Latest news with #storytellers
Geek Girl Authority
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
How Game Nights Became the New Group Therapy for Nerds
With so many distractions from phones and screens these days, people are looking for ways to actually connect with others. Game nights that involve tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, storytelling games, or cooperative board games aren't just about rolling dice or winning points anymore. For many in geek and gaming circles, these gatherings have become a way to hang out, share stories, and even unwind emotionally. Why Structure Matters Unlike casual get-togethers, game nights offer something uniquely grounding: structure. That structure— like a rulebook, a mission, or a character sheet—creates a shared context. It gives everyone at the table a reason to be present, participate, and contribute. In a group setting, this form of structured interaction lowers social barriers. It provides introverts a defined role, extroverts a safe spotlight, and everyone else a reliable rhythm for interaction. This kind of order and predictability can be oddly comforting—much like how some people find routine in everyday habits such as checking the morning weather, scrolling through news headlines, or even taking a moment to check out Keno results online. These small rituals give a sense of control and anticipation, similar to the way structured game nights build shared expectations and engagement among players. Emotional Skills in Play When players assume the roles of characters—complete with backstories, goals, fears, and flaws—they begin to exercise emotional muscles that aren't always used in everyday life. They make decisions based on empathy, develop conflict resolution skills, and explore emotional depth through their characters' arcs. For example, when a player role-plays a character going through grief or making peace with a rival, they may process their own feelings in a safe, fictional context. Game masters often create scenarios that push emotional buttons—intentionally or not—and players react in ways that feel real. This improvisational storytelling builds emotional awareness and promotes a nuanced understanding of others. Healing Game Nights TTRPGs and cooperative board games are increasingly used in both casual and community-building settings. While not therapy in the clinical sense, many participants describe game nights as cathartic, affirming, and restorative. They offer a break from daily responsibilities and an invitation to experience joy, challenge, failure, and success in a welcoming environment. This change has been especially noticeable in geek communities, where shared interests and emotional safety often go hand in hand. Actual-play podcasts and livestreams have helped normalize vulnerability, creativity, and emotional expression at the gaming table. What Your Group Says About You Group chemistry at the table often mirrors real-life, sometimes more closely than expected. Is there a natural leader who takes charge during every mission? A quiet observer who comes through in clutch moments? The class clown who keeps things light? These roles can reflect how friends interact outside the game—and sometimes challenge them to grow. A hesitant speaker might find their voice in-character, while a dominant personality might learn to step back and listen. The game world becomes a space where social roles can be explored, tested, and even rebalanced. The Real Power of Play What starts as a night of fun often becomes something more: a shared ritual. At their best, game nights offer more than entertainment—they create a dependable time and space where players can show up, contribute, and connect. Book Review: STAR TREK ADVENUTRES 2E TECHNICAL MANUAL
Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Three great Belfast city tours to book now
Belfast: city of storytellers, protests, seven types of rain (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday . . . they say), plus 1,000 tours, covering music, art, politics, troubled bloodshed, wonder — and a hell of a lot of butter. No nationality talks as continuously and as comedically as the Irish, so it's unsurprising that this new course of tourism is thriving. Even the locals are in on them, saying the walkabouts have made them see modern Belfast in 'colour' after the 'black and white' of their childhoods. Here are three of the best. Ireland is home to some of the world's finest seafood — and people reluctant to put it in their mouths. So says Rae Carnegie, a guide on one of Belfast's most colourful food tours. St George's Market is the centrepiece of Carnegie's four-hour whistle-stop tour. Trading since 1890, largely in butter, it now sells everything from shark meat (sold out) and oysters to antique hairbrushes and Irish macaroons (aka fifteens), as well as 'No Topless Bathing, Ulster Has Suffered Enough' art. 'You're going to be punched in the face by your senses,' Carnegie says. She isn't wrong. 'Our eels get sent to Japan,' Carnegie laments, before clapping her hands. 