Waterways: The Fracking Game

Join Glen Foerd and Water Ways for a virtual interactive program, “The Fracking Game” which invites participants to take part in telling the story of water and the effects that the natural gas industry has on Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the surrounding area.

In this role-playing activity, participants will embody the many different people who are impacted by fracking in a variety of ways, drawing from a detailed illustration by Water Ways that highlights the struggle to protect the water and land on which we all survive. Water Ways facilitators Bri Barton and Meg Lemieur will play the Mayor of Rivertown and a representative of BigGasCo, a fictitious natural gas company. Participants will play other characters from this expansive story, asked to speak in character about the environmental, economic and health aspects of the proposed pipeline. Because the characters are from a wide range of backgrounds, presenting cases both for and against the pipeline, the game may elicit debates that reveal even more about each character and the pipeline project.

This workshop will be held on Zoom, and we recommend attending from a computer for the best experience. The activity is designed for ages 14 and up. In advance of the workshop, you will receive an email with details about your character’s biography, objective for attending the town hall, and an character’s illustrated vignette from Water Ways.