The Medieval Cooperative Board Game
Funded by the Public Engagement Seed Fund of the University of Groningen and the University Medical Centre Groningen.
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In this educational board game, players cooperatively explore the diverse medieval animal kingdom - including human species - from an ecocentric perspective. How did humans relate to real and imagined animals in the Middle Ages? How did they envision and depict these animals? What insights does this immaterial heritage offer for present challenges such as biodiversity decline?
The project's initial objective is to realise a publishable prototype of Monstrum, based on original bestiary research from my ongoing NWO Homo Imperfectus project, by collaborating with heritage institutions and Dutch schools (vwo/havo). Students can think along about the game design, research game elements, and/or playtest the game itself. In so doing, they actively reflect on (our relations with) animals in and since the Middle Ages, and how dehumanisation and animalisation contributes to the marginalisation of certain (groups of) people. |
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Invited Lectures & Talks
Gins, Sven. Creatures of Excess. Monstrous Assemblages in Medieval Heritage and Modern Games.
Coding Medieval Worlds. Exilian & University of Vienna, 18 February 2024.
Coding Medieval Worlds. Exilian & University of Vienna, 18 February 2024.
Bruin, Tamara de. The Monstrous Female or a Female Monstrosity?
Coding Medieval Worlds. Exilian & University of Vienna, 18 February 2024.
Coding Medieval Worlds. Exilian & University of Vienna, 18 February 2024.
Playtesting in High School Modules
- Kunst en Culturele Vorming (Kamerlingh Onnes College, Groningen)
Playtesting in University Courses
- Nederlandse Cultuur en Maatschappij (Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen)
- Religion, Media, and Popular Culture (Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society, University of Groningen)
- Contested Humanity (Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society, University of Groningen)
- Middelnederlandse Letterkunde (Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen)
Interactive activities
“Ook getest op historici: testsessie historische gezelschapsspellen.” (with Bram de Ridder)
Historicidagen, Universiteit Maastricht, 22 August 2024.
“Svens Wilde Wereld.”
Weekend of Science, Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society, University of Groningen, 30 September 2023.
Historicidagen, Universiteit Maastricht, 22 August 2024.
“Svens Wilde Wereld.”
Weekend of Science, Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society, University of Groningen, 30 September 2023.
Interviews & Coverage
“Smarter in just a few throws: Research becomes board game.”
Ukrant, 11 June 2024. Published in Dutch as: “Wijzer in drie worpen: Onderzoek verpakt in bordspel.” (10 June 2024)
“Presenting the winners of the public engagement seed funding call.”
University of Groningen News Magazine, 16 June 2023.
Ukrant, 11 June 2024. Published in Dutch as: “Wijzer in drie worpen: Onderzoek verpakt in bordspel.” (10 June 2024)
“Presenting the winners of the public engagement seed funding call.”
University of Groningen News Magazine, 16 June 2023.
Royal Library of Belgium
Brussels, Belgium.
Royal Library of the Netherlands
The Hague, The Netherlands.
University Library Ghent University
Ghent, Belgium.
University Library Groningen, Special Collections
Groningen, The Netherlands.
University Museum Groningen
Groningen, The Netherlands.
Brussels, Belgium.
Royal Library of the Netherlands
The Hague, The Netherlands.
University Library Ghent University
Ghent, Belgium.
University Library Groningen, Special Collections
Groningen, The Netherlands.
University Museum Groningen
Groningen, The Netherlands.
The Monstrum project has benefited from the following funds:
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2023
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Public Engagement Seed Fund
University of Groningen & University Medical Centre Groningen |
The research on which this project is based has benefited from the following funds:
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2023
2021
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Graduate Student Research Grant: Art and Architecture Across Borders in the Medieval World
Association Villard de Honnecourt for the Interdisciplinary Study of Technology, Science, and Art (AVISTA) PhDs in the Humanities Fellowship
Dutch Research Council (NWO) |
