Street Reads - Brisbane Writers Festival 2013

Street Reads - Brisbane Writers Festival 2013

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Posted 2013-09-02 by Damsel Martinfollow

Wed 04 Sep 2013 - Sun 15 Sep 2013

There's a reason Bantam Books' Choose Your Own Adventure series sold more than 250 million copies in its heyday.

There is something deliciously seductive about stepping into the role of powerful protagonist in a story you help create by choosing different courses of action that lead to radically different endings.

Billed as "an interactive walking and reading experience inspired by Brisbane City", Street Reads is like one of those Choose Your Own Adventure books come to life.

An initiative of Brisbane City Council to start on the first day of the Brisbane Writer's Festival on 4 September, Street Reads doesn't use printed pages to move the story along, but rather employs QR codes on pavement posters strategically dotted around Brisbane City and South Bank.

All you have to do is scan the QR code with your smart phone to access the next installment in the story. Load the webpage to 'read' the story, 'hear' the music and 'see' the art. Then 'choose your own adventure' from the range of options presented, all of which will take you to different locations, and different adventure outcomes.

Organisers say that each new part of the story takes place in the location of the QR code "showcasing Brisbane landmarks in a whole new way".

Indeed, I was lucky enough to enjoy a sneak peek at this fresh mode of storytelling ahead of its official launch and I can confirm that some of the city's smaller details, which I would ordinarily not have noticed, certainly came to life.

For example, I was surprised to find myself, at one stop, staring at an obscure symbol on a traffic signal box, feeling a little like The Da Vinci Code's Robert Langdon trying to unravel a mystery.

I saw sculptures and other pieces of public art that had not previously caught my eye and, without wanting to give too much of one particular storyline away, I will never be able to look at the Brisbane River in quite the same way again.

Adventurers can choose from three separate stories - Death, Zombie and Hero - and all of them start from a single point in Reddacliff Place (opposite Queen Street Mall).

Don't have a smart phone, or would prefer to undertake such adventures as part of a crowd? Brisbane Writers' Festival volunteers will conduct 'tours' of the adventures on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September leaving from the start point in Reddacliff Place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

Street Reads is a free program that offers participants discounts in local stores and the chance to win larger prizes (including a high-tea for two at the Shingle Inn). See the Street Reads website for further details.

Organisers say each Street Reads story takes about 30 minutes to complete.

However, if you stop for snacks, drinks or sightseeing (as we did) or go back to choose a different option after dying a horrible death as a result of one bad choice (also as we did), then you could easily blow a morning or afternoon this way.

Enjoy the adventure ... and don't be in too much of a hurry to reach THE END.

#brisbane_city
#september
#festivals
#free
#unusual_things_to_do
#walks
!date 04/09/2013 -- 15/09/2013
%wnbrisbane
106111 - 2023-06-12 12:18:09

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