Abstract
This paper analyzes four Cultural Game Jams (CGJs) in the Netherlands, conducted within EPIC-WE, a European project exploring how game-making can become a tool for both cultural reflection and dialogue between youth and cultural, educational and creative stakeholders. The jams connected cultural heritage organisations, creative industries, higher education, and young people (15–25) in a Quadruple Helix framework. Across two years, youths designed games that addressed societal issues, cultural heritage, and European values, while their roles evolved from participants to members of a Youth Advisory Board acting as co-designers, research contributors, and co-facilitators. Through cross-case analysis of jam formats, game outcomes, and the development of youth involvement, the paper shows how participatory, creativity-based practices can position young people as cultural agents rather than mere audiences. The findings offer insights for cultural and public institutions seeking to engage youth as co-creators in shaping cultural meaning and societal narratives.
Keywords
cultural heritage, youth participation, co-creation, game design, cultural game jam
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2304
Citation
De Gaetano, C., Groen, M., Niederer, S., and Montgomery, S. (2026) Youth as cultural agents: Facilitating cultural and civic engagement through game design, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2304
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Youth as cultural agents: Facilitating cultural and civic engagement through game design
This paper analyzes four Cultural Game Jams (CGJs) in the Netherlands, conducted within EPIC-WE, a European project exploring how game-making can become a tool for both cultural reflection and dialogue between youth and cultural, educational and creative stakeholders. The jams connected cultural heritage organisations, creative industries, higher education, and young people (15–25) in a Quadruple Helix framework. Across two years, youths designed games that addressed societal issues, cultural heritage, and European values, while their roles evolved from participants to members of a Youth Advisory Board acting as co-designers, research contributors, and co-facilitators. Through cross-case analysis of jam formats, game outcomes, and the development of youth involvement, the paper shows how participatory, creativity-based practices can position young people as cultural agents rather than mere audiences. The findings offer insights for cultural and public institutions seeking to engage youth as co-creators in shaping cultural meaning and societal narratives.