On the count of three…Today, Saturday 28 July 2012, no less than 99 Tiny Games are launched, which are free for anyone and everyone to play all over London.
The games are designed to be 'happened upon' and played right then and there on the spot. Everything needed to play the game is contained within a simple vinyl poster and the surrounding environment – so players might use a nearby mosaic or pattern of bricks, a set of steps or street furniture.
Passers-by can spot the game, read the rules and be playing in just moments. Three games will be available to play in each of London’s 33 boroughs.99 Tiny Games is part of the Mayor of London’s 'Showtime' festival, the largest outdoor festival ever hosted in the capital.
Designed to bring the magic of the London 2012 Games to every corner of the capital, Showtime will showcase the very best that national and international artists have to offer.
Showtime is supported by Arts Council England and part of the London 2012 Festival.London game design studio Hide&Seek were asked to design all of the original Tiny Games, and a team of designers has been travelling from Hounslow to Havering to source locations and create all 99 original games in response to varying public spaces, design and architecture, making this a playful experience that truly is for all Londoners.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: 'This summer we are hosting the greatest sporting event on earth and this project has a wonderful symmetry. Londoners and visitors alike will have the opportunity to come together to play miniature games in locations right across the capital. Whether striking up play with your friends or family, or engaging with those around you, it’s another way to bring the community together at this special time for our city.'
Running until 23 August the games include…
THEM'S FIGHTIN' WORDS | Middlesex University (The Burroughs), Barnet
A word game for two dueling players – players must each stand on a raised slab lining the grass, with one slab between them and swiftly adopt a fencing pose. On the count of three, they must both name somebody they know – a celebrity, a mutual acquaintance, a fictional character.
If one player agrees that their named person would win in a fight against the other, they must move one slab forward, and the opponent must move one back. The winner is the one who forces the other player back three spaces from where they start.
TWICKERS | Queen Square, Camden
A battle of wits and twigs for two players – both players pick a twig and hold that twig with two hands so that it crosses over with the other player's twig – on the count of three, the players must pull their twigs towards themselves. The loser is the one whose twig breaks first.
ONE ELEPHANT | Hornchurch, Havering
A looking and counting game for many people, to play teach of the players must race to count up to five. To count a number, the player must name an object they can see and how many. For example, if there's an elephant they could say "One Elephant", and then maybe "Two Giraffes" (again, if there happened to be two giraffes around). Players must not repeat objects that other people have used. The first player to reach five is the winner.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE! | Hounslow High street, Hounslow
A gift-hunting game for two or more players – to begin, players must name someone they all know. Then each player will have five minutes to look in any shops along this road, and find the least appropriate gift they could give them. The winner is the player who finds the gift that the group agrees their mutual friend would hate the most.
RUSHING ROULETTE | Fair Green, Mitcham, Merton
A spinning game for two or more pointy players – each player stands on one of the points of the star on the ground, shut their eyes, spin around at least four times, and point at where they think the column in the centre of the star is. The player who is closest to being correct is the winner.
BORABACUS BIKES | Wild at Heart, Westbourne Grove, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
A puzzle game for the mathematically minded – players must count up the number of bicycles in the nearby cycle rack, this will become their target number, then they must pick a bike, and look at the five numbers written on it. Using all of the numbers found they must find a way to reach the target. The first player to do this gets a point.To help Londoners and visitors navigate the extensive Mayor of London Presents programme, the 'Summer's Looking Good' brochure is available for free, from London Ambassadors, at cultural venues like art galleries and museums throughout London, or to download from www.molpresents.com.'The London Official City Guide' app is also available to download from the App Store, with unrivalled content powered by London's official digital visitor platform www.visitlondon.com - the perfect companion for Londoners and tourists. The app is free to download from http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/london-official-city-guide/id536603270?l….
Notes to editors
MAYOR OF LONDON PRESENTS
The Mayor of London is supporting a huge programme of free events and cultural activities to add to the excitement of 2012. Working with outstanding international artists and world-class cultural organisations this unprecedented Mayor of London Presents programme is taking place in every corner of the capital to add to and complement the London 2012 Festival.
It includes Secrets: Hidden London, with artists and performers transforming hidden and lesser known locations; Showtime, the largest outdoor arts festival ever seen in the capital, with dozens of electrifying artists from the UK and abroad coming to every borough, in high streets, parks and town centres; BT London Live, bringing live action from the Games, as well as sporting activities and entertainment to Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square; and Surprises bringing pop-up performances and once in a lifetime experiences, including Surprises: Streb - to locations familiar and unusual, above your heads and atop landmark buildings.
To be the first to know what's happening in this Summer Like No Other, sign up or follow us at www.molpresents.com / www.facebook.com/mayoroflondonpresents / www.twitter.com/molpresents. For more information contact Ben McKnight in the Mayor's Press Office: [email protected] / 020 7983 4070.
LONDON 2012 FESTIVAL
The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Spread over four years, it is designed to give everyone in the UK a chance to be part of London 2012 and inspire creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young people.
The culmination of the Cultural Olympiad is the London 2012 Festival, the spectacular 12-week nationwide celebration bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK, running from Midsummer's Day on 21 June until the final day of the Paralympic Games on 9 September 2012.
The London 2012 Festival celebrates the huge range, quality and accessibility of the UK’s world-class culture including dance, music, theatre, the visual arts, fashion, film, comedy and digital innovation, giving the opportunity for people across the UK to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Principal funders of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival are Arts Council England, Legacy Trust UK and the Olympic Lottery Distributor. BP and BT are Premier Partners of the Cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival. For more details on the programme, to download the London 2012 Festival official guide and to sign up for information visit www.london2012.com/festival.
HIDE&SEEK
Hide&Seek is a game design studio based in London and New York. Through a compelling combination of design, technology and cultural partnership, their work re-imagines public space as a place to play. Their work spans multiple platforms: console, smartphone, browser, TV screen, street. The studio is founded on the belief that play is essential to our health, minds and relationships, and will play an increasing role in the civic culture of the 21st century.
They create new games and experiences, curate and support the work of artists and designers through the Sandpit series, design and consult with global brands, and speak at conferences and events around the world. Hide&Seek are Artists in Residence at the Southbank Centre. Recent partners and collaborators include: Channel 4, BBC, Wieden Kennedy, Tate Modern, Warner Brothers, Royal Opera House, Hogmanay Festival, Gaîté Lyrique (Paris), last.fm, British Council (Japan), SXSW, Co:collective, Tribeca and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
Their work has been recognised by D&AD, Creative Review, BAFTA, The One Show, Living Labs Global Awards and Guardian MEGAS. Founder & Director Alex Fleetwood won British Council Performing Arts Entrepreneur of the Year, and Development Director Margaret Robertson was recently named one of the UK’s top games designers by Develop Magazine.'... combines all my favourite things about games – play, interactivity, performance, cleverness, technology, participation' the Guardian.
ARTS COUNCIL ENGLANDArts Council England is proud to work in partnership with London 2012, and is a Principal Funder of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival.The Arts Council champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2011 and 2015, it will invest £1.4 billion of public money from government and an estimated £1 billion from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.
GLA MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Press information is available from 020 7983 4070 email [email protected] (press only - not for publication)
PUBLIC/NON-MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Call the Public Liaison Unit at the Greater London Authority on 020 7983 4100
DUTY PRESS OFFICER: For out-of-hours media enquiries, please call 020 7983 4000