Speaker: Prof. Sylvester Arnab is Professor of Game Science and Ludic Design at the Centre for Postdigital Cultures, Coventry University, specialising in playful and remixing-based approaches to co-design, storytelling, and collaborative problem-solving.

Topic: This interactive lecture and hands-on workshop explores co-design through the lens of playful thinking and remixing practice. Drawing from the Remixing Play framework and the What’s Your Story? empathy cards, participants will experience how play can be used as a method for co-creating meaningful, inclusive, and contextually grounded solutions. The session introduces the principles of remixing play, i.e., reimagining familiar games, rules, and narratives to address real-world challenges, and demonstrates how storytelling and game design can foster empathy, creativity, and collaboration within diverse teams. Through a fast-paced, collaborative activity, participants will form small groups to co-design a prototype for a playful experience or game using prompts from both card sets. By the end of the session, they will have hands-on insights into how co-design can empower communities to reframe challenges, connect perspectives, and imagine new possibilities through play