Preview: Hide&Seek Weekender @ Southbank Centre

By Zoe Craig Last edited 138 months ago
Preview: Hide&Seek Weekender @ Southbank Centre

When did you last punch a bucket of custard? If, like us, the answer’s never, but you now know you’d sure as hell like to try, head to the Southbank Centre next weekend and you can do just that.

Hide&Seek Weekender is a four-day celebration of games and play. Add to your custard punching plans the chance to joust via Playstation; play Scotch Hoppers (hop scotch, but harder); try Competitive Sandwich Making; and sing and win at Romeoke, Asteroids powered by karaoke.

If that all sounds a little frivolous, instead you can get arty with The Hush, a city-wide game bringing silence to 21st-century London; or political with Leave To Remain, testing who has the right to arrive and stay in another land…

Forget charades, these games are all new, having been tested and refined at Hide&Seek’s Sandpit events. Others are premiering in the UK for the Weekender after winning awards at international games festivals. There are more than 20 games on offer; you can just turn up and take part in whatever you fancy for free. (Just two are ticketed: Midnight Tourism on Friday and Incitement on Saturday, click the links to get first dibs on those.)

The Weekender takes place in the Royal Festival Hall from Friday to Sunday, with a special party on the Saturday at the Old Vic Tunnels. There, you’ll find even more games, plus game-based performances and DJ sets from Matt the Hat and Fred Deakin.

There’s even a conference for those curious about the serious side of game playing. On Monday, the most exciting minds from the worlds of games, technology, arts and culture come together for the Hide&Seek Weekender conference. It’s open to the public, and you can get tickets here.

Have fun!

The Hide&Seek Weekender takes place at the Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 from 14 to 16 September, with the Playing in Public Conference on 17 September. Visit weekender.hideandseek.net to find out more.

Last Updated 06 September 2012