LARPOCRACY at OIDP 2026 in Kraków

We’ve been to the 25th International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (OIDP) Conference in Kraków, Poland — and it was fantastic!

Representing LARPOCRACY, Marcin Słowikowski presented the workshop “Fostering Skills in Democratic Deliberation through Live-Action Role-Playing Games (Larp)”, bringing our research and practice into an international conversation about participation, democratic innovation and new ways of engaging citizens.

The workshop explored how larp can provide a space for participants to practise some of the skills involved in democratic deliberation. Through embodied, participatory experiences, role-playing can invite people to listen to different perspectives, articulate their own positions, negotiate disagreements, and experience democratic processes through practice rather than discussion alone.

The OIDP Conference brought together researchers, practitioners, policymakers and organisations working with participatory democracy from around the world. For LARPOCRACY, it was a valuable opportunity not only to share our work, but also to exchange ideas, encounter different approaches to democratic participation and connect with people exploring similar questions from different perspectives and contexts.

We would also like to acknowledge our LARPOCRACY partner, Europe4Youth. Their contribution to the conference reflects the collaborative nature of the project and the important role of our partners in bringing LARPOCRACY’s research and practices into dialogue with wider communities working on youth participation, civic engagement and democratic innovation across Europe.

Events like OIDP are particularly important to the project as we continue investigating the potential of larp as a space for democratic experimentation, learning and engagement.

A big thank you to the OIDP team, everyone who participated in the workshop, and all those we met and exchanged ideas with during the conference.