The company P to Try to Save the ‘College of Wizardry’ LARP with Crowdfunding Effort (Q&A)
We interview Christopher Sandberg about their new funding campaign
Fans of the live action role playing experience College of Wizardry LARP were devastated on March 5 when Dziobak Larp Studios announced it was closing down and cancelling all events, leaving the fate of the popular long-running magic school-themed experience uncertain.
However, today, at noon Central European Time, Emmy award-winning studio The company P announced they were stepping in and attempting to save the experience with a crowdfunding campaign. They’re hoping to raise €89,000 in order to rehire the crew, run the event, and ensure its future moving forward.
We spoke to The company P’s Chief Creative Officer and Founder Christopher Sandberg over email to learn more.
No Proscenium (NP): Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I’m the Founder of the Stockholm-based entertainment studio The company P. My passion is grand scale immersive experiences that turn the audience from bystander into engaged witness and activist in the story. Whether it is to further a cause, as in International Emmy nominated Conspiracy for Good with Tim Kring (Heroes, Treadstone). Or exploring a world hidden in plain sight as in International Emmy Award Winning drama series The Truth About Marika (SVT), and International Emmy nominated The Spiral (SVT and partners). Or interactive shows like Dollplay for Joss Whedon (20th Century FOX Television), and International Emmy Award Winning social media episode for Endgame (Showcase).
As a Producer, Director, Writer of participatory drama series and immersive live events, I’ve been blessed to work with truly stellar talent around the World. I’m also an avid GM in Drakar & Demoner (the Swedish Dungeons & Dragons). As a larp organiser I helped organise milestone Trenne Byar, gathering over a thousand people in 1994, since then I’ve larped and made events internationally as a hobby and professionally, such as Hamlet (now running in a new form at the real “Elsinore castle” in Denmark), including the Global Council for the UN, and Queen Gertrude’s Bachelorette, the first ever larp at the Royal Dramatic Theatre.
I live in a small town in Sörmland with my fiancee, children, dogs and rabbits.
NP: What is The College of Wizardry for those who are unfamiliar?
College of Wizardry, is the longest running and largest Magic School immersive event in the world. Set in a magical story universe, where the participants populate the world in real, live events. At its core, a beloved live action role-playing series (so called “larps”, think cosplay with make-believe) about a magic school that has run 20 main events so far at Czocha castle in Poland. We make costumes, wands and mystical artefacts, write stories and create characters–and generally behave as if we can do magic. Of course it’s all really an excuse to be humans together (or non-humans)!
NP: What is current status of the College?
On March 5 College of Wizardry saw its former organizers halt operations and cancel all events. Together with the community of thousands of miraculous people from all over the World, International Emmy Award Winning studio The company P wants to Save College of Wizardry by rehiring the crew, running the events and re-opening the doors for more magic!
NP: Why do you feel it’s important to save the College of Wizardry?
We love College of Wizardry. There is probably no other experience that has introduced so many people to larping world-wide (from contemporary magic fiction and Harry Potter buffs, to passionate larpers). It has employed and trained so many amateur organisers, volunteers, professionals and hobby crafters and artists. And while the venture grew too big for the earlier organisers, the larp itself is strong, quirky and amazing. I played in the very first College of Wizardry events, help make the first study book and crafted an Artefactorium as a Professor of Magical Artefacts. I want it to live on and give magic and love to thousands more in the future!
NP: Why turn to crowdfunding to save the experience? Where exactly will the funds go?
Without this fundraiser, College of Wizardry may be unable to rebuild, or may need years to open the doors again. But if we can run the cancelled events in Spring, we ensure there is a future and can make tickets available for more players to experience the magic. So by helping these stranded people, you help reopen College of Wizardry now!
The goal is to immediately reopen College of Wizardry for witches and wizards. To preserve it so it can stand on its own legs again. One of the most important uses of the contributions is to rehire Lead Producer Robin Steen, Iryt and the crew and freelancers for the 2019 events. The entire team is ready to go, with full support from P. After making good towards the crew, we would also like to commission some amazing talent and experts to support them, including long time College of Wizardry producer Agata Swistak.
In a nutshell, by running these events we ensure College of Wizardry is in good shape moving forward. We can reopen ticket sales and from there it’s a matter of bringing more magic to more people, better, sooner and more fantastic!
All in all about half of the funding needs this year are the Indiegogo campaign for the April events and related costs, the other half is development investments to preserve College of Wizardry.
NP: What is your plan if the campaign fails?
It will take longer, maybe years, but College of Wizardry will reopen. P is investing substantially to make the crowdfunding possible, to the tune of over ca 20 000$ in location costs and other fees. We are also giving free ticket vouchers to all stranded players (value ca 500$/ticket). We will continue to fight for this magical community.
NP: What do you hope to accomplish if the campaign succeeds?
We will immediately open the doors again to College of Wizardry. It means we will run the events cancelled by the former organisers, on the original dates. And we reopen ticket sales to the Fall events, so you can get a spot at magic school. And we will make more magic in more places for more people!
NoPro is a labor of love made possible by our generous Patreon backers: join them today!
In addition to the No Proscenium web site, our podcast, and our newsletters, you can find NoPro on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, in the Facebook community Everything Immersive, and on our Slack forum.
Office facilities provided by Thymele Arts, in Los Angeles, CA.
