Challenging Structures

Sarah Jury, Behrooz 'Bez' Shahriari and Rachel Sale

In role-playing games, players pursue goals in a fictional setting whilst interacting with each other in character. This new game takes on the stories of fictional characters and societies faced with different approaches to the laws governing gender and sex status.

A live illustration by Rachel Sale offers a glimpse into this new game and presents some of the opportunities and challenges that legal gender and sex status raises for individuals, governments and societies. Role-playing cards in the Gallery invite you to consider these experiences in character.

Image: Sarah Jury, Behrooz 'Bez' Shahriari, illustrated by Rachel Sale, 2020.

About the contributor(s)

Sarah Jury is a writer, games designer and curator based in London. Sarah has edited publications and curated events on feminist digital practices at ICA, the Barbican and Res, London. Sarah has written live action role plays that rethink societal structures either directly, or in abstract non-verbal form for Hatton Gallery, Newcastle, Tate Exchange, Liverpool and [Space], London and has lectured on themes of role-play and participatory practice at Birkbeck, London and Yale, USA.

Behrooz 'Bez' Shahriari's first memory is of a ZXSpectrum loading screen. Bez loved videogames, learned to program, went to university, made some better games, loved games of all sorts, and is now a full-time designer. Bez applies their game design skills to serious issues, whilst making other games for 'pure enjoyment'.

Rachel Sale is an illustrator, collaborator and activity coordinator. She studied graphic design at Central Saint Martins and then, 5 years later, illustration at the Royal College of Art. She often works as a scribe, a job that allows her to travel the world and draw live at a wide variety or events and gatherings.