History has always been a popular setting for larping. Whether that be regency period drama, vikings, World War II or the gay scene in 1980s New York, the past has provided larp with a rich fount of inspiration. History can provide setting, costume, characters or plot; it can be a playground and a tool for exploring the worlds and voices of the historically underprivileged, or the extremely powerful.
But what exactly *is* a historical larp? And what is it that we do when we larp in a historical setting? A historical larp can range all the way from a vaguely historical setting in "the vintage era" to 360-larps with high ambitions on immersion and historical realism. The points of views which can be explored from a historical perspective are almost infinite. Given this variety, is there a common thread to all of these larps?
When we engage in historical larping, is there something which separates historical larping from other genres of larp? What does historical larping say about our view of history, and can we learn anything about history from larping?
Join us to discuss these and other related questions at a round table moderated by James Lancaster, a larper and a PhD student of history at Örebro university in Sweden with a keen interest in how history can be used as a cultural and emphatic tool of understanding. The moderator will host a brief introduction to the subject, before the round table begins.