One of the developments Clarion will be unveiling with our 2025 game Wise Women is our new Two Sites Model.
Why are we doing this?
One of the significant pieces of feedback we got from our after-game survey for Against the Dying of the Light was that our use of an Access Fund meant that players who used it were not aware of how big the discount we would be able to give on the standard ticket price would be, therefore they were not able to specifically budget for their ticket. We have seen the Access Fund model used very effectively, but we were aware that both the uncertainty about final prices and the fact that it depends on voluntary donations by players were both potential issues we wanted to try to improve on.
We have seen trends developing in UK LARP over the last five years or so towards a rise in “boutique games”; one-off, high-concept games aimed at a small player base. Clarion is, of course, part of this trend, and we have been incredibly excited to see the enthusiasm for the sort of games we really want to explore. At the same time we have noticed a trend in these games running at sites that, while beautiful, are both extremely expensive to hire and often very inaccessible. Given one of us is disabled and lower-income, one of the roots of Clarion was a wish to run games from that lived experience. LARP is a hobby with a sizeable disabled community and it matters to us that, as well as creating a narrative space for disabled players to tell stories about disability, we bring these narratives to life in spaces that are accessible for as many players as possible.
The Two Sites model means we run each of our games in paired runs. One run will be at a setting that prioritises setting aesthetics, more in line with the typical sites boutique LARP games tend to run at. Because it is important to us that disabled players and lower-income players are not priced out of, or unable to access, the sort of small high-concept games we want to run, the other will be run at a site that prioritises physical and financial accessibility.
What does this actually mean?
In basic terms, it means we have a number of features we consider when we are choosing a site to run a game, including; aesthetics and connection to the landscape inspiring the game, layout, physical accessibility (including step-free access, acoustics, presence of agents such as mould and other allergens, and ventilation), accessibility via public transport, and site price, which translates into ticket costs.
When we cannot find a single venue that meets all of these requirements, rather than simply choosing which to sacrifice- we will split the game into 2 runs so that we can meet all criteria. In Run1, we will be prioritising the aesthetics and connection to the landscape. This does not mean that the other factors are not considered - one of us would be unable to access an entirely inaccessible site, for one thing! - but it means that we are more likely to choose a site that is less physically accessible, is more expensive or difficult to access on public transport, or mean we will need to charge higher ticket prices, in order to run at a site with greater verisimilitude. For run 2, we will be prioritising physical accessibility and financial accessibility, including relatively easy access via public transport. Our Run 2 will always be at a wheelchair-accessible site, and we aim to have ticket prices be as affordable as possible.
Run 1 of Wise Women will be held at Gearrannan Blackhouse Village- the historic stone cottages on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean on the Isle of Lewis that inspired the story of this game. The venue is amazing and evocative, and located on a remote island in the north of Scotland. Travel by ferry or aeroplane is required to reach it.
Run 2 of Wise Women will be held at Seahouses Hostel on the Northumberland coast. This homely stone cottage has the ideal ambience for our game, but does not boast the external backdrop of the Lewis landscape. However it is much easier to reach by public transport and is fully wheelchair accessible.
It does not mean that any set of priorities will not be considered for either run - all of them remain absolutely essential! It primarily means that we have a guide as to where we come down when these priorities clash.
It, sadly, also does not mean that we can promise complete physical accessibility at run 2 - this is impossible, as access clashes exist and access needs are individual - or that we can make run 2 games affordable to everyone who wants to come, as we are limited by site prices, amongst a number of other things.
What it does mean is that we were not satisfied with the options offered via the Access Fund and accessibility of the site we made at AtDotL, and we want to try to find better options to make Clarion games the best experience for everyone who plays them, including offering them to as much of the LARP community as possible. We will be looking for feedback after Wise Women that will include your thoughts on and your experiences of this model, and how it has worked for you.
We hope you are as excited for a new year of LARP, and a new year of Clarion games, as we are!
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