Fantasy Political League
London, 2017
A PLAYFUL ACTIVITY THAT AIMS TO CREATE A POLITICAL DISCUSSION PROVIDING A FRESH POINT OF VIEW IN THE POST-TRUTH AREA
Disheartened by the outcome of the Brexit vote and the 2016 US presidential elections, I wanted to address the challenges posed by the post-truth era with a tool that would redirect political discussions towards facts and achievements. Enter the Fantasy Political League—an innovative lens through which political figures and their actions are scrutinised using a platform inspired by football. Much like in Fantasy Football, participants assemble teams comprising political players, adhering to a straightforward set of rules. They are then able to monitor the actions of their chosen players and other notable figures in the political realm, with the option to replace them based on their performance. This unique tool facilitates ongoing conversations that revolve around the efficacy of politicians.
in a nutshell
THE PROCESS
FROM ZERO TO EXPERT
The theoretical basis for this project stemmed from my BA dissertation titled "Invitation to Play," where I delved into the ways we can utilise game-created fantasy worlds to bring about changes in our reality.
Football, with its vast and all-encompassing world, became my chosen focus. Football has the incredible ability to forge communities, ignite rivalries, and establish shared behaviours and languages. I wanted to harness the power of football's interactions as a tool to transform political conversations. Throughout this project, I fully immersed myself in these two worlds, becoming an expert and identifying the points of friction where they intersect. I explored how football can influence politics, using that knowledge to develop the Fantasy Political League.
To provide a framework for my work, I formed my own team—the Guinea Pigs Political Team. I followed the players closely, making changes and replacements as the project unfolded. I documented my experiences in a blog format akin to that of a football team's website. However, it was the conversations that emerged around the formation of other political teams that I found most enjoyable during this process. They provided valuable insights, both from a political standpoint and in terms of project development.
Overall, this project allowed me to take a creative and interdisciplinary approach to explore the entanglement of football, politics, and community. By leveraging the immersive world of football and the communities it fosters, I sought to bring about tangible changes and contribute to the political discourse.
PROCESS HIGHLIGHTS
Learning everything I could about politics and football
Exploring the friction points between football and politics; finding ways football can influence the political discourse
Experimenting with the platform and the rules; testing and refining
THE OUTCOME
FANTASY FOOSBALL
The Fantasy Political League was exhibited at Hyphen, showcased at the Truman Brewery in June 2017. With its interactive nature, the exhibition served as a dynamic platform, inviting visitors to actively engage and participate in the project. At its core, this initiative thrived on generating meaningful conversations.
To bring the concept to life, I transformed a traditional table football game into what I called "fantasy foosball." The miniature figures were dressed in the jerseys of my own political team, pitted against a blank red team. As people played foosball, I took the opportunity to introduce the players on my team, share insights about the project, and encourage others to form their own teams. It was a delightful experience to connect with individuals and discuss their team selections!
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![A quote from Ian Bogost's book "Play Anything": "Soccer sees two teams of eleven players attempting to use their feet, torsos, and heads to put a ball into a goal [...] And yet, the experiences of games like soccer [...] are far larger than these boundaries convey on their own."](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c33605_1ac0ad2b4c8648f6b6e4aec4bcf8f2cd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_727,q_90/c33605_1ac0ad2b4c8648f6b6e4aec4bcf8f2cd~mv2.webp)
