On The Road: Water Depletion And The High Plains
Donation protected
Howdy folks! Thank you for being here!
Who are you:
My name is Kai Oliver. I'm a game designer from Northern England, living in Canada with my wife Francine and our housemate Haeweon. I'm located in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. As a human being deeply concerned with the global impact of droughts, water mismanagement, and habitat loss occurring in many countries, I want to co-create experiences that activate the change we need to protect our environments and our livelihoods.
What are you asking for:
Funds for a road trip from Denver Colorado to Austin Texas via Kansas, to do in-person research and get first hand experience that will contribute to a video game about the region.
The trip starts 28th Feb 2024 so any donations before then are great! Donations afterwards also very much welcome and needed to cover costs.
What is the game about:
It is a narrative video game you play in your browser, and it's all about the devastating over-extraction and loss of groundwater in the Dust Bowl region of the US. It is heavily inspired by Professor Lucas Bessire's book 'Running Out' : In Search Of Water On The High Plains. You can learn more about the book, and play the game prototype here: https://kaioliver.co.uk/?portfolio=drawing-up-dust
Why do I need the funds:
Over the 2023 winter holidays I worked with a team of two complete strangers (dubbed The Replenishers) that I met online to enter a competition: the Just Play Jam 2023 . Our video game entry 'Drawing Up Dust' has been selected by industry veterans as a finalist! We've been invited to take part in the awards ceremony in SXSW, Austin, Texas! However, while celebration is important, I want to ensure that this journey leaves behind more than a tonne of emissions and bad microwaved dinners. With guidance from partners based in the Great Plains, I hope to personally visit several sites in Kansas and Texas on the way to SXSW by car. I cannot afford this journey on my own, as I am a freelancer and currently without work. So I am asking for your help to enable this unique opportunity.
What happens on the road trip:
- Fly to Denver Colorado, next door to Kansas
- Driving through (instead of flying over) the Dust Bowl of America to do interviews and video blogging, focusing on the on-the-ground reality of life in a landscape that has been severely depleted of its natural resources.
- This includes visiting areas of geological interest, ranches, farmers markets, community events, and more.
- All of my activities on the road will feed back into the development of 'Drawing Up Dust's narrative, art, sound and game design - The Replenishers are looking forward to sharing this process with you.
- Connections made with local folks will also propel other tangible actions around raising environmental awareness and empowerment - this will be a longer term goal.
- I will end the trip in Austin to attend the award ceremony and finally meet the rest of my remote team that helped build the game!
- Fly back to Nova Scotia / Mi'kma'ki
Support and risks:
- I already have financial and in kind support from several organisations: the Just Play Jam hosts (Anima Interactive, Cinereach) and a non-profit agency in Amarillo (Ogallala Life). I therefore have enough to cover the majority of the flights - this is a great starting point and means the likelihood of this trip commencing is looking very good! I'm booking cancellation options in the case of an emergency, so if I absolutely cannot travel your donations will be able to be directly used for a similar trip on a later date.
Final words:
I have a target of raising $2250 CAD to cover some of the air travel (not covered by existing financial aid), and all of the road trip travel costs: including accommodation, car rental, and food. (We might go above the original goal of $2000 so I've added a $250 buffer to cover getting extra gifts for Kansas folks I get to interview. Let me know if you have any ideas for good Canadiana presents!!)
Huge gratitude to everyone who is able to support in any way they can - whether it is shouting out about this to your friends or donating money directly - I'm truly indebted to any act of kindness you can offer!
Kai Oliver
Organizer
Kai McGilligan Oliver
Organizer
Halifax, NS