Let’s bring science, nature and culture to life with AR technology!

AR technology has advanced significantly over the past few years, making the jump from the gaming world to attractions and museums across the globe. Fun and engaging AR experiences can present information in a way that connects with visitors. Instead of presenting passive displays, we’d like to use this technology to allow users to participate and to make new connections as scenes come to life. In addition, we’d like to use this technology to provide context: to place objects in different locations, peeling back layers and telling their stories from new perspectives. The content can take the form of video, text, 3D images and more.

Here are our five topic proposals:

· Object specific: Humans and animals - friends or enemies?
It's complicated! The relationship between humans and animals is full of contradictions. Some are our best friends, others are hunted and fought against. Sometimes they fascinate and inspire us, sometimes we are disgusted or frightened by them. And sometimes it is precisely animals that at first glance seem scary and mysterious, large or tiny, that are vital to us humans. Museums can show us a great deal about relationships with our animal friends and enemies.
Here are some examples: https://padlet.com/Aktionsplan/humansandanimals

· Object specific: How does it work? How do you research it?
Have you always wanted to know what a mirror sextant does? Do you have any idea what an aquamanile is? Help us understand these objects! What can X-rays and CT scans tell us about them and their history? AR allows us to bring objects to life and show their functionality.
Here are some examples: https://padlet.com/Aktionsplan/howtoresearchit

· Theme specific: Invisible women
The achievements of women are often invisible – in museums as well as in society! Use AR technology to show how and where they exist; their objects, their stories, their achievements, their research... How do (did) women see the world? Help us to make them more visible!
Here are some examples: https://padlet.com/Aktionsplan/invisiblewomen

· Theme specific: Experiencing spaces in museums
Ready to dive into other worlds? Many museums contain dioramas or replica rooms - farmhouses, mines or entire landscapes. Some are life-sized, others exist only in miniature, as models. They all have their own atmosphere and make knowledge and history tangible.
Here are some examples: https://padlet.com/Aktionsplan/experiencingmuseumspaces

· Theme specific: Unknown places and fantastic worlds
Dwarves, mountain spirits, dragons – confronting the unknown and meeting strange beings that live far away has long fired people's imaginations. Objects in our museums bear witness to the exploration of “new” worlds, both in everyday life (religion, superstition, spirituality) and in art.
Here are some examples: https://padlet.com/Aktionsplan/fantasticworlds

· Wild card
If you can’t relate to the suggested topics, feel free to develop something else. The museums have great collections to help you out.


Of utmost importance to us is…
… BYOD.
… the phone should be the tool for the experience.
... the experience itself should involve learning.
... the users should find out about “secret knowledge” within the objects.
... the experience doesn’t necessarily have to happen in a museum – let’s take the experience into the world!

This hackathon brings together AR artists with museum experts to inspire new knowledge.

A MAZE. Museum Online Hackathon is organized by A MAZE. and is part of the official program of A MAZE. / Berlin 2022 - 11th International Games and Playful Media Festival in collaboration with the Leibniz Research Museums.

Apply now for the A MAZE. Museum Online Hackathon and develop a fun and interactive AR experience.

DATE + TIME
Wednesday, May 11th, 2022, 10 a.m. to Thursday, May 12, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. (UTC+2)

FORMAT
Digital / Online

REGISTRATION
Free admission with limited participants or teams (max. 50 persons)
The Hackathon will be in English via Discord. We are using itch.io to share your results.
Registration deadline: Thursday May 5th, 2022

WHO?
Meet AR-creators and artists from around the world, connect to others interested in museums, work with experts from the Leibniz Research Museums. All idea submissions will be featured on the Research Museums’ website – and if your idea is chosen by the jury, we’d like to implement your AR-experience!

WHY?
We love science, new technologies and culture and we want to create experiences – with you and with the rest of the world. Watch our video: https://www.leibniz-forschungsmuseen.de/en.html

HOW?
By creating a concept or prototype for an AR-experience. We want to bring people together, make science and culture more accessible, understandable, useful and enjoyable.

During the A MAZE. Awards on May 17 at A MAZE. / Berlin 2022 a shortlist of the concepts will be presented and the prototypes exhibited in context of the Leibniz Research Museums.

The A MAZE. Museum Online Hackathon is supported by the Aktionsplan Leibniz Research Museums and hosted by A MAZE in cooperation with the following Leibniz Research Museums:
· Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum – Leibniz Research Museum for Geo-resources;
· Deutsches Museum, Munich
· German Maritime Museum – Leibniz Institute for Maritime History, Bremerhaven
· Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg
· Museum Koenig – Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Bonn
· Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum – Leibniz Research Institute for Archaeology, Mainz
· Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, Frankfurt am Main, Görlitz, Dresden


CONDITIONS AND REGULATIONS:
https://2022.amaze-berlin.de/uploads/call_hackathon_regulations.pdf

CODE OF CONDUCT:
We have a Code of Conduct and it is in effect on all the online platforms we are using for this year’s festival, so please read it here: In case of an urgent matter you can use the email address safety@a-maze.net

The official social media tag is #AMaze2022 and #LeibnizMuseen you can tag us:
@AMazeFest (https://twitter.com/AMazeFest)
@a_mazefest (https://www.instagram.com/a_mazefest)
https://www.facebook.com/amaze.festival
@LeibnizWGL (https://twitter.com/LeibnizWGL)
@leibnizgemeinschaft (https://www.instagram.com/leibnizgemeinschaft)
https://www.facebook.com/LeibnizGemeinschaft

For further info about A MAZE. / Berlin 2022 Festival: www.amaze-berlin.de