Contact
For general enquiries and information requests, please send your emails to island@ritesofspring.co.uk
We have an interest group on Facebook, which is available to join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/829357840751398/
You can join our mailing list via the mailing list form at the bottom of this webpage which will be used to update everyone on our progress.
Contact
For general enquiries and information requests, please send your emails to island@ritesofspring.co.uk
We have an interest group on Facebook, which is available to join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/829357840751398/
You can join our mailing list via the mailing list form at the bottom of this webpage which will be used to update everyone on our progress.
The Team
Marie Louise Olesen
Hi all. My name is Louise and I'm a larper from Denmark.
I joined the hobby fairly late in life. Did my first game in 2018 and haven't looked back since. I have joined a good selection of international larps throughout the past years as a player. Also did a little npc work and even managed to cook for a few games.
I started dreaming about doing work behind the scenes some years ago, as an organizer, and it seems like that dream might finally come true.
With the found fondness of larping also followed a love for crafting. I am the maker of many things and love creating props for my games. I have also been teaching myself the art of leather crafting and am now creating wonderful things for my friends, when they need extra gear for their larp character.
I'm so excited to be part of making this experience for you all.
I will mainly be doing logistics and location management for this game.
Im very much looking forward to helping create this wonderful and nerve-wrecking larp for you all.
See you on the island. 🏝
Photo credit; The very talented and amazing John-Paul Bichard
You can contact Louise via louise@ritesofspring.co.uk
Claire Baillie
I have been larping for just over 18 months, mainly on the international circuit (Demeter; Raven Crew; Red Centre; Convention of Thorns; The Smoke; Beyond the Wall). Being an amateur zombie in various immersive shows gave me the confidence to have a go at larping, as well as some SFX make upskills. I have always loved an excuse to create a costume, dress up and be someone else for a while. I love the inclusiveness, bravery and creativity of the community and am delighted to now be exploring the design and organisation side.
I'm interested in exploring the full range of experiences larp has to offer from straightforward heroic adventures to scary dark horror to political activism and beyond. I tend to like things with a bit of a twisty dark edge to them. In my day job I am a psychologist and have worked in mental health for over 25 years. I will always have an eye on the psychological safety of both participants and crew.
I can't wait to thoroughly unnerve you in a totally safe manner.
You can contact Claire via claire@ritesofspring.co.uk
Martyn Meeks
I’m Martyn and I’ve been involved in LARP’s since the mid 80’s. I ventured up to Chislehurst caves for my first taste and was immediately hooked. I didn’t manage to return but then I discovered a local club was doing the same thing in some woods, and the rest is history. I started with playing and crewing these linear adventures and eventually moved on to writing and running these on a regular basis. Also played at one of the large fantasy LARP festivals and became part of the ‘council’ for one of the factions. Behind the scenes was part of the plot team for that faction, helping to write and organise events.
More recently I’ve been involved in the international LARP scene, travelling around europe meeting wonderful people and creating wonderful stories together. I am continually amazed by the incredible generosity of the other players. On the event creation side, I co-wrote the Waiting Room of Lost Souls, and I’m one of the many hands involved with bringing Odysseus back.
As to this project, I’ve always loved the genre, so I’m looking forward to bringing our fevered dreams to you.
You can contact Martyn via martyn@ritesofspring.co.uk
John Shockley
I'm John and I have been a larper for a very long time. I started in the mid 1980s with UK linear fantasy action larp, and soon I was writing adventures and helping to referee games. I diversified into the big Fest games in the UK, as well as running a small club in the Midlands. A few years back, I discovered international larp and have become pretty well known on that scene, as player, writer and contributor. My projects have included Meeting of Monarchs, College of Wizardry & Werewar, and the Waiting Room of Lost Souls.
The Rites of Spring is largely my fault. After a conversation with a friend one evening, I decided that the world needed an English Folk Horror larp run on Lundy. So, taking matters into my own hands, I went ahead and booked the island. Whilst that didn't work out, I am equally excited and determined to bring Spring Island to life on the wonderful island of Livø. I love Folk Horror, but am not as immersed in the genre as some of the rest of the team. I do, however, have 30+ years experience of larp creation, and intend to coordinate and manage the project overall. I am extremely excited about the game and bringing the strange world in our minds to life.
You can contact John via john@ritesofspring.co.uk
This is obviously not the first time that we have attempted to run this game. Our first stab at it was in April 2020 and was rudely interrupted by a global pandemic. This second attempt is built on the hard work and endeavour of those who have come before. We are forever in their debt.
Thank you to our incredibly hard working and dedicated writing team. So, please, everyone offer thanks and cred to:
Ylva Otting, Suus Mustaers, Sandy Bailly, Sarah Clelland, Ally Wilkes, Timothy Goundry, Rich Perry, Paul Foisey, Jeff Mann, Ewan Munro, Debbie Worden, Maria Shulga, Agnieszka Ołdziej, Valeria Oliveira & Jorri-Minna Hitula.
Thank you to our crew and volunteer group… although they never got to bring the characters of Spring Island to life, we are certain that they’d have done an incredible job. They are:
Noga Flashion, Zsofia Dobo, Sabina Barleaza, Hazel Dixon, Lin Bardsley, Bryn Bardsley, Yoru, Sarah Clelland, Matt McHugh, Lisa Tatton & Astrid Kulsdom.
There were some key people who involved themselves in our game, and for whom no amount of thanks is enough. They are:
Simon Brind, Anni Tolvanen and the rest of Ryhope Spelmanslag, Kol Ford, Oliver Facey, Toivo Voll, Ewan Munro & Doug Fazzani.
And lastly, I’d like to offer my thanks to my co-organisers. These are the people who were brave enough to believe in my crazy idea and committed hundreds and thousands of their own hours to trying to make this happen. They are the best people and have my eternal gratitude. They are:
Martyn Meeks, Matt Honeyball, Marie-Louise Olesen, Joanna Piancastelli, Claire Baillie, Vicky Eyles & Helena Nash.
With hope for the future and love for the past,
John Shockley