Games Created by ULusófona Students Presented at Event in Óbidos

Between the 4th and 7th of February, the 3rd edition of the Óbidos Cultural Game Jam took place, as part of the Horizon Europe EPIC-WE Project (Empowered Participation through Ideating Cultural Worlds and Environments). Over three intense days, 19 students from the Lusófona University Lusófona and 19 pupils from the Escola Josefa de Óbidos participated in a week full of workshops and cultural activities, including a guided tour of the town and various creative exercises.

The European theme for this edition was "That’s Not Fair", while the local theme, proposed by the Óbidos Municipality, marked the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution. Special emphasis was placed on the historic secret meeting of the Captains’ Movement, held on the 1st of December 1973, at the current Casa da Música in Óbidos. The aim of the event was to challenge young people to reflect on the intersection between video games, culture, and the creative industries, promoting democracy and freedom as fundamental values of Europe. The initiative highlighted the importance of recognising that these principles are daily achievements and cannot be taken for granted.

On the final day, the event culminated in the presentation of the projects developed by the participants in a final exhibition attended by the Mayor of Óbidos, Filipe Daniel. In his closing speech, the Mayor emphasised the importance of the project for the region and praised the creativity of the young people:

“If there’s one thing we can compete with other countries on, it’s in grey matter”