About
Dr. Emma Reay is a Senior Lecturer in Emerging Media at the University of Southampton. Her research is located at the intersection of Games Studies, Games Design, and Childhood Studies. Emma is interested in the social, ethical, and political dimensions of games - particularly in the possibility spaces created through radical play in virtual worlds. She is an advocate for lifelong play, cooperative games, and joy as resistance.
Previously, Emma was a Research Fellow for ATTUNE - a nationwide project tackling the adverse effects of childhood trauma through arts-based interventions. While other practitioners and researchers looked at dance, photography, and drawing, Emma collaborated with young people to explore the therapeutic effects of videogames for mood repair, building resilience, and fostering the creation of communities.
Emma is a clinical trustee for the gaming and mental wellness charity Safe in Our World, a board member of Researcher's Exploring Inclusive Youth Literature (REIYL), and an advisor for Taralumen Games.