Immersive Play at The Hellenic Museum

Museums are evolving, breaking away from the traditional confines of exhibits behind glass and static displays. The Hellenic Museum in Melbourne is at the forefront of this evolution, using innovative programming to reach audiences that might not typically feel connected to museum spaces. One of their most daring and successful experiments is Mysterion: Descent Into Hades, a live-action role-playing (LARP) event that bridges the gap between ancient myths and contemporary audiences. This blog post explores how the Hellenic Museum utilized immersive play to create a transformative experience that captivated a diverse audience.

Reaching New Audiences through Play

Located in the heart of Melbourne, the Hellenic Museum is Australia’s only museum dedicated to showcasing Greek art, history, and culture. With collections spanning 8,000 years of human creativity, the museum is committed to exploring new ways to engage visitors. In recent years, the museum has targeted fringe communities, particularly those who may not feel that museums are for them. Events like their annual LGBTIQA+ celebration, Greek Love, and tattoo workshops with local artists are just a few examples of how the museum is pushing boundaries.

Mysterion: Descent Into Hades is part of this broader strategy. It’s the fourth in a series of gaming events that aim to connect with audiences through interactive play. Previous events have included Dungeons and Dragons sessions set in ancient Greece and real-world ancient tabletop games like Ur and Petteia. However, Mysterion takes this concept further by immersing participants directly into the world of Greek mythology through LARP, allowing them to physically embody characters and engage with historical narratives in an active and emotional way.

The Concept of LARP in a Museum Setting

Live-action role-playing, or LARP, involves participants physically embodying characters to create shared narratives through interactive storytelling. Commonly associated with medieval costumes and fantasy battles, LARP can be a powerful educational tool that allows people to experience situations they may not encounter in their daily lives. Scholar Andrew Lacanienta describes LARP as an activity that fosters deep, meaningful knowledge through personal interactions, character creation, and the use of props and costumes.

Mysterion: Descent Into Hades brought this concept to the Hellenic Museum, where it transformed the audience into members of the Medusa Society, a fictional modern-day secret society. Participants took part in a ritual to dissolve the boundary between the mortal world and the underworld, guided by a director, high priests, and acolytes. The immersive experience was heightened by the integration of the museum’s existing exhibitions, such as the ONEIROI photography collection by Bill Henson, which was reimagined as Hades’ lair with minimal set dressing but effective use of lighting and props.

Creating Immersive and Interactive Experiences

Immersion was a key element of Mysterion’s success. The event was designed to absorb participants into the world of Greek mythology, using both the physical environment of the museum and narrative-driven gameplay. Josiah Lulham, who portrayed Hades and is also a PhD candidate researching the anthropological implications of LARP, described immersion as the feeling of being transported into another world. This was achieved through careful attention to the setting, game mechanics, and the community of players.

The entry into the event served as a transformative moment, where participants were given masks to symbolize their departure from the everyday world and their entry into the game. This act, coupled with a ritual to open a portal to the underworld, set the tone for the evening. The museum’s spaces were subtly recontextualized to fit the narrative, turning familiar exhibitions into new, mystical environments that straddled the line between the modern and the ancient.

Balancing Authenticity and Engagement

One of the challenges in designing Mysterion was balancing historical authenticity with the need for an engaging, emotional experience. In his book “Role-play as a Heritage Practice,” Michal Mochocki differentiates between “cool authenticity,” which is based on factual accuracy, and “hot authenticity,” which is rooted in emotional resonance and subjective experience. While museums traditionally focus on cool authenticity, the team behind Mysterion sought to create an experience that would evoke genuine connections to the past, even if it meant taking creative liberties with historical accuracy.

Classicist Yulia Ustinova’s research on ancient Greek mystery rites was instrumental in shaping Mysterion. These rites, which involved dramatic reenactments and shared experiences with deities, provided a blueprint for the emotional and communal aspects of the event. While the team acknowledged the limitations of their historical knowledge, they prioritized creating an authentic feeling of immersion and connection for participants.

Costuming played a significant role in achieving this. Sky Ship Studios designed historically grounded costumes using authentic silhouettes, colors, and materials, with items borrowed from local reenactment communities. This attention to detail extended to the portrayal of characters like Hades, Heracles, and Persephone, whose costumes included distinct features that reflected their mythological attributes. For example, Hades wore a silver brooch and silk garments to represent his wealth and power, while Heracles donned a faux lion shawl symbolizing his first labor.

Emotional Impact and Audience Feedback

Mysterion: Descent Into Hades was more than an educational program; it was an emotional journey for its participants. Feedback from attendees highlighted how the event allowed them to feel a personal connection to Greek mythology, with one player describing the intense emotions experienced during interactions with characters like Hades, Persephone, and Achilles. The ability to witness the pain, desperation, and determination of these mythological figures brought the stories to life in a way that static exhibits could not.

The success of Mysterion underscores the potential of LARP and other immersive play-based programming in museums. By engaging audiences through active participation and emotional resonance, museums can create experiences that are not only educational but also deeply meaningful. The Hellenic Museum’s collaboration with Medusa’s LARP community was crucial in bringing Greek mythology and history to life, demonstrating how partnerships with passionate, skilled performers can enhance the authenticity and impact of such events.

The Future of Immersive Museum Programming

Mysterion: Descent Into Hades is a testament to the power of immersive, play-based programming in transforming museum experiences. The Hellenic Museum has shown that by embracing innovative approaches and targeting diverse audiences, museums can expand their reach and relevance in today’s cultural landscape. While there are still challenges to be mastered, the strong desire for programming like Mysterion is clear, and it points to an exciting future for museums willing to experiment with new forms of engagement.

As museums continue to explore the possibilities of immersive experiences, the lessons learned from Mysterion offer valuable insights into how to create events that are not only educational but also transformative. By inviting visitors to step into the world of the myths and legends that have shaped human history, museums can offer not just a view into the past, but a chance to live it.

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Tobias Fulton from the Hellenic Museum, Sandy Whittem from MedusaRPG and Nellie Seale from University of Melbourne spoke about ‘Mysterion: Descent Into Hades’ at the Museums, Games & Play Summit 2024.