Our volunteers

The driving forcebehindour organization, our volunteers are involved on a daily basis and give their time to help the association grow. Without them, we would not be able to continue our activities and projects.

Coming from the television and console generation and passionate about role-playing games and video games, Damien professionalized his knowledge by becoming a salesperson at Picwic, a store where he would remain for nearly 10 years. This experience allowed him to develop his knowledge, his gaming culture, and his ability and ease in talking to people about it.

After the store closed, he decided to stay in this field by becominga trainer in educational gamesand setting up his own company,Bran'Ludique.  He trains his students usingboard games. These are games that can be found in stores, the rules of which he modifies, or games created specifically to meet his needs. A volunteer for six months, Damien proposed agame adaptedfor theUrsino project.

Why volunteer?

"I have never been involved with other associations, but I regularly donate to Wikipedia. I also donate to Z Event, a project that brings together streamers and whose donations are entirely donated to Action Against Hunger, for example in 2021; or Speed Don, a 55-hour charity speedrun marathon broadcast on Twitch and raising donations for Médecins du Monde.

I feel like I'm part of something important and that I belong to acommunity.

I didn't realize I was volunteering for the association. I met Charlotte, she told me about Konstelacio, I had some ideas, I refined one of them and gave it away quite naturally. The project is beautiful, the action important. If my skills can help, then I offer them.

Damien in the middle of a game at Picwic

Why get involved with konstelacio?

"I am, unsurprisingly, aplayer. For me, playing has always been a timefor interactionanddiscovery. Discovery of others, to be more precise. I believe that when people play, they are themselves, and I enjoy getting to know them. My encounter with Konstelacio inspires me to strive forgreatnessin my work. Through games and with the support of the association, I can convey and facilitatethe understandingofculturesand theirinterconnections. At least, that is what I hope to bring to the association.

It was Charlotte's enthusiasm that struck me first. When we met, we started by talking about what we each did, the Ursino project, her approach to the concept of culture, and I immediately sensed that there was something to be gained from this. In my job, I am constantly monitoring board games. One day, I came acrossKosmopolit and, as I analyzed it, I realized that there was a way to use it for the association's activities.

Kosmopolitis a game that simulates a restaurant serving dishes from around the world. It is designed for 4-5 players and uses a smartphone app to avoid anyone having to act as manager.

First meeting about Kosmopolit

"I had to understand the difficulty and find out if it was possible to have many more players. Then we had to find a way to eliminate the game application and replace it with a pre-established scenario. I adapted it for a group of 15 people, with part of the group playing the role normally played by the app, but making sure it remained fun for them. Finally, with the help of Charlotte and Aziliz, we shaped these changes to bring this role-playing activity to life."

 

Ursino in Saint-Brieuc

I was fortunate enough to accompany Konstelacio in therevival of theUrsino projectinSaint-Brieuc last December.

We had already tested the adapted game with a group of adults, and this day was the perfect opportunity to test the game system with a group of children/teenagers.

It was a very interesting moment because most of the time, I don't get direct feedback or the opportunity to analyze a real game as it unfolds in real time.

For me, it was also an opportunity tobetter understand what Konstelacio does, to refresh my memory of the four pillars related to the concept of culture. I loved this feeling oftransmissionandfelt right at home during this workshop. Being able toexchange ideaswithothers and create agroupdynamic felt very natural and galvanizing. I will cherish this memory for the rest of my life.

I'm more of a homebody, but Konstelacio made me want to visit other countries, meet students, and have that very human connection. I'm capable of doing a lot of things for people and ideas. It was a real pleasure for me to give my time to the association and to have the chance to see firsthand what we had done together.

student-test-section-saint-brieuc

First test with our students in Saint Brieuc for the Ursino project

Let's continue together!

"We are currentlydeveloping a board gamewiththe team, which will focus on the concept ofculture. It's a way to showcase the association in aunique way. This project is a realchallengeforme because it's being created from scratch.

I like getting to know people, making connections between things that don't seem related. So there's a mirror effect in what Konstelacio does,linking things that are connected.

I always see things on a human scale, whereas Konstelacio works on larger-scale projects, such as with Ursino, going to other countries and working with hundreds of children. This is on a scale I never expected, and I am very happy to be involved in helping it grow even further.Konstelacio is a small organization,yetit doesgreat things.

 

A big thank you to Damien for his support and commitment over the last few months!