Biennale College Blend 2025 What is a Nordic larp

Nordic larp is a form of immersive role-play where you step into the life of a fictional character and co-create a story with others. It’s a bit like stepping sideways into another version of yourself. There’s no script, no audience, and no winners—just a shared experience where every perspective matters.

During the Biennale College Blend, you will spend three days living through a larp set at an artist’s retreat on San Servolo Island in Venice. You will take on a character that is close to who you already are—an artist, here for a workshop—but seen through a different lens. Together with others, you will explore personal themes, relationships, and artistic processes in a world that is not quite this one.

This kind of larp is built on trust, presence, and collaboration. Everything you need will be introduced on site: workshops will guide you through the basics of how to larp, how to interact in character, and how to navigate the experience safely. You will also receive a character in advance with a simple backstory and some connections to others.

You will also have the opportunity to join a video call with the larp’s creators before the workshop week, giving you a chance to ask questions, get oriented, and start imagining your way into the experience.

You listen. You react. You imagine. You play. You’ll speak, move, and make decisions as your character, following your instincts and responding to the people and environment around you. You don’t need to act. You don’t need to perform. You just need to be present and open to the situation unfolding.

In Nordic larp, we often talk about playing from the “first person audience” perspective. That means you are both the performer and the audience of your own experience. You’re not doing it for someone else’s entertainment—you’re doing it with others, and for yourself. Your emotions, thoughts, and reactions are valid and part of the story. This shifts the goal away from drama or spectacle and toward presence, reflection, and meaning.

You don't have to plan clever dialogue or dramatic scenes. The larp will evolve organically through your choices and the moments you share with others. You might have quiet, intimate conversations. You might experience tension, connection, or surprise. You might discover something new about your own artistic process just by allowing yourself to explore it in a slightly altered context.

A larp like this is not about pretending to be someone else—it’s about making space to explore something real through fictional tools. It’s a method of investigation. A form of embodied thinking. A chance to engage your practice from the inside out.