FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington is featuring a UMF Public Forum on the timely subject of “Serious Play: The Literary, Cultural and Psychological Importance of Video Games.”
This panel discussion will take place Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 7-8 p.m. in the Performance Space in the UMF Emery Community Arts Center. It is free and open to the public.
UMF faculty, staff, alumna, and a current student will discuss how gaming has evolved and its cultural impact.
Panelists and their topics include:
Gareth Fuller – Video Games as Art: While defining what makes something “art” is wickedly difficult, it is typically understood that the arts allow us to understand and appreciate perspectives other than our own, as well as develop our empathy and compassion. I argue that video games are particularly well suited to accomplish this.
Amy Neswald – The Future of Play: Is play a privilege or a right? Who gets to decide what play is ‘appropriate’ for adults and what play is ‘for kids? How do video games and other immersive events offer paths to a more playful future?
Ashley Ward – An assessment of video game consumption through the relationship between player and viewer, and how that relationship has evolved with the introduction and popularization of live-streaming platforms.
Sol LaBelle – A personal inquiry into the nature of storytelling through games of all mediums. Then, in favor of a younger perspective, a limited overview of the cultural impact of video games.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Steven Quackenbush, associate provost and dean of Arts & Science, followed by a Q&A and a reception with light refreshments.
The UMF Public Forum presents thematic panel discussions and readings that explore creative and academic topics while engaging perspectives from UMF faculty, students and members of the Farmington community.
More information on panelists:
Gareth Fuller, College Success Skills Program coordinator at UMF. He earned his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Kansas in 2022.
Amy Neswald, associate professor of creative writing, is an award-winning fiction writer, screenwriter and filmmaker. Her novel-in-stories “I Know You Love Me, Too,” was awarded the New American Fiction prize and was finalist for the Maine Literary Awards. She is an early contributor to Cantabrigian’s immersive transmedia book project Wyoming and worked with the app Moveable Feast to create locative transmedia stories and tours, including the A Day With… series.
Ashley Ward is a recent UMF graduate with a BFA in creative writing and several minors, one of which is in Video Game Studies. They spend their time writing, reading and gaming–though not always in that order–and hope to publish a book before turning 25.
Sol LaBelle – is a multimedia artist from Starks, pursuing his passion through animation, screenwriting, sculpture, performance and any other medium he chooses to express himself through. He is also a senior in the Art & Design program, with a concentration on Graphic Design and minors in Video Game Studies, Environmental Studies, and Film Studies. He is also the president of the UMF Film Club.
