I have helped to design playful and inclusive experiences to foster creativity, learning and communication in different settings, such as:
^ workshops on game design for students of different backgrounds and abilities (urban games, digital games, location based games, live action role playing games)
^ workshops on game design, educational games, political & art games, storytelling, urban play & play testing facilitation for artists, game designers and developers (in game design conferences, game jams, community meet-ups)
^ XR and location-based experiences (art, training, education, social & political issues, game design, sustainability, social skills, route learning, cultural routes, museums)
^ games & creative playful presentations (for museum and art exhibitions, European Projects, conferences, TedX events, book presentations)
^ pop up kits to foster creativity and game design skills in urban and rural settings
^ live action role play games (art festivals, adult training, education, game festivals)
^ digital storytelling workshops to foster creativity & personal expression (creatives, general public, underrepresented groups such as women refugees and women with disabilities)
I am passionate about cities and urban communities and I have co-founded , an international urban games festival taking place in Athens. My multidisciplinary work and versatile processes have been presented at festivals, conferences and museums around Europe, inspiring and supporting students and creatives through their practices.