Conscience was a Westworld inspired larp made by the NotOnlyLarp collective in the Southern Way style. It attempted to explore humanity, and what it means to be human, while providing an intense and realistic experience to its players which included playing heavily on violence, sexism, capitalism, and dehumanization. Exploring challenging themes in larp is nothing new, but what happens when even larp-tivism cannot stop internalized biases from impacting play in ways in which they are unintended? What can we do to challenge the internalized biases that stop us from playing the way we want, and how can we deal with the internalized biases of others that bleed into our play?
Jonaya Kemper is an American academic, writer, designer, and activist who believes that larp is a medium that can revolutionize the world by allowing us to work towards personal liberation from oppression. In addition to being a world builder and story member of the American boffer Undying, Jonaya is one of the organizers of the upcoming larp The Forbidden History, a freelance narrative writer for tabletops rpgs like John Wick Presents: 7th Seas, and is a part of the #feminism collection. Currently studying larp as a tool for self liberation in marginalized communities at New York University’s Gallatin Graduate School, Her work focuses heavily on the intersectional identities and providing diverse stories for those who rarely see themselves represented.