64 Ways of Being: 64 Ways of Being

Launching today in the iconic inner-west suburb, this augmented reality game takes players on a musical, storytelling journey to discover hidden artworks and unlock local secrets – using only their phone and a set of headphones. Featuring music and stories from N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs AM, Jess Locke, Ajak Kwai, The Orbweavers, Allara Briggs-Pattison, Oka and more. Discover Melbourne’s iconic inner-west suburb of Footscray through a new, interactive urban adventure game that combines art, augmented reality, music and storytelling. 64 Ways of Beinginvites players on a self-guided walking trip through Footscray’s streets, laneways and riverside to discover digital artworks, the neighbourhood’s rich cultures and communities, and Indigenous histories. All you need is a smartphone and a set of headphones! Home to the Footscray Market, Western Bulldogs, Franco Cozzo and one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Victoria, Footscray is bursting with stories, culture and history. Drawing on knowledge from local First Nations and multicultural communities, 64 Ways of Being starts with Footscray’s significance as a meeting place for the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and the Bunurong peoples, and explores the area’s successive waves of European, Indo-Chinese, African and Middle Eastern immigration. This suburb embodies so much of what makes Melbourne special, and 64 Ways of Being invites the public to deepen their understanding of place and identity through play. Free to download and play, the 64 Ways of Being app uses audio and on-screen cues to prompt players to move through the neighbourhood – to observe, listen, play and discover. The journey is soundtracked by a selection of local artists such as Jess Locke, Ajak Kwai, Allara Briggs-Pattison, The Orbweavers and Oka, with narration from Elders and other local figures such as N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs AM, Uncle Larry Walsh and Samuel Gebreselassie who share memories, poetry, language and knowledge about the landscape. While walking, players are asked to put away their phone and be immersed in the audio, bringing it back into play for moments of interaction with AR activations and newly commissioned public artworks. Created by artist gamemaker Dr Troy Innocent in collaboration with game developers Millipede and sound designers one step at a time like this, 64 Ways of Being is a one-of-a-kind and COVID-safe way to rediscover the city through new eyes after so much time indoors over the past two years. The Footscray journey opens today alongside the re-launch of the 64 Ways of Being Melbourne CBD journey, which faced pandemic-related interruptions last year. Adventures start in Little Africa in Footscray and on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne CBD, and can be played at your leisure via the App Store or Google Play (BYO headphones).