'I've got sweets for indigestion, pills if you're hungover, plasters if your feet hurt,' she shouts, marching off through the market for 'tea, not chai, not matcha, not whatever the hell the kids are drinking now, just normal Irish tea'. Did you know 'bap' stands for 'bread against poverty'? It's just one of many historical titbits on the seven-stop tour, whose standouts are Mike's Fancy Cheese, and Daisies, run by the chocolatier Martin Giles, who attends boxing matches with pockets full of liqueur bonbons so he doesn't have to queue at the bar. Word to the wise: buy his hot-chocolate powder. 'Make sure you mix it with milk, not water, though,' Carnegie warns, 'otherwise Martin turns into Liam Neeson from Taken. He will find you.' Details £70, • How to spend a weekend in Belfast and the Antrim Coast Dolores Vischer is a punk, 'not a posh punk' — and while she once played the drums with the Stranglers, that was only because Jet Black needed a pee. 'New York had the haircuts, London had the trousers and Belfast had the reason for punk,' she says, leading us around the city's iconic musical landmarks, playing music through a speaker dangling from her lanyard. Not for nothing is Belfast a Unesco City of Music (Liverpool and Glasgow are the UK's only other two). The city spawned Van Morrison, Stiff Little Fingers and, most recently and notoriously, the headline-grabbing hip-hoppers Kneecap. Kicking off at the Ulster Hall, where Led Zeppelin first performed Stairway to Heaven, the two-hour tour visits the city's oldest pub, oldest church, trad music pubs, record shops and a Victorian music hall, as well some of the city's best street From £22, Who knows a city better than a taxi driver? Plus, this tour with yer man Billy Scott — boy about town, biker, comedian, historian, sponge of local gossip, with many a contact up his sleeve — comes with a proper black cab. We whizz like slebs down bus lanes, stopping where we like because, after all, this is a loiter-legal taxi. Genius. We tour the student areas, central Belfast, the Cathedral Quarter with its soon-to-be-married stags, and many a backstreet shooting spot as Scott rattles through IRA history and the Troubles, trailing facts in his wake: 'Queen's University, Tudor-style, opened 1857; women were allowed to attend in hats and gloves and CS Lewis's mother was one of the first female graduates.' We pull over so I can sign the Peace Wall, and pull up one backstreet, not far from Sinn Fein HQ, where a mural of Kneecap looms huge and alive. A moment in history indeed. 'Nice spot you're staying in,' Billy says of the Harrison Chambers of Distinction, in south Belfast (B&B doubles from £130, whose owner, Melanie Harrison, designed the fabulously bohemian suites herself and has enough stories to run her own tour. 'It reminds me of a 19th-century Parisian gentlemen's club,' Scott says. 'Not that I've ever been in one.'Details £80 for two, £35 a head for three or more, Lucy Holden was a guest of Fly to Belfast from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen or Inverness from £30 return with easyJet, Aer Lingus or Loganair
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Hollywood Meets Dubai: ‘We Create Drama' film festival returns at Paramount Hotels
Following the success of the past three We Create Drama Film Festival seasons, the curtain rises once again on 'We Create Drama, the highly anticipated film festival hosted by Paramount Hotels. This global platform has become a premier stage for emerging filmmakers and daring storytellers to showcase their craft and shape the future of cinema. This year, 'We Create Drama' returns bolder and more dramatic than ever before. Paramount Hotel Midtown will be a part of the competition this year, marking its first participation since the Film Festival's inception in 2022. Paramount Hotel Dubai and Paramount Hotel Midtown will evolve from just luxurious destinations into dynamic canvases and vibrant hubs for creativity. These iconic lifestyle destinations will transform into sanctuaries for dreamers, innovators and storytellers—places where visions are realized and dreams take flight. In this cinematic haven, emerging filmmakers will compete to craft the next award-winning short film, stepping boldly into the legacy of Paramount Pictures and the legendary films that have defined the industry. At the heart of Paramount Hotels lies a brand vision 'For the Creative, By the Creative' a narrative that celebrates the limitless potential of storytelling. This vision fuels every project, collaboration and experience within the hotels, making them more than just places to stay. As Season 4 unfolds, the stakes are higher than ever. The festival promises to be a thrilling showcase of undiscovered talent, with emerging filmmakers pushing the boundaries of creativity. In an exciting move to broaden the festival's reach, submissions will now be accepted via Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, opening the door to a new generation of storytellers from around the world. 