The Portal podcast series consists of five segments, each dedicated to a different part of Portal’s history. People who started it and grew during all these years will share their experiences, memories, best practices, and cautionary tales.
Ana Rajner goes by her own name, but also assumes other names appropriate to settings and sometimes even vocations. As she sees it, her most important roles are as a mother, wife, dog owner, parenting coach, gamer, and - somehow - always an anthropologist. Starting the PoRtaL conference was her idea.
In this episode, we talk to George who is a paramedic, mountain guide, and self-defense instructor who has 17 years of experience in larp. He is a game master for the Bulgarian Fog LARP, where he deals mostly with logistics, organization, and problem-solving. Currently, George is working on how to use larp tools for adult education.
Introducing our next guest, Ilina Konakchieva, widely known as Hellen. With her background as a political and social scientist and social analyst, Ilina melds her vast professional insights seamlessly into the larp realm. She is the executive producer of the long-running Fog Larp in Bulgaria.
You see, as PoRtaL grew, it yearned to branch out and soak in diverse larp cultures, techniques, and experiences from around the region. And who better to guide us through this evolution than our upcoming guest, Miroslav "Siro" Wranka? Siro, a journalist and larp designer from Croatia, began his adventure more than two decades ago.
The new decade has presented us with challenges, particularly the pandemic limiting our cherished live events. Yet, the PoRtaL spirit persevered, expanding its reach to Greece and Poland. This episode, we're chatting with Alexandros Alexiou, a computer science student and larp designer from Greece.
Join us in conversation with Polinikis Papoulias, an instrumental figure behind PoRtaL 9 in Athens. Polinikis wears multiple hats - he's a seasoned Red Cross cadet Samaritan with a decade-long experience, ranging from championing blood donations to offering invaluable support in refugee camps.
Let us continue the PORTAL Talks with the co-founder and head marketing person of LarpVenture, Marcin Slowikovski (Slowik). Marcin and LARP's relationship is a really true love. He did his master's thesis on LARP and is teaching it at a seminar in Media Production Studies at his alma mater.
In our finale, we're pleased to host Zbyszek Janczukowicz, whose efforts led to PoRtaL receiving its inaugural funding through the Erasmus+ program. The founder of the Nausika Foundation, Zbyszek is at the helm of impactful initiatives like Larp For Climate and Forgotten Gods projects.