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"Design, Dance, Play" invites visitors to share dance floor stories and co-create unique mini-golf courses
Abertay University is hosting a unique display at V&A Dundee, inviting visitors to relive their fondest memories of dancing in nightclubs and even design their own mini-golf course.
Opening on Saturday 22 February 2025, this free display features two interactive installations, encouraging visitors to share their dance stories and collaborate as co-creators in the game design process at Scotland’s design museum.
"Dance Floor Memories" is an engaging and immersive installation designed to encourage visitors to revisit their favourite moments on the dance floor through music and movement.
As part of the display, visitors can access a listening station that features a collection of stories shared by attendees. Additionally, a sound booth is available for guests to record their own dance floor experiences, allowing their input to inform future iterations of the installation.
The display also includes a selection of documents and artefacts that detail the creative process behind the project. A short documentary presents participants interacting with the installation, along with interviews with the creators that provide insight into their vision.
The project was developed by Abertay lecturer Clare Brennan, and Dr Lynn Love, Senior Lecturer in Computer Arts, through the Abertay Game Lab.
Clare said:
The idea for 'Dance Floor Memories' has been simmering for years, but it was not until I missed dancing with friends during lockdown that I realised how fundamental it is to my identity and wellbeing. Having a baby only increased my nostalgia for those carefree nights. I reflected on the memories and the sense of community and core values they instilled in me. Being at Abertay, I saw an opportunity to collaborate with colleagues to create an immersive experience that explores the significance of social dancing in shaping ourselves and our communities. Building on existing Abertay research in Performance and Play, I was excited to share and develop this concept with my talented team.
The exhibition also showcases, “Game Designer" a design tool inspired by mini golf. Players are invited to build, play and iterate upon their own life size courses in the museum. The tool encourages players to change the layout of their courses, the ways the game is played, and the obstacles and rules used to create a fun and engaging play experience.
The project was developed by Dr Love and Paul Gault (DJCAD, University of Dundee) in partnership with Agency of None and ScrapAntics for the Dundee Design Festival in 2021 as a small-scale design tool. Its life-size version, which is available to be played at V&A Dundee, was commissioned by Now Play This.
Dr Love said:
Game Designer seeks to draw attention to sustainability, making use of repurposed and salvaged materials sourced locally in partnership with Scrap Antics in Dundee. Many of the materials are remade or utilise off-cuts and scrap to be as sustainable as possible. The low-tech, make-do-and-mend aesthetic enhances tactility and removes potential barriers, such as the fear of breaking anything or making mistakes. We want to make design accessible for all audiences so have used play to uncover design processes, the power of design, and to spark conversations around sustainability.
Caroline Grewar, Programme Director at V&A Dundee, said:
Design, Dance, Play will be an exciting, interactive dive into the world of game design, giving visitors the chance to design and play their own mini-golf course inside V&A Dundee and also to digitally explore people’s personal memories of nightclubs. As the first university in the world to offer a degree in Computer Games Technology, Abertay is a world leader in videogame research and teaching and a hugely impactful anchor institution in Scotland’s thriving videogame development scene. We can’t wait to open this new display and give visitors to V&A Dundee a chance to play inside Scotland’s design museum.
The display is free to members of the public and will be on show at V&A Dundee until Sunday 13 April 2025.
