EVENT: LUDIC NARRANS: STORIES OF/BY/FOR THE FIELDS OF PLAY (OCTOBER 29 2025, PITTSBURGH)
Drew Davidson: Ludic Narrans, stories of/by/for the fields of play
October 29, 2025 1:00 PM–3:00 PM
Carnegie Mellon University
4919 Frew St. College of Fine Arts, Room 111
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Since 2024, Drew Davidson has been conducting an exploratory qualitative study on the international fields of play. Through questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and community participation, he has been exploring the current state of the fields around play; like games, mixed reality, theatre, sports, music, child psychology, etc. The concept of play is rather broad and diverse; from social studies, to heath and enjoyment, to education and learning, to games and technology, and more. As such, this is less a focus on a discipline, and more an exploration of the extensive ideas around play, looking for patterns, commonalities, and differences across various areas amongst educational, industry, professional, foundation, and government groups involved in play. In this session, he will share stories of/by/for the fields of play, and attendees will be encouraged to contribute and share their own stories. At a high level, attendees will get a strong sense of the value of play in our personal and professional lives through the stories shared. (Source: Carnegie Mellon University)
Drew Davidson is a professor, producer and player of interactive media. His background spans academic, industry and professional worlds and he is interested in stories and transformational experiences across texts, comics, games and other media. He is a Teaching Professor at the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University and the Founding Editor-in-Chief of ETC Press and its Well Played series and journal. He served as the Director of the ETC, as well as the interim Director for Randy Pausch’s Alice Project. His professional activities are closely related to his research interests, as he has worked to help grow fields of study, creating forums and founding organizations to foster academic scholarship in new areas. He engages with academic and industry communities, leading grants, consulting for companies, institutions and organizations, and serving on advisory, editorial and review boards as well as judge and jury panels.