Black Larp-writer's First Larp Production!

Hey there GoFundMe, it’s ya boi Sereia. For those of you that don’t know me, I am a queer Black nonbinary larper based out of Richmond, VA. I’ve been larping since 2017 and sensitivity consulting for larps since 2021. I am now looking to start writing and producing my own games and I’m looking to run my first game in April 2024. Much of the research has been done and a lot of the game material has been written, however, I am running into a very, very big wall that is funding which might kill the idea of running a larp before I even get started. Too many creators, especially marginalized creators, run into this issue and I refuse to have this die before it even gets started. So I’m coming to my community and asking for help to get this idea of mine out of the Google doc and into reality.

This Gofundme is to help me produce the playtest for Sin and Surveillance. This is to be a rules light, character-driven game about one of the subprojects of MK-Ultra, the CIA program to understand mind control. I am looking to run the playtest in April 2024 with a larger, more polished version running in late 2024 or early 2025.

I’m no fool and I understand that running a game of any size requires start-up capital to book the venues, hire writers and staff, and all that good stuff that goes into running a larp. Unfortunately, I don’t have that sweet, sweet start-up cash to get started. I do plan to have a ticket cost, but I don’t want to charge until I’m 100% certain that I have the venue booked. I would also like to be able to offer some sort of financial aid to people who may not be able to afford the cost of attending the game.

So with all of that being said, here’s how the funds will be used!

$3,500 will go towards the upfront cost of reserving the venue! It’s a vacation home and in order to book it’s $2,500 plus a refundable $1,000 security deposit.

$1,000 will go towards meals. I understand it would most likely be cheaper for players to bring their own food or do some sort of meal sharing, but this is often at an additional cost of money and labor for players. I want to ensure that nobody has to worry about how they’re going to transport and prepare food.

$500 will go towards financial aid for players who might need sponsored tickets. I really want this game to be financially accessible for players who might not necessarily have the funds to attend. I have been the recipient of such policies and being able to provide this service is very important to me.

Any amount raised over the initial goal will go towards, hiring a safety/care coordinator, and providing more sponsored tickets to keep the game accessible!