LARPA
From LARPAWiki
The Live Action Roleplayers Association (LARPA) is a non-profit organization that exists exclusively to promote live roleplaying (LARP) around the world. LARPA does not run games, and does not promote any one system, group, or type of event. LARPA supports and promotes all live roleplaying, and LARPA members come from many different groups, backgrounds, and types of event.
LARPA promotes live roleplaying by providing schedule information to make it easier to find an event or group to participate in, and works to educate the general public.
LARPA also works to build the live roleplaying community, providing a place for everyone involved in running, organizing, promoting, or just participating in live roleplaying events to network, discuss and learn from each other. One of the principal activities of LARPA is licensure of the INTERCON name for LARP Conventions.
Contents |
Activities of LARPA
- Sponsors the LARPA Website and Forums ref:[[[1]]
- Sponsors the LARP Wiki
- Acts as the Licensor for the Intercon Convention name
- Organizes the LARPA Awards
Role of LARPA
LIVE ROLEPLAYING is an enormously difficult thing to produce because it requires so many different skills. A typical live roleplaying might require writing, proofreading, desktop publishing and design, costuming, makeup, special effects, sound, light, site arrangements, transportation and logistical arrangements, and even catering and food prep. While not every group does this every time they produce a live roleplaying event, there are many disparate skills required. LARPA provides a place to learn how others have tackled the problems you are just now facing, and to have a sounding board for new ideas by discussing them with peers who do the same sorts of things you do.
LARPA is dedicated to the concept that trying to "invent live roleplay" alone is a difficult and usually thankless prospect. While each group or individual will have their own style and hallmarks, productions are nearly always vitalized when the people responsible come into contact with others with different backgrounds and bodies of learning. LARPA is dedicated to making that something that happens by design, not a lucky accident.
LARPA also seeks ways to inform the public about Live Roleplaying in three ways: First, we seek opportunities to make creative individuals who are disposed toward hobbies, or arts like live roleplaying to find groups or players in their area, so that it is easier to find an existing group or start a new one.
Second, we seek to educate the general public on the concept that live roleplaying is a perfectly safe, sane and normal activity, and to combat "scare stories" in the media and false information promulgated by a small number of irresponsible and opinionated religious groups. Our goal is for all of us who are live roleplayers to feel that we have the same rights as those who pursue any other art, hobby or sport, and to insure that we do not see ourselves as, and are not treated as, "second class citizens."
Third, we look for opportunities to open dialogs to interest the general public in LARP, and to interest LARPers in their own future. We see live roleplaying not as something which has reached a final static form, but as a young, growing, and vital field. As new technology and industry becomes available, we seek to interest the entertainment and arts fields in the special qualities of live roleplaying, and to make live roleplayers aware of new opportunities in the various industries which relate to storytelling.
Joining LARPA
Joining LARPA is Free In 2000 LARPA began a new phase in its history. Dues were abolished, and membership became free. To participate in LARPAs elections, and shape its future and leadership, you must become a member of LARPA!
In order to be a member of LARPA you must be in contact with the organization. Currently, you can join one of two mailing lists provided by the Yahoogroups service - the primary discussion list LARPA-Gen, or the special Low-Volume list LARPA-Official-Only, which is for people who can only receive limited e-mail. You may also hold membership through the LARPAWEB.NET website.
LARPA-Gen http://larpa-gen@yahoogroups.com
LARPA-Official-Only http://LARPA-Official-Only@yahoogroups.com
LARPA Website http://www.larpaweb.net
Membership is subject to the terms in the LARPA Bylaws http://www.larpaweb.org/larpa/inside_docs_bylaws.html, and will require giving your actual name and address before voting in LARPA elections, in order to insure that you are a real, and unique, person.
Who are LARPA's Members and What Sort of Events do they Run?
Any kind they want!
LARPA is not an organization that runs events. It is an organization for people who run or play live roleplaying events. Members run many different types of events. LARPA is not a sanctioning body, or sponsoring body, and is not an organization to establish rules, guidelines, or other practices. The types of events our members run are incredibly diverse.
LARPA members run live combat games, theatre style live roleplaying, vampire, experimental LARP, murder mysteries, fantasy, humor, drama, and virtually every other kind of event you could imagine.
Structure of LARPA
LARPA is governed by a Board of Directors, who are elected annually by the membership. See Joining LARPA
The Directors appoint a President from among themselves, who is the Chief Executive of the organization. The day to day business of LARPA is taken care of by a small staff of volunteers, headed by the Chief Staff Officer and Vice Presidents. The elected officers have the authority to remove or replace the permanent volunteer staff.
Most of the LARPA Volunteer staff is also active in LARP, organizing and maintaining their own events. No member of the LARPA staff receives any compensation for their work.
What Does LARPA Offer
LARPA serves as a networking organization for people interested and active in live roleplaying. One of the ways it does this is by providing a calendar of live roleplaying events. This means more players. More players means that more people will run events, and the events will have an easier time filling up. That's good if you run events, and it is good if you play events.
