An agency in Sydney have decided to take a creative route of activism during the - they've created a video game about it.
, a New York and Sydney-based creative studio that focuses on social change, has released 8-bit online video game, .
In the game, you are an envelope containing a 'Yes' vote (with rainbows trailing behind you, obviously), and your mission is to get to the post box and mail yourself, while overcoming obstacles such as boulders, High Court judges, and politicians such as Malcolm Turnbull and a Speedo-clad Tony Abbott.
If you fail your mission by bumping into one of the aforementioned obstacles, you are faced with this screen before having to begin again:
"Turns out there are more obstacles to equality than we thought." Source: Going Postal
"From time to time, there are moments that we feel deserve special attention, and for Australia, this is one of those moments," says Middlemiss.
He explains that Agency are a studio that makes time for their team to create independent projects that not only showcase their skills, but also "cut through" on particular issues - and Going Postal is one of those projects.
"We’ve worked alongside campaigns for marriage equality for a while now, and a number of our team wanted to find a way to go above and beyond to create something independently that would keep the postal vote at the front of people’s minds.
"We want all Australians, but particularly young people who may feel disaffected, and let down by our political leaders, to remember that this is a chance for them to have a say. That democracy, however messy, is a process that relies on people turning out and making their voice heard."
In a better world, this issue wouldn’t be subject to a public debate, but it is.
"Beyond that - we’re hoping that the game adds a bit of positivity into a difficult process," says Middlemiss. "It’s not often that a country puts such a personal matter to a public vote. We realise that the process will be hard for a lot of people, so we wanted to provide a fun way for people to let out some steam."
Middlemiss adds that from a personal personal perspective, "as a Christian, it’s important for all people to take the time to listen to one another, to share perspectives and to find common ground. I have close friends that sit on both sides of this debate, and it doesn’t make them any better, or any worse. We humans are a complex group, and we need to embrace that complexity, lean into our difference and learn from one another."
"In a better world, this issue wouldn’t be subject to a public debate, but it is. Now, how we work with one another to overcome differences, to heal hurt and to move forward together, will be a test for the type of community we want to be."
, or dive straight in to practicing your mailing skills by playing Going Postal here: .
