The Swansea Psychogeography Society (SPS) is a new monthly meet-up for all those interested in the exploration of the urban environment. Every month, we meet up somewhere around the city of Swansea, have some coffee or a pint, and explore the city through ‘drifting’ by using a playful prompt or score to guide the group. We might even stop and play a few games :O Our first meeting will be Saturday February 1st, 2025 at Common Meeple in Swansea on St. Helen’s Road!
History of Psychogeography
You may be asking… what the heck is psychogeography? The Letterist International, a collective of artists in Paris in the 1950’s, along with the Situational Internationals, were some of the first to call themselves psychogeographers. These groups attempted “to give play in the society of others [le jeu de société; literally, “the parlor game”] its true meaning: a society founded upon play. Nothing is more serious. Amusement is the royal privilege that must be made available to everyone.” More than anything, psychogeographers were looking for a way to explore the effect of a place, a geographical location, on the emotions and psyche of individuals, in a playful and spontaneous manner. Psychogeography is the fact “that you have an opinion about a space the moment you step into it,” says the writer and psychogeographer Wilfried Hou Je Bek. We drift together to explore our connection to places in new, creative ways.
FAQs
How often is this? Every month.
How does it start? We often start from a pub or cafe, where we get a drink or two and get to know each other a bit and perhaps play a few games.
How does it end? After we get to know one another first, we often go for a ‘drift’ around the city in a group (or two groups) under the prompt, score, or to our own intuition, looking for interesting thoughts or perspectives. After around 30 minutes to an hour, we will and perhaps make our way to the nearest pub.
How long will this take? Around two hours. You are free to drop-out at any time.
Do you walk no matter the weather? Yes, we walk rain or shine. But not during a storm or anything like that.
Is this free? Yes, it’s free! Just buy your own drinks 🙂
Where do you update your events? On our Instagram. DM us if you’re interested in learning more!
Can anyone do this? We hope that anyone feels okay to come to this, whether alone or in a group. We hope to keep a moderate pace but hope to accommodate all abilities.
Why are you doing this? Covened by the Micro Urbanist, Tatiana Bodnar, I’ve always wanted to start a club for like-minded people interested in urbanism. As a PhD student studying urban regeneration and transformation in South Wales, psychogeography has always stood out to me as a method to guide us deeper tune with the place we live in: It’s past, present, and future. Plus… it’s fun! After attending other playful walks, performances and games around the city (and even hosting my own when I lived in Stockholm), I’m really excited to create this gathering space to learn together. Overall, while I hope to facilitate the first few meetups, I hope that that the Swansea Psychogeography Society can be grow and co-evolve with others to explore the city, together.
THE SPS WELCOMES YOU WARMLY!
Swanning Around 