LARPA also works to inform people outside the live roleplaying community about live roleplaying events. LARPA has staff who have worked in public interest, law, media communications, and have experience dealing with media, federal and local government, legal authorities, and elected officials. LARPA also maintains connections with groups which can provide pro-bono legal support to artists. LARPA publishes pamphlets about live roleplaying for people inexperienced in the field. The LARPA web page provides a list of links to live roleplaying resources, including more information about LARP.
LARPA also works to promote the exchange of information between people who work on and play live roleplaying events. Some information is more useful to authors, some to players, and some equally to both. The free exchange of ideas means that the quality of Interactive Literature improves faster, and that's good for the entire community.
LARPA encourages live roleplaying Conventions by licensing and promoting the INTERCON name. Intercons may be run by any local organization which runs a fair open bid process. For more information about running an Intercon in your area see Bidding an Intercon at http://www.larpaweb.org/intercon/intercon_bids.html.
LARPA’s mailing list is a first resort for many events and venues seeking someone to run a LARP.
Online and through its e-mail lists, LARPA is the ideal source of resource information about supplies, venues, publicity, and more.
LARPA’s Outreach Vice-President serves as a clearinghouse for information on venues and hotel contacts.
As well as providing travel discounts to Intercon, LARPA will provide information on travel and other discounts, as well as available information on insurance, to all live roleplaying groups.
INTERCON - Licensed by LARPA
LARPA works to encourage the production of several yearly conventions featuring several weekend-length or shorter events by various groups, both experienced and brand-new. The essential feature of [Intercon] is that it does not feature any one group or individual, but has an "open bid" process, allowing anyone to submit a bit to run an event there. Each local Intercon sets its own specific policies, however the general process is the same for all Intercons.
Intercon is the trademark of LARPA, and is produced by independent local groups working in close cooperation with LARPA, and has consistently featured some of the best, most innovative, diverse, and exciting LARPs produced. If you enjoy live roleplaying, you won't want to miss Intercon. Discounted memberships to Intercon are available to LARPA members. LARPA is dedicated to providing quality sites for members and other writers to produce their most innovative work, and supports writers who run stand-alone events, or events at existing conventions.
The Intercon Website [2] has more information about Bidding an Intercon [3]
What doesn't LARPA do?
LARPA is not a regulatory or sanctioning body. There are many fine groups which regulate or sanction events run with their rules, using shared background material, etc. Because LARPA embraces all forms of live roleplaying, LARPA could not and would not hope to come up with any meaningful criteria to regulate or sanction all live roleplaying. If you are looking for an organized body to provide you with rules or a franchise, for free, or for a fee, LARPA can provide many useful contacts! LARPA contains the sum of the knowledge of its members, but is not a source for all knowledge on Interactive Literature. LARPA won't tell you how, when, where, or why to run or play a LARP. Members of LARPA can give you advice about all these issues and more, through volunteer services, and publications. You'll get benefit of reviews written by other players, advice from other gamemasters, and suggestions about whom to ask for more information.
LARPA doesn't generally run live roleplaying events. There is no "LARPA Gamemasters Group," or even "LARPA style of game." LARPA is made up of members of many groups that do run LARPs, and players who play LARPs. LARPA isn't in competition with other groups that write live roleplaying events. In fact, there is no other organization in the U.S. that is like LARPA. LARPA is designed to be useful to people who already have their own groups to run events, by providing mailing lists, resources and advice.
LARPA’s Outreach branch occasionally sponsors a game, in order to help introduce some new audience to LARP, or support some organization that is working in cooperation with LARPA, but these events are not designed to compete with ongoing events run within the LARP community, rather to attract new members to the community, or allow for cross-pollination within the community.
Volunteering
LARPA is always looking for volunteers to help with Outreach and other operations. The best benefit is a high awareness of the services that LARPA has to offer to interested individuals who produce games. Often the organizations of members of the LARPA staff work closely with LARPA, as partners, or Affiliates, taking advantage of advertising and promotional opportunities. Volunteers and staff often contribute money or resources to LARPA, asking only recognition and a chance to "blow their own horn" for themselves or their group in return.
These opportunities are available to everyone, but since they are often "realized opportunities," they aren’t always apparent to those who do not work closely with the organization. Volunteering for the LARPA Staff is a great way to find out about ways that you can work together with LARPA to promote your own group and work, as well as Interactive Literature in general.
Even if you don’t have time to Volunteer, talk to the LARPA President, or Outreach Vice-President about how you can co-promote with LARPA, or be put in contact with one of the local Intercons. LARPA is always eager to trade advertising and resources with other groups! Because LARPA uses a free membership model, LARPA seldom has money available to purchase advertising or other perks, but can often offer excellent exposure to help promote your LARP group or service in trade for your help in promoting all live roleplaying.
History
LARPA originated from the Society for Interactive Literature (formed 1982, formally organized 1988) from 1982-1991 and the Interactive Literature Foundation from 1991 to Jan 1, 2000, when the group was reorganized as LARPA.
See also
- LARPA Mission Statement and Definition of LARP
