By Hafsa Ahmed
Following our first Reworld Your Neighbourhood workshop, we returned to Geelong on 30 September for our second Urban Play Jam at the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre. This time, the focus was on transforming the ideas young people had shared about Geelong’s future into an interactive game that could be experienced by the public during Geelong Design Week.
We welcomed back Peter, Jane & Ray, who worked alongside Future Play Lab’s team and play designers Saanya and Vaishali to develop the game’s storyline, characters and activities. We began by revisiting the themes that emerged from our first workshop, including connection and belonging, youth participation, environmental sustainability and the importance of creating welcoming public spaces.
One of the most exciting ideas came from Peter, who imagined a future where Geelong was shrinking as a storm gradually closed in on the city. Together, we developed this into a playful adventure where participants would travel between three checkpoints, each offering a temporary safe haven from the approaching storm.
Along the way, players would encounter three characters: a Zoologist who introduces their mission, a Musical Code Breaker who challenges them to a game of Four Square, and finally Tinker Cadence, who welcomes players into her laboratory once they successfully reproduce a musical code. At the final checkpoint, participants receive materials to help build a safe haven for the people and animals of Geelong.
It was fascinating to see how one idea could develop into an entire game through collaboration, experimentation and creativity. The storyline also reflected many of the themes raised during our earlier workshop, particularly the desire for a greener, more inclusive city where people and nature can coexist.
On Saturday 10 October, we brought the finished game to life as part of Geelong Design Week. Members of the public were invited to step into our imagined Geelong of 2050, meet its characters and take part in the adventure.
One of the highlights was seeing how enthusiastically people embraced the experience. Participants didn’t just follow the storyline; some even stepped into character themselves. Troy’s lively performance helped create an atmosphere that encouraged people to be playful, imaginative and fully immersed in the world we had created.
We were also pleased to welcome back Jane and her father, Peter, as well as Ray. Following the game, we spoke with them about their experiences and reflections on Geelong’s future. Their feedback highlighted the importance of creativity, community connection, accessible activities and incorporating more nature into urban spaces.
Across the three workshops, it was rewarding to see the project develop from conversations about what young people wanted for Geelong into a public experience shaped by their ideas. What began as an imagined future became something people could interact with, contribute to and experience together.
Reworld Your Neighbourhood reminded us that play can be more than just entertainment. It can bring people together, encourage new ways of thinking about familiar places and create opportunities for young people to have a meaningful voice in imagining the future of their communities.