'We Create Drama' is a collaborative partnership between Paramount Hotels and renowned industry leaders who share the same passion for storytelling. Paramount Hotels, in collaboration with Nicolas Naim, founder of Scripted Events, the visionary behind the We Create Drama Film Festival, joins forces with Westford University, Nikon Middle East FZE, Grand Stores, and Aputure to provide aspiring filmmakers with everything they need to bring their stories to life. Together, they are ensuring that this year's festival is a true celebration of innovation, craftsmanship, and cinematic excellence. Submission and production guidelines: Filmmakers are invited to submit scripts that ignite drama, break creative boundaries and embody the power of storytelling. Each submission must be 3 to 10 minutes long, accompanied by a log line, synopsis and adhere to professional industry standards. What sets this season apart is the unique challenge: every film must be shot entirely within the stunning confines of Paramount Hotel Dubai or Paramount Hotel Midtown, within a single 24-hour filming window. The pressure is on but so is the opportunity to create something truly unforgettable. Selection and production: A distinguished panel of judges, featuring industry experts and acclaimed filmmakers will meticulously review the entries and selected to 12 scripts. Shortlisted filmmakers will embark on an exhilarating production journey in May, armed with professional filmmaking equipment provided by our festival partners – Nikon Middle East FZE, Aputure Middle East and Grand Stores. The shooting window runs from May 12 to May 29, with each team getting a 24-hour slot at selected hotel locations. The grand finale: This year, We Create Drama Film Festival will take a more elevated twist, offering a week-long opportunity to screen short films at Paramount Hotel Dubai and Paramount Hotel Midtown, giving filmmakers a unique chance to share their work with a wider audience. In addition to the screenings, the festival will host a series of film-making workshops led by industry experts. These workshops will cover everything from scriptwriting and filming techniques to innovative storytelling approaches, all taking place throughout the first week of June, leading up to the Grand Finale. This dynamic program will provide aspiring filmmakers with valuable skills and insights to help them hone their craft and push creative boundaries. Prestigious awards up for grabs include: • Film of the Year • Director of the Year • Actor & Actress of the Year • Writer of the Year • DOP of the Year Winners will walk away with exciting prizes, including high-end filmmaking gear and luxury hotel experiences, ensuring they continue their cinematic journey with the finest tools at their disposal. New this year: the short film corner: In addition to the main competition, this year introduces the Short Film Corner a showcase of selected short films that will screen leading up to the grand finale. • Selected films will be screened at Paramount Hotels throughout the festival. • The Short Film Corner will feature talks from directors, industry panels and networking opportunities. • Filmmakers can submit their short films via email to Marketing@ with the subject line: Short Film Submission – We Create Drama 2025. Filmmakers keen to make their mark in the industry can submit their scripts via Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok using the official festival hashtags, or email their submissions to Marketing@ Each team can have a maximum of five members officially recognised. 'Paramount Hotels is a place where creativity thrives, making it the perfect stage for storytelling. Season 4 of 'We Create Drama' promises to be our most exciting yet, showcasing the vision and talent of emerging filmmakers. We look forward to witnessing the compelling stories that will come to life this year,' said Nicholas Chalmers, General Manager at Paramount Hotel Dubai. 'This year, we are elevating the festival experience, expanding creative possibilities and accessibility for filmmakers. We Create Drama is not just a competition—it's a guide for emerging talent and we're proud to be the stage where their stories come to life,' said Pascal Eggerstedt, General Manager of Paramount Hotel Midtown.
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Structured Melodies
The tip of my pen scatters stories, a tale or two gracing the page, taking feeling from my fingertips, words dance on a blank stage, my joy is found in crafting worlds, then unveiling my own in a bright light, with only ink I can choose a whisper, or dystopian crashes of meteorite, my glee resides in a paragraph, for I find melodies in lines of prose, tugging a heart closer to the realm, of scribbled minds and long agoes, my delight lives in a dozen verses, where love is a mystery I hold dear, a vibrant portrait on an old canvas, sonnets are symphonies to my ear, my elation exists in creating a character, I am a fierce puppeteer yet sometimes fair, letting people wander around my brain, I hope they like steering the wheel in there, my happiness remains in storytelling, in lands of beauty and rainbow hue, when my works do reach a reader, may these structured melodies bring happiness